Lukas 5:33

The Superiority of the New

5:33 Then ¹  they said to him, “John’s ²  disciples frequently fast ³  and pray, ⁴  and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, ⁵  but yours continue to eat and drink.” ⁶ 

Lukas 9:9

9:9 Herod said, “I had John ⁷  beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus. ⁸ 

Lukas 20:2

20:2 and said to him, ⁹  “Tell us: By what authority ¹⁰  are you doing these things? ¹¹  Or who it is who gave you this authority?”

[5:33]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[5:33]  ² tc Most mss (א*^,2 A C D Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï latt sy) read διὰ τί (dia ti, “Why do John’s…?”) here, turning the statement into a question. But such seems to be a motivated reading, assimilating the text to Mark 2:18 and Matt 9:14. The reading represented in the translation is supported by Ì⁴ א¹ B L W Ξ 33 892* 1241 sa.

[5:33]  sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[5:33]  ³ sn John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.

[5:33]  ⁴ tn Grk “and offer prayers,” but this idiom (δέησις + ποιέω) is often simply a circumlocution for praying.

[5:33]  ⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[5:33]  ⁶ tn Grk “but yours are eating and drinking.” The translation “continue to eat and drink” attempts to reflect the progressive or durative nature of the action described, which in context is a practice not limited to the specific occasion at hand (the banquet).

[9:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “John I beheaded”; John’s name is in emphatic position in the Greek text. The verb is causative, since Herod would not have personally carried out the execution.

[9:9]  ⁸ tn The expression ἐζήτει ἰδεῖν αὐτόν (ezhtei idein auton, “was seeking to see him”) probably indicates that Herod, for curiosity’s sake or more likely for evil purposes, wanted to get to know Jesus, i.e., who he was and what he was doing. See I. H. Marshall, Luke (NIGTC), 357. Herod finally got his wish in Luke 23:6-12, with inconclusive results from his point of view.

[20:2]  ⁹ tn Grk “and said, saying to him.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[20:2]  ¹⁰ tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.

[20:2]  ¹¹ sn The leadership is looking back to acts like the temple cleansing (19:45-48). How could a Galilean preacher do these things?