Luke 15:4
Context15:4 “Which one 1 of you, if he has a hundred 2 sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture 3 and go look for 4 the one that is lost until he finds it? 5
Luke 15:7
Context15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner 6 who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people 7 who have no need to repent. 8
1 tn Grk “What man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a somewhat generic sense.
2 sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.
3 tn Or “desert,” but here such a translation might suggest neglect of the 99 sheep left behind.
4 tn Grk “go after,” but in contemporary English the idiom “to look for” is used to express this.
5 sn Until he finds it. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.
6 sn There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The pursuit of the sinner is a priority in spite of the presence of others who are doing well (see also Luke 5:32; 19:10). The theme of repentance, a major Lukan theme, is again emphasized.
7 tn Here δικαίοις (dikaioi") is an adjective functioning substantivally and has been translated “righteous people.”
8 tn Or “who do not need to repent”; Grk “who do not have need of repentance.”