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Luke 7:23-25
New English Translation
Luke 7:23-25
New English Translation
23 Blessed is anyone[a] who takes no offense at me.”
24 When[b] John’s messengers had gone, Jesus[c] began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness[d] to see? A reed shaken by the wind?[e] 25 What[f] did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?[g] Look, those who wear soft clothing and live in luxury[h] are in the royal palaces![i]
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- Luke 7:23 tn Grk “whoever.”
- Luke 7:24 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Luke 7:24 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Luke 7:24 tn Or “desert.”
- Luke 7:24 tn It is debated whether this expression should be read figuratively (“to see someone who is easily blown over?”) or literally (“to see the wilderness vegetation blowing in the wind?…No, to see a prophet”). Either view is possible, but the following examples suggest the question should be read literally, meaning that an extraordinary event like the arrival of a prophet (rather than the common occurrence of plants blowing in the wind) drew them to the desert.
- Luke 7:25 tn Grk “But what.” Here ἀλλά (alla, a strong contrastive in Greek) produces a somewhat awkward sense in English, and has not been translated. The same situation occurs at the beginning of v. 26.
- Luke 7:25 sn The reference to soft clothing suggests that John was not rich or powerful, nor did he come from the wealthy or ruling classes. The crowds came out into the wilderness not to see the rich and famous, but to see a prophet.
- Luke 7:25 tn See L&N 88.253, “to revel, to carouse, to live a life of luxury.”
- Luke 7:25 tn This is a different Greek term than in the parallel in Matt 11:8. Cf. BDAG 169 s.v. βασίλειος, “the (royal) palace.”
New English Translation (NET)
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