Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options

Luke 7:36-8:3
New English Translation

Jesus’ Anointing

36 Now one of the Pharisees[a] asked Jesus[b] to have dinner with him, so[c] he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table.[d] 37 Then[e] when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus[f] was dining[g] at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar[h] of perfumed oil.[i] 38 As[j] she stood[k] behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She[l] wiped them with her hair,[m] kissed[n] them,[o] and anointed[p] them with the perfumed oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this,[q] he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,[r] he would know who and what kind of woman[s] this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” 40 So[t] Jesus answered him,[u] “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied,[v] “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain creditor[w] had two debtors; one owed him[x] 500 silver coins,[y] and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he canceled[z] the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered,[aa] “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”[ab] Jesus[ac] said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then,[ad] turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet,[ae] but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss of greeting,[af] but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet[ag] with perfumed oil. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much;[ah] but the one who is forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then[ai] Jesus[aj] said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”[ak] 49 But[al] those who were at the table[am] with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 He[an] said to the woman, “Your faith[ao] has saved you;[ap] go in peace.”

Jesus’ Ministry and the Help of Women

8 Some time[aq] afterward[ar] he went on through towns[as] and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news[at] of the kingdom of God.[au] The[av] twelve were with him, 2 and also some women[aw] who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities:[ax] Mary[ay] (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Cuza[az] (Herod’s[ba] household manager),[bb] Susanna, and many others who provided for them[bc] out of their own resources.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 7:36 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
  2. Luke 7:36 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  3. Luke 7:36 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ action was the result of the Pharisee’s invitation.
  4. Luke 7:36 tn Grk “and reclined at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
  5. Luke 7:37 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  6. Luke 7:37 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. Luke 7:37 tn Grk “was reclining at table.”
  8. Luke 7:37 sn A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used.
  9. Luke 7:37 tn Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 38 and in v. 46.sn Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This perfumed oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.
  10. Luke 7:38 tn Grk “And standing.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  11. Luke 7:38 tn Grk “standing”; the participle στᾶσα (stasa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  12. Luke 7:38 tn Grk “tears, and she.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  13. Luke 7:38 tn Grk “with the hair of her head.”
  14. Luke 7:38 tn Grk “and kissed,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  15. Luke 7:38 tn Grk “kissed his feet,” but this has been replaced by the pronoun “them” in keeping with contemporary English style.
  16. Luke 7:38 sn The series of verbs in this verse detail the woman’s every move, much as if the onlookers were watching her every step. That she attended the meal is not so surprising, as teachers often ate an open meal where listeners were welcome, but for her to approach Jesus was unusual and took great nerve, especially given her reputation.
  17. Luke 7:39 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  18. Luke 7:39 tn This is a good example of a second class (contrary to fact) Greek conditional sentence. The Pharisee said, in effect, “If this man were a prophet (but he is not)…”
  19. Luke 7:39 sn The Pharisees believed in a form of separationism that would have prevented them from any kind of association with such a sinful woman.
  20. Luke 7:40 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the connection with the preceding statement recording the Pharisee’s thoughts.
  21. Luke 7:40 tn Grk “answering, said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered him.”sn Jesus answered him. Note that as the Pharisee is denying to himself that Jesus is a prophet, Jesus is reading his thoughts.
  22. Luke 7:40 tn Grk “he said.”
  23. Luke 7:41 sn A creditor was a moneylender, whose business was to lend money to others at a fixed rate of interest.
  24. Luke 7:41 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  25. Luke 7:41 tn Grk “five hundred denarii.”sn The silver coins were denarii. The denarius was worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be an amount worth not quite two years’ pay. The debts were significant: They represented two months’ pay and one and three quarter years’ pay (20 months) based on a six day work week.
  26. Luke 7:42 tn The verb ἐχαρίσατο (echarisato) could be translated as “forgave.” Of course this pictures the forgiveness of God’s grace, which is not earned but bestowed with faith (see v. 49).
  27. Luke 7:43 tn Grk “answering, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered.”
  28. Luke 7:43 tn Grk “the one to whom he forgave more” (see v. 42).
  29. Luke 7:43 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  30. Luke 7:44 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  31. Luke 7:44 sn It is discussed whether these acts in vv. 44-46 were required by the host. Most think they were not, but this makes the woman’s acts of respect all the more amazing.
  32. Luke 7:45 tn Grk “no kiss.” This refers to a formalized kiss of greeting, standard in that culture. To convey this to the modern reader, the words “of greeting” have been supplied to qualify what kind of kiss is meant.
  33. Luke 7:46 sn This event is not equivalent to the anointing of Jesus that takes place in the last week of his life (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8). That woman was not a sinner, and Jesus was eating in the home of Simon the leper, who, as a leper, could never be a Pharisee.
  34. Luke 7:47 tn Grk “for she loved much.” The connection between this statement and the preceding probably involves an ellipsis, to the effect that the ὅτι clause gives the evidence of forgiveness, not the ground. For similar examples of an “evidentiary” ὅτι, cf. Luke 1:22; 6:21; 13:2. See discussion in D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:703-5. Further evidence that this is the case here is the final statement: “the one who is forgiven little loves little” means that the one who is forgiven little is thus not able to love much. The REB renders this verse: “her great love proves that her many sins have been forgiven; where little has been forgiven, little love is shown.”sn She loved much. Jesus’ point is that the person who realizes how great a gift forgiveness is (because they have a deep sense of sin) has a great love for the one who forgives, that is, God. The woman’s acts of reverence to Jesus honored him as the one who brought God’s message of grace.
  35. Luke 7:48 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  36. Luke 7:48 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. Luke 7:48 sn Jesus showed his authority to forgive sins, something that was quite controversial. See Luke 5:17-26 and the next verse.
  38. Luke 7:49 tn Grk “And”; here καί (kai) has been translated as an adversative (contrastive).
  39. Luke 7:49 tn Grk “were reclining at table.”
  40. Luke 7:50 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  41. Luke 7:50 sn On faith see Luke 5:20; 7:9; 8:25; 12:28; 17:6; 18:8; 22:32.
  42. Luke 7:50 sn The questioning did not stop Jesus. He declared authoritatively that the woman was forgiven by God (your faith has saved you). This event is a concrete example of Luke 5:31-32.
  43. Luke 8:1 tn Grk “And it happened that some time.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  44. Luke 8:1 tn Καθεξῆς (Kathexēs) is a general temporal term and need not mean “soon afterward”; see Luke 1:3; Acts 3:24; 11:4; 18:23 and L&N 61.1.
  45. Luke 8:1 tn Or “cities.”
  46. Luke 8:1 sn The combination of preaching and proclaiming the good news is a bit emphatic, stressing Jesus’ teaching ministry on the rule of God.
  47. Luke 8:1 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
  48. Luke 8:1 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  49. Luke 8:2 sn There is an important respect shown to women in this text, as their contributions were often ignored in ancient society.
  50. Luke 8:2 tn Or “illnesses.” The term ἀσθένεια (astheneia) refers to the state of being ill and thus incapacitated in some way—“illness, disability, weakness.” (L&N 23.143).
  51. Luke 8:2 sn This Mary is not the woman mentioned in the previous passage (as some church fathers claimed), because she is introduced as a new figure here. In addition, she is further specified by Luke with the notation called Magdalene, which seems to distinguish her from the woman at Simon the Pharisee’s house.
  52. Luke 8:3 sn Cuza is also spelled “Chuza” in many English translations.
  53. Luke 8:3 sn Herod’s refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.
  54. Luke 8:3 tn Here ἐπίτροπος (epitropos) is understood as referring to the majordomo or manager of Herod’s household (BDAG 385 s.v. ἐπίτροπος 1). However, as BDAG notes, the office may be political in nature and would then be translated something like “governor” or “procurator.” Note that in either case the gospel was reaching into the highest levels of society.
  55. Luke 8:3 tc Many mss (א A L Ψ ƒ1 33 565 579 1241 2542 pm it co) read “for him,” but “for them” also has good ms support (B D K W Γ Δ Θ ƒ13 700 892 1424 pm lat). From an internal standpoint the singular pronoun looks like an assimilation to texts like Matt 27:55 and Mark 15:41.
Next
Luke 6
Luke 9
Next
dropdown
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.