Discovery BoxLuke 19:37-40 
Context19:37 As he approached the road leading down from 1 the Mount of Olives, 2 the whole crowd of his 3 disciples began to rejoice 4 and praise 5 God with a loud voice for all the mighty works 6 they had seen: 7 19:38 “Blessed is the king 8 who comes in the name of the Lord! 9 Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 19:39 But 10 some of the Pharisees 11 in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 12 19:40 He answered, 13 “I tell you, if they 14 keep silent, the very stones 15 will cry out!”
1 tn Grk “the descent of”; this could refer to either the slope of the hillside itself or the path leading down from it (the second option has been adopted for the translation, see L&N 15.109).
2 sn See the note on the name Mount of Olives in v. 29.
3 tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
4 tn Here the participle χαίροντες (caironte") has been translated as a finite verb in English; it could also be translated adverbially as a participle of manner: “began to praise God joyfully.”
5 sn See 2:13, 20; Acts 2:47; 3:8-9.
6 tn Or “works of power,” “miracles.” Jesus’ ministry of miracles is what has drawn attention. See Luke 7:22.
7 tn Grk “they had seen, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
8 sn Luke adds the title king to the citation from Ps 118:26 to make clear who was meant (see Luke 18:38). The psalm was used in looking for the deliverance of the end, thus leading to the Pharisees’ reaction.
9 sn A quotation from Ps 118:26.
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context. Not all present are willing to join in the acclamation.
11 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
12 sn Teacher, rebuke your disciples. The Pharisees were complaining that the claims were too great.
13 tn Grk “and answering, he said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “He answered.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
14 tn Grk “these.”
15 sn This statement amounts to a rebuke. The idiom of creation speaking means that even creation knows what is taking place, yet the Pharisees miss it. On this idiom, see Gen 4:10 and Hab 2:11.
