Lukas 8:5

8:5 “A sower went out to sow ¹  his seed. ²  And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds ³  devoured it.

Lukas 8:49

8:49 While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue ruler’s ⁴  house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.”

Lukas 11:37

Rebuking the Pharisees and Experts in the Law

11:37 As he spoke, ⁵  a Pharisee ⁶  invited Jesus ⁷  to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table. ⁸ 

Lukas 24:41

24:41 And while they still could not believe it ⁹  (because of their joy) and were amazed, ¹⁰  he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ¹¹ 

[8:5]  ¹ sn A sower went out to sow. The background for this well-known parable is a field through which a well-worn path runs in the Palestinian countryside. Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest. The use of seed as a figure for God’s giving life has OT roots: Isa 55:10-11.

[8:5]  ² tn Luke’s version of the parable, like Mark’s (cf. Mark 4:1-9) uses the collective singular to refer to the seed throughout, so singular pronouns have been used consistently throughout this parable in the English translation. However, the parallel account in Matt 13:1-9 begins with plural pronouns in v. 4 but then switches to the collective singular in v. 5 ff.

[8:5]  ³ tn 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).

[8:49]  ⁴ tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93). In this case the referent is Jairus (v. 41).

[11:37]  ⁵ tn The use of the aorist infinitive here should probably be translated “as he spoke” rather than “while he was speaking” (see ExSyn 595). The Pharisee did not necessarily interrupt Jesus to issue the invitation.

[11:37]  ⁶ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[11:37]  ⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:37]  ⁸ 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.

[24:41]  ⁹ sn They still could not believe it. Is this a continued statement of unbelief? Or is it a rhetorical expression of their amazement? They are being moved to faith, so a rhetorical force is more likely here.

[24:41]  ¹⁰ sn Amazement is the common response to unusual activity: 1:63; 2:18; 4:22; 7:9; 8:25; 9:43; 11:14; 20:26.

[24:41]  ¹¹ sn Do you have anything here to eat? Eating would remove the idea that a phantom was present. Angelic spirits refused a meal in Jdt 13:16 and Tob 12:19, but accepted it in Gen 18:8; 19:3 and Tob 6:6.