¹ tn Grk “living with her husband for seven years from her virginity and she was a widow for eighty four years.” The chronology of the eighty-four years is unclear, since the final phrase could mean “she was widowed until the age of eighty-four” (so BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.α). However, the more natural way to take the syntax is as a reference to the length of her widowhood, the subject of the clause, in which case Anna was about 105 years old (so D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:251-52; I. H. Marshall, Luke, [NIGTC], 123-24).

² sn The statements about Anna worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day make her extreme piety clear.

³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the topic.

⁴ tn Grk “when they”; the referents (Joseph and Mary) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Or “completed.”

⁶ sn On the phrase the law of the Lord see Luke 2:22-23.

⁷ tn Or “city.”

⁸ map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

⁹ sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.

¹⁰ sn See the note on tetrarch in 3:1.

¹¹ tc Several mss (A C K W Ψ 33 565 579 1424 2542 al bo) read τῆς γυναικὸς Φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ (th" gunaiko" Filippou tou adelfou autou, “the wife of his brother Philip”), specifying whose wife Herodias was. The addition of “Philip,” however, is an assimilation to Matt 14:3 and is lacking in the better witnesses.

sn This marriage to his brother’s wife was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left previous marriages to enter into this union.

¹² tn Or “immoralities.”

¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a specific example of how Jesus spoke with authority (v. 32).

¹⁴ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:15.

¹⁵ tn Grk “having an unclean, demonic spirit,” that is, an evil spirit. This is the only place Luke uses this lengthy phrase. Normally he simply says an “unclean spirit.”

¹⁶ tn Or “let down.” The verb here is plural, so this is a command to all in the boat, not just Peter.

¹⁷ tn Here the conjunction δέ (de) has been translated as contrastive.

¹⁸ sn The statement that Jesus knew their thoughts adds a prophetic note to his response; see Luke 5:22.

¹⁹ tn Grk “their reasonings.” The implication is that Jesus knew his opponents’ plans and motives, so the translation “thoughts” was used here.

²⁰ sn Most likely synagogues were arranged with benches along the walls and open space in the center for seating on the floor.

²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the man’s action was a result of Jesus’ order.

²² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the parenthetical nature of the comment by the author.

²³ sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.

²⁴ tn Or “vindicated God”; Grk “justified God.” This could be expanded to “vindicated and responded to God.” The point is that God’s goodness and grace as evidenced in the invitation to John was justified and responded to by the group one might least expect, tax collector and sinners. They had more spiritual sensitivity than others. The contrastive response is clear from v. 30.

²⁵ tn The participle βαπτισθέντες (baptisqente") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

²⁶ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

²⁷ tn That is, the experts in the interpretation of the Mosaic law (see also Luke 5:17, although the Greek term is not identical there, and Luke 10:25, where it is the same).

²⁸ tn Or “plan.”

²⁹ tn The participle βαπτισθέντες (baptisqente") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as means (“for themselves, by not having been baptized”). This is similar to the translation found in the NRSV.

³⁰ tn Grk “by him”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³¹ sn Luke 7:29-30 forms something of an aside by the author. To indicate this, they have been placed in parentheses.

³² tn Grk “your house.”

³³ tn Or “describe.”

³⁴ sn Jesus instructs the man to declare what God has done for him, in contrast to the usual instructions (e.g., 8:56; 9:21) to remain silent. Here in Gentile territory Jesus allowed more open discussion of his ministry. D. L. Bock (Luke [BECNT], 1:781) suggests that with few Jewish religious representatives present, there would be less danger of misunderstanding Jesus’ ministry as political.

³⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the man’s response to Jesus’ instructions.

³⁶ tn Or “city.”

³⁷ sn Note that the man could not separate what God had done from the one through whom God had done it (what Jesus had done for him). This man was called to witness to God’s goodness at home.

³⁸ tn This imperfect verb could be understood ingressively: “she was beginning to die” or “was approaching death.”

³⁹ sn Pressed is a very emphatic term – the crowds were pressing in so hard that one could hardly breathe (L&N 19.48).

⁴⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

⁴¹ tn Grk “a flow of blood.”

⁴² tc ‡ Most mss, including the majority of later mss (א[* C] A L W Θ Ξ [Ψ] Ë^1,13 33 [1424] Ï [lat sy^c,p,h]) read here, “having spent all her money on doctors.” Uncertainty over its authenticity is due primarily to the fact that certain important witnesses do not have the phrase (e.g., Ì⁷⁵ B [D] 0279 sy^s sa Or). This evidence alone renders its authenticity unlikely. It may have been intentionally added by later scribes in order to harmonize Luke’s account with similar material in Mark 5:26 (see TCGNT 121). NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.

⁴³ sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.

⁴⁴ sn See the note on tetrarch in 3:1.

⁴⁵ tn Or “was very confused.” See L&N 32.10 where this verse is given as an example of the usage.

⁴⁶ sn John refers to John the Baptist, whom Herod had beheaded (v. 9).

⁴⁷ tn Grk “John I beheaded”; John’s name is in emphatic position in the Greek text. The verb is causative, since Herod would not have personally carried out the execution.

⁴⁸ tn The expression ἐζήτει ἰδεῖν αὐτόν (ezhtei idein auton, “was seeking to see him”) probably indicates that Herod, for curiosity’s sake or more likely for evil purposes, wanted to get to know Jesus, i.e., who he was and what he was doing. See I. H. Marshall, Luke (NIGTC), 357. Herod finally got his wish in Luke 23:6-12, with inconclusive results from his point of view.

⁴⁹ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁵⁰ tn The participle ὑποστρέψαντες (Jupostreyante") has been taken temporally.

⁵¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁵³ tc There is a seeming myriad of variants for this text. Many mss read εἰς τόπον ἔρημον (ei" topon erhmon, “to a deserted place”; א*^,2 [1241]) or εἰς τόπον ἔρημον πόλεως καλουμένης Βηθσαϊδά (ei" topon erhmon polew" kaloumenh" Bhqsai>da, “to a deserted place of a town called Bethsaida”; [A] C W Ξ^mg [Ë^1,13] [565] Ï) here, while others have εἰς κώμην λεγομένην Βηδσαϊδά (ei" kwmhn legomenhn Bhdsai>da, “to a village called Bedsaida”; D), εἰς κώμην καλουμένην Βηθσαϊδά εἰς τόπον ἔρημον (ei" kwmhn kaloumenhn Bhqsai>da ei" topon erhmon, “to a village called Bethsaida to a deserted place”; Θ), or εἰς τόπον καλουμένον Βηθσαϊδά (ei" topon kaloumenon Bhqsaida, “to a place called Bethsaida”; Ψ). The Greek behind the translation (εἰς πόλιν καλουμένην Βηθσαϊδά, ei" polin kaloumenhn Bhqsai>da) is supported by (Ì⁷⁵) א¹ B L Ξ* 33 2542 pc co. The variants can be grouped generally into those that speak of a “deserted place” and those that speak of a place/city/town called Bethsaida. The Byzantine reading is evidently a conflation of the earlier texts, and should be dismissed as secondary. The variants that speak of a deserted place are an assimilation to Mark 6:32, as well a harmonization with v. 12, and should also be regarded as secondary. The reading that best explains the rise of the others – both internally and externally – is the one that stands behind the translation and is found in the text of NA²⁷.

tn Or “city.”

⁵⁴ sn Bethsaida was a town on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee. Probably this should be understood to mean a place in the vicinity of the town. It represents an attempt to reconcile the location with the place of the miraculous feeding that follows.

⁵⁵ sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.

⁵⁶ tc Most mss (א¹ A B L Q W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy^p,h sa^ms bo) read “he would have watched and not let” here, but this looks like an assimilation to Matt 24:43. The alliance of two important and early mss along with a few others (Ì⁷⁵ א* [D] e i sy^s,c sa^mss), coupled with much stronger internal evidence, suggests that the shorter reading is authentic.

⁵⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

⁵⁸ sn This is an event that otherwise is unattested, though several events similar to it are noted in Josephus (J. W. 2.9.2-4 [2.169-177]; Ant. 13.13.5 [13.372-73], 18.3.1-2 [18.55-62]; 18.4.1 [18.85-87]). It would have caused a major furor.

⁵⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁶⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶¹ sn The fig tree is a variation on the picture of a vine as representing the nation; see Isa 5:1-7.

⁶² tn Grk “and behold, a woman.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

⁶³ tn Grk “a woman having a spirit of weakness” (or “a spirit of infirmity”).

⁶⁴ tn Grk “years, and.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁶⁵ tn Or “and could not straighten herself up at all.” If εἰς τὸ παντελές (ei" to pantele") is understood to modify δυναμένη (dunamenh), the meaning is “she was not able at all to straighten herself up”; but the phrase may be taken with ἀνακύψαι (anakuyai) and understood to mean the same as the adverb παντελῶς (pantelws), with the meaning “she was not able to straighten herself up completely.” See BDAG 754 s.v. παντελής 1 for further discussion. The second option is preferred in the translation because of proximity: The phrase in question follows ἀνακύψαι in the Greek text.

⁶⁶ tn Grk “hid in.”

⁶⁷ sn This measure was a saton, the Greek name for the Hebrew term “seah.” Three of these was a very large quantity of flour, since a saton is a little over 16 lbs (7 kg) of dry measure (or 13.13 liters). So this was over 47 lbs (21 kg) of flour total, enough to feed over a hundred people.

⁶⁸ tn Grk “it was all leavened.”

sn The parable of the yeast and the dough teaches that the kingdom of God will start small but eventually grow to permeate everything. Jesus’ point was not to be deceived by its seemingly small start, the same point made in the parable of the mustard seed, which preceded this one.

⁶⁹ tn Grk “And at.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁷⁰ tn Or “dinner.”

⁷¹ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.

⁷² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁷³ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

⁷⁴ sn Rejoice. Besides the theme of pursuing the lost, the other theme of the parable is the joy of finding them.

⁷⁵ tn Grk “drachma.”

⁷⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the sequence of events in the parable. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.

⁷⁷ sn On this day. They had missed the time of Messiah’s coming; see v. 44.

⁷⁸ tn Grk “the things toward peace.” This expression seems to mean “the things that would ‘lead to,’ ‘bring about,’ or ‘make for’ peace.”

⁷⁹ sn But now they are hidden from your eyes. This becomes an oracle of doom in the classic OT sense; see Luke 13:31-35; 11:49-51; Jer 9:2; 13:7; 14:7. They are now blind and under judgment (Jer 15:5; Ps 122:6).

⁸⁰ tn Grk “out of what abounded to them.”

⁸¹ tn Or “put in her entire livelihood.”

⁸² tn Or “delivered up.”

⁸³ sn He handed Jesus over to their will. Here is where Luke places the major blame for Jesus’ death. It lies with the Jewish nation, especially the leadership, though in Acts 4:24-27 he will bring in the opposition of Herod, Pilate, and all people.

⁸⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸⁵ tn Technically the participle ὁρῶσαι (Jorwsai) modifies only γυναῖκες (gunaike") since both are feminine plural nominative, although many modern translations refer this as well to the group of those who knew Jesus mentioned in the first part of the verse. These events had a wide array of witnesses.

⁸⁶ tn Grk “This one.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

⁸⁷ tc Several mss (א C D L Δ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 [579] 892 1424 2542 al) read the present participle συγκατατιθέμενος (sunkatatiqemeno") instead of the perfect participle συγκατατεθειμένος (sunkatateqeimeno"). The present participle could be taken to mean that Joseph had decided that the execution was now a mistake. The perfect means that he did not agree with it from the start. The perfect participle, however, has better support externally (Ì⁷⁵ A B W Θ 33 Ï), and is thus the preferred reading.

sn The parenthetical note at the beginning of v. 51 indicates that Joseph of Arimathea had not consented to the action of the Sanhedrin in condemning Jesus to death. Since Mark 14:64 indicates that all the council members condemned Jesus as deserving death, it is likely that Joseph was not present at the trial.

⁸⁸ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

⁸⁹ tn Or “Judean city”; Grk “from Arimathea, a city of the Jews.” Here the expression “of the Jews” (᾿Iουδαίων, Ioudaiwn) is used in an adjectival sense to specify a location (cf. BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Iουδαῖος 2.c) and so has been translated “Judean.”

⁹⁰ tn Or “waiting for.”

⁹¹ sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, this remark that he was looking forward to the kingdom of God, the affirmation of his character at the end of v. 50, and his actions regarding Jesus’ burial all suggest otherwise.

⁹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁹³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹⁴ sn The first day of the week is the day after the Sabbath.

⁹⁵ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the women mentioned in 23:55) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹⁶ tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. See also the note on “aromatic spices” in 23:56.

⁹⁷ sn While the others dismissed the report of the women, Peter got up and ran to the tomb, for he had learned to believe in what the Lord had said.

⁹⁸ sn In most instances the entrance to such tombs was less than 3 ft (1 m) high, so that an adult would have to bend down and practically crawl inside.

⁹⁹ tn In the NT this term is used only for strips of cloth used to wrap a body for burial (LN 6.154; BDAG 693 s.v. ὀθόνιον).

¹⁰⁰ tn Or “went away, wondering to himself.” The prepositional phrase πρὸς ἑαυτόν (pros Jeauton) can be understood with the preceding verb ἀπῆλθεν (aphlqen) or with the following participle θαυμάζων (qaumazwn), but it more likely belongs with the former (cf. John 20:10, where the phrase can only refer to the verb).

¹⁰¹ sn Peter’s wondering was not a lack of faith, but struggling in an attempt to understand what could have happened.

¹⁰² tc Some Western mss (D it) lack 24:12. The verse has been called a Western noninterpolation, meaning that it reflects a shorter authentic reading in D and other Western witnesses. Many regard all such shorter readings as original (the verse is omitted in the RSV), but the ms evidence for omission is far too slight for the verse to be rejected as secondary. It is included in Ì⁷⁵ and the rest of the ms tradition.

¹⁰³ sn The men in dazzling attire mentioned in v. 4 are identified as angels here.

¹⁰⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹⁰⁵ tn Here the pronoun αὐτόν (auton), referring to Jesus, is in an emphatic position. The one thing they lacked was solid evidence that he was alive.

¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “had reclined at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

¹⁰⁸ tn The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text here or in the following clause, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.