Discovery BoxLuke 3:9 
Context3:9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, 1 and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be 2 cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Luke 4:40
Context4:40 As the sun was setting, all those who had any relatives 3 sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus. 4 He placed 5 his hands on every one of them and healed them.
Luke 10:1
Context10:1 After this 6 the Lord appointed seventy-two 7 others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town 8 and place where he himself was about to go.
Luke 11:42
Context11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! 9 You give a tenth 10 of your mint, 11 rue, 12 and every herb, yet you neglect justice 13 and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others. 14
1 sn Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees. The imagery of an “ax already laid at the root of the trees” is vivid, connoting sudden and catastrophic judgment for the unrepentant and unfruitful. The image of “fire” serves to further heighten the intensity of the judgment referred to. It is John’s way of summoning all people to return to God with all their heart and avoid his unquenchable wrath soon to be poured out. John’s language and imagery is probably ultimately drawn from the OT where Israel is referred to as a fruitless vine (Hos 10:1-2; Jer 2:21-22) and the image of an “ax” is used to indicate God’s judgment (Ps 74:5-6; Jer 46:22).
2 tn Grk “is”; the present tense (ἐκκόπτεται, ekkoptetai) has futuristic force here.
3 tn Grk “everyone, as many as had those being sick.” The use of εἶχον (eicon, “had”) suggests that the subject of the accusative participle ἀσθενοῦντας (asqenountas, “those being sick”) is not simply acquaintances, but rather relatives, perhaps immediate family, and certainly close friends.
4 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Or “laid.” The participle ἐπιτεθείς (epiteqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
6 tn Grk “And after these things.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
7 tc There is a difficult textual problem here and in v. 17, where the number is either “seventy” (א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ Ë1,13 Ï and several church fathers and early versions) or “seventy-two” (Ì75 B D 0181 pc lat as well as other versions and fathers). The more difficult reading is “seventy-two,” since scribes would be prone to assimilate this passage to several OT passages that refer to groups of seventy people (Num 11:13-17; Deut 10:22; Judg 8:30; 2 Kgs 10:1 et al.); this reading also has slightly better ms support. “Seventy” could be the preferred reading if scribes drew from the tradition of the number of translators of the LXX, which the Letter of Aristeas puts at seventy-two (TCGNT 127), although this is far less likely. All things considered, “seventy-two” is a much more difficult reading and accounts for the rise of the other. Only Luke notes a second larger mission like the one in 9:1-6.
8 tn Or “city.”
9 tn Grk “Woe to you…because you…” The causal particle ὅτι (Joti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so to the end of this chapter).
10 tn Or “you tithe mint.”
11 sn These small herbs were tithed with great care (Mishnah, m. Demai 2:1).
12 tn Grk “and rue.” Καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
sn Rue was an evergreen herb used for seasoning.
13 sn Justice was a major theme of OT ethics (Mic 6:8; Zech 7:8-10).
14 tn Grk “those”; but this has been translated as “the others” to clarify which are meant.
