Lukas 10:38

Jesus and Martha

10:38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus ¹  entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. ² 

Lukas 14:18

14:18 But one after another they all ³  began to make excuses. ⁴  The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, ⁵  and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ ⁶ 

Lukas 23:5

23:5 But they persisted ⁷  in saying, “He incites ⁸  the people by teaching throughout all Judea. It started in Galilee and ended up here!” ⁹ 

[10:38]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:38]  ² tc Most mss have “into the house” (Ì^3vid א C L Ξ 33 579 pc) or “into her house” (א¹ A C² D W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 Ï lat) at the end of the sentence. But the English translation masks the multitude of variants: Different forms of “house” (οἰκίαν [oikian], οἶκον [oikon]) and “her” occur (see TCGNT 129). These variations argue against authenticity; they no doubt arose because of the abrupt ending of the sentence (the Greek is more literally translated simply as “Martha received him”), prompting copyists to add the location. The shorter reading is found in Ì^45,75 B sa.

[10:38]  tn For the meaning “to welcome, to have as a guest” see L&N 34.53.

[14:18]  ³ tn Or “all unanimously” (BDAG 107 s.v. ἀπό 6). "One after another" is suggested by L&N 61.2.

[14:18]  ⁴ sn To make excuses and cancel at this point was an insult in the culture of the time. Regardless of customs concerning responses to invitations, refusal at this point was rude.

[14:18]  ⁵ sn I have bought a field. An examination of newly bought land was a common practice. It was this person’s priority.

[14:18]  ⁶ sn The expression Please excuse me is probably a polite way of refusing, given the dynamics of the situation, although it is important to note that an initial acceptance had probably been indicated and it was now a bit late for a refusal. The semantic equivalent of the phrase may well be “please accept my apologies.”

[23:5]  ⁷ tn Or “were adamant.” For “persisted in saying,” see L&N 68.71.

[23:5]  ⁸ sn He incites the people. The Jewish leadership claimed that Jesus was a political threat and had to be stopped. By reiterating this charge of stirring up rebellion, they pressured Pilate to act, or be accused of overlooking political threats to Rome.

[23:5]  ⁹ tn Grk “beginning from Galilee until here.”