Discovery BoxLuke 7:8 
Context7:8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. 1 I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, 2 and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 3
Luke 12:45-46
Context12:45 But if 4 that 5 slave should say to himself, 6 ‘My master is delayed 7 in returning,’ and he begins to beat 8 the other 9 slaves, both men and women, 10 and to eat, drink, and get drunk, 12:46 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, 11 and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 12
Luke 15:29
Context15:29 but he answered 13 his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave 14 for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet 15 you never gave me even a goat 16 so that I could celebrate with my friends!
Luke 17:7
Context17:7 “Would any one of you say 17 to your slave 18 who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? 19
1 tn Grk “having soldiers under me.”
2 sn I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes. The illustrations highlight the view of authority the soldier sees in the word of one who has authority. Since the centurion was a commander of a hundred soldiers, he understood what it was both to command others and to be obeyed.
3 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
4 tn In the Greek text this is a third class condition that for all practical purposes is a hypothetical condition (note the translation of the following verb “should say”).
5 tn The term “that” (ἐκεῖνος, ekeino") is used as a catchword to list out, in the form of a number of hypothetical circumstances, what the possible responses of “that” servant could be. He could be faithful (vv. 43-44) or totally unfaithful (vv. 45-46). He does not complete his master’s will with knowledge (v. 47) or from ignorance (v 48). These differences are indicated by the different levels of punishment in vv. 46-48.
6 tn Grk “should say in his heart.”
7 tn Or “is taking a long time.”
8 sn The slave’s action in beginning to beat the other slaves was not only a failure to carry out what was commanded but involved doing the exact reverse.
9 tn The word “other” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
10 tn Grk “the menservants and the maidservants.” The term here, used in both masculine and feminine grammatical forms, is παῖς (pais), which can refer to a slave, but also to a slave who is a personal servant, and thus regarded kindly (L&N 87.77).
11 tn The verb διχοτομέω (dicotomew) means to cut an object into two parts (L&N 19.19). This is an extremely severe punishment compared to the other two later punishments. To translate it simply as “punish” is too mild. If taken literally this servant is dismembered, although it is possible to view the stated punishment as hyperbole (L&N 38.12).
12 tn Or “unbelieving.” Here the translation employs the slightly more ambiguous “unfaithful,” which creates a link with the point of the parable – faithfulness versus unfaithfulness in servants. The example of this verse must be taken together with the examples of vv. 47-48 as part of a scale of reactions with the most disobedient response coming here. The fact that this servant is placed in a distinct group, unlike the one in vv. 47-48, also suggests ultimate exclusion. This is the hypocrite of Matt 24:51.
13 tn Grk “but answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “but he answered.”
14 tn Or simply, “have served,” but in the emotional context of the older son’s outburst the translation given is closer to the point.
15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to bring out the contrast indicated by the context.
16 sn You never gave me even a goat. The older son’s complaint was that the generous treatment of the younger son was not fair: “I can’t get even a little celebration with a basic food staple like a goat!”
17 tn Grk “Who among you, having a slave… would say to him.”
18 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
19 tn Grk “and recline 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. See BDAG 70 s.v. ἀναπίπτω 1.
