Luke 9:57-59
New English Translation
Challenging Professed Followers
57 As[a] they were walking[b] along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”[c] 58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky[d] have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”[e] 59 Jesus[f] said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied,[g] “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Luke 9:57 tn Grk “And as.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
- Luke 9:57 tn Grk “going,” but “walking” is an accurate description of how they traveled about.
- Luke 9:57 tc Most mss (A C W Θ Ψ ƒ13 33 M) add κύριε (kurie, “Lord”) here, but scribes were prone to add to the text, especially appellations for the Lord. The shorter reading also enjoys significant ms support (P45,75 א B D L Ξ ƒ1 lat co).sn The statement “I will follow you wherever you go” is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.
- Luke 9:58 tn Or “the wild birds”; Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
- Luke 9:58 sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).
- Luke 9:59 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Luke 9:59 tn Grk “said.”
Luke 9:57-59
New International Version
The Cost of Following Jesus(A)
57 As they were walking along the road,(B) a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man(C) has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”(D)
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
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