Discovery BoxLuke 14:12-16 
Context14:12 He 1 said also to the man 2 who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, 3 don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. 14:13 But when you host an elaborate meal, 4 invite the poor, the crippled, 5 the lame, and 6 the blind. 7 14:14 Then 8 you will be blessed, 9 because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid 10 at the resurrection of the righteous.”
14:15 When 11 one of those at the meal with Jesus 12 heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone 13 who will feast 14 in the kingdom of God!” 15 14:16 But Jesus 16 said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet 17 and invited 18 many guests. 19
1 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
2 sn That is, the leader of the Pharisees (v. 1).
3 tn The meaning of the two terms for meals here, ἄριστον (ariston) and δεῖπνον (deipnon), essentially overlap (L&N 23.22). Translators usually try to find two terms for a meal to use as equivalents (e.g., lunch and dinner, dinner and supper, etc.). In this translation “dinner” and “banquet” have been used, since the expected presence of rich neighbors later in the verse suggests a rather more elaborate occasion than an ordinary meal.
4 tn This term, δοχή (doch), is a third term for a meal (see v. 12) that could also be translated “banquet, feast.”
5 sn Normally the term means crippled as a result of being maimed or mutilated (L&N 23.177).
6 tn Here “and” has been supplied between the last two elements in the series in keeping with English style.
7 sn This list of needy is like Luke 7:22. See Deut 14:28-29; 16:11-14; 26:11-13.
8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate that this follows from the preceding action. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
9 sn You will be blessed. God notes and approves of such generosity.
10 sn The passive verb will be repaid looks at God’s commendation.
11 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
12 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Grk “whoever” (the indefinite relative pronoun). This has been translated as “everyone who” to conform to contemporary English style.
14 tn Or “will dine”; Grk “eat bread.” This refers to those who enjoy the endless fellowship of God’s coming rule.
15 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
16 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Or “dinner.”
18 sn Presumably those invited would have sent a reply with the invitation stating their desire to attend, much like a modern R.S.V.P. Then they waited for the servant to announce the beginning of the celebration (D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1272).
19 tn The word “guests” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
