Lukas 8:12

8:12 Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil ¹  comes and takes away the word ²  from their hearts, so that they may not believe ³  and be saved.

Lukas 16:15

16:15 But ⁴  Jesus ⁵  said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, ⁶  but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized ⁷  among men is utterly detestable ⁸  in God’s sight.

[8:12]  ¹ sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for the devil here: Matt 13:19 has “the evil one,” while Mark 4:15 has “Satan.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.

[8:12]  ² sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.

[8:12]  ³ tn The participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante") has been translated as a finite verb here. It may be regarded as an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance. From a logical standpoint the negative must govern both the participle and the finite verb.

[16:15]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[16:15]  ⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ⁶ tn Grk “before men.” The contrast is between outward appearance (“in people’s eyes”) and inward reality (“God knows your hearts”). Here the Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used twice in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, but “men” has been retained in the text to provide a strong verbal contrast with “God” in the second half of the verse.

[16:15]  ⁷ tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.

[16:15]  ⁸ tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).