Lukas 8:2-5
Konteks8:2 and also some women 1 who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: 2 Mary 3 (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, 8:3 and Joanna the wife of Cuza 4 (Herod’s 5 household manager), 6 Susanna, and many others who provided for them 7 out of their own resources.
8:4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus 8 from one town after another, 9 he spoke to them 10 in a parable: 8:5 “A sower went out to sow 11 his seed. 12 And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds 13 devoured it.
[8:2] 1 sn There is an important respect shown to women in this text, as their contributions were often ignored in ancient society.
[8:2] 2 tn Or “illnesses.” The term ἀσθένεια (asqeneia) refers to the state of being ill and thus incapacitated in some way – “illness, disability, weakness.” (L&N 23.143).
[8:2] 3 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.
[8:3] 4 sn Cuza is also spelled “Chuza” in many English translations.
[8:3] 5 sn Herod’s refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.
[8:3] 6 tn Here ἐπίτροπος (epitropo") 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.
[8:3] 7 tc Many
[8:4] 8 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:4] 9 tn This phrase renders a distributive use of κατά (kata) with πόλις (polis), literally “according to [each] town.”
[8:4] 10 tn The words “to them” do not appear in the Greek text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
[8:5] 11 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] 12 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] 13 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).
