Discovery BoxLuke 14:13-21 
Context14:13 But when you host an elaborate meal, 1 invite the poor, the crippled, 2 the lame, and 3 the blind. 4 14:14 Then 5 you will be blessed, 6 because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid 7 at the resurrection of the righteous.”
14:15 When 8 one of those at the meal with Jesus 9 heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone 10 who will feast 11 in the kingdom of God!” 12 14:16 But Jesus 13 said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet 14 and invited 15 many guests. 16 14:17 At 17 the time for the banquet 18 he sent his slave 19 to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 14:18 But one after another they all 20 began to make excuses. 21 The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, 22 and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ 23 14:19 Another 24 said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, 25 and I am going out 26 to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 14:20 Another 27 said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’ 28 14:21 So 29 the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious 30 and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly 31 to the streets and alleys of the city, 32 and bring in the poor, 33 the crippled, 34 the blind, and the lame.’
1 tn This term, δοχή (doch), is a third term for a meal (see v. 12) that could also be translated “banquet, feast.”
2 sn Normally the term means crippled as a result of being maimed or mutilated (L&N 23.177).
3 tn Here “and” has been supplied between the last two elements in the series in keeping with English style.
4 sn This list of needy is like Luke 7:22. See Deut 14:28-29; 16:11-14; 26:11-13.
5 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.
6 sn You will be blessed. God notes and approves of such generosity.
7 sn The passive verb will be repaid looks at God’s commendation.
8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
9 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Grk “whoever” (the indefinite relative pronoun). This has been translated as “everyone who” to conform to contemporary English style.
11 tn Or “will dine”; Grk “eat bread.” This refers to those who enjoy the endless fellowship of God’s coming rule.
12 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.
13 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14 tn Or “dinner.”
15 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).
16 tn The word “guests” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
17 tn Grk “And at.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
18 tn Or “dinner.”
19 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
20 tn Or “all unanimously” (BDAG 107 s.v. ἀπό 6). "One after another" is suggested by L&N 61.2.
21 sn To make excuses and cancel at this point was an insult in the culture of the time. Regardless of customs concerning responses to invitations, refusal at this point was rude.
22 sn I have bought a field. An examination of newly bought land was a common practice. It was this person’s priority.
23 sn The expression Please excuse me is probably a polite way of refusing, given the dynamics of the situation, although it is important to note that an initial acceptance had probably been indicated and it was now a bit late for a refusal. The semantic equivalent of the phrase may well be “please accept my apologies.”
24 tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
25 sn Five yoke of oxen. This was a wealthy man, because the normal farmer had one or two yoke of oxen.
26 tn The translation “going out” for πορεύομαι (poreuomai) is used because “going” in this context could be understood to mean “I am about to” rather than the correct nuance, “I am on my way to.”
27 tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
28 sn I just got married, and I cannot come. There is no request to be excused here; just a refusal. Why this disqualifies attendance is not clear. The OT freed a newly married man from certain responsibilities such as serving in the army (Deut 20:7; 24:5), but that would hardly apply to a banquet. The invitation is not respected in any of the three cases.
29 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the preceding responses.
30 tn Grk “being furious, said.” The participle ὀργισθείς (orgisqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
31 sn It was necessary to go out quickly because the banquet was already prepared. All the food would spoil if not eaten immediately.
32 tn Or “town.”
33 sn The poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. Note how the list matches v. 13, illustrating that point. Note also how the party goes on; it is not postponed until a later date. Instead new guests are invited.
34 tn Grk “and the crippled.” Normally crippled as a result of being maimed or mutilated (L&N 23.177). Καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following category (Grk “and the blind and the lame”) since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
