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Luke 3:11
New English Translation
Luke 3:11
New English Translation
11 John[a] answered them,[b] “The person who has two tunics[c] must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.”
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- Luke 3:11 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Luke 3:11 tn Grk “Answering, he said to them.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to “answered them.”
- Luke 3:11 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, chitōn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
Luke 3:13-14
New English Translation
Luke 3:13-14
New English Translation
13 He told them, “Collect no more[a] than you are required to.”[b] 14 Then some soldiers[c] also asked him, “And as for us—what should we do?”[d] He told them, “Take money from no one by violence[e] or by false accusation,[f] and be content with your pay.”
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- Luke 3:13 tn In the Greek text μηδὲν πλέον (mēden pleon, “no more”) is in an emphatic position.sn By telling the tax collectors to collect no more than…required John was calling for honesty and integrity in a business that was known for greed and dishonesty.
- Luke 3:13 tn Or “than you are ordered to.”
- Luke 3:14 tn Grk “And soldiers.”
- Luke 3:14 tn Grk “And what should we ourselves do?”
- Luke 3:14 tn Or “Rob no one.” The term διασείσητε (diaseisēte) here refers to “shaking someone.” In this context it refers to taking financial advantage of someone through violence, so it refers essentially to robbery. Soldiers are to perform their tasks faithfully. A changed person is to carry out his tasks in life faithfully and without grumbling.
- Luke 3:14 tn The term translated “accusation” (συκοφαντήσητε, sukophantēsēte) refers to a procedure by which someone could bring charges against an individual and be paid a part of the fine imposed by the court. Soldiers could do this to supplement their pay, and would thus be tempted to make false accusations.
New English Translation (NET)
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