Luke 18
It opens with two stories about prayer — the widow and the judge, the Pharisee and the tax collector. He calls the children, a wealthy ruler turns away, and at Jericho a blind man cries out.
Lose heart (ἐγκακέω, enkakeō) — this parable stands only in this book, and the writer gives its point before telling it.
Did not respect man — the Greek says he did not turn his face toward anyone.
Give me justice renders ἐκδικέω (ekdikeō), to vindicate — the same verb in verses 5, 7 and 8.
He said within himself — the judge talks only to himself, as the rich man did at 12:17.
Blacken my eye renders ὑπωπιάζω (hypōpiazō), a boxing word — to strike under the eye. English versions usually soften it to “wear me out”; this edition keeps the blow.
Why this rendering
Luke.18.5 Observation
Syntactic observation
ὑπωπιάζω is a hapax in the four Gospels, and by its letters it means to strike under the eye, to give a black eye (ὑπό with ὤψ, the eye). That is what the judge says of the widow — so that she may not keep coming and blacken my eye. The parable is Luke's alone and its words are this book's own: ἐγκακέω, to lose heart (18:1), is also a hapax in the four Gospels; ἐκδικέω stands twice and both are in this passage (18:3, 18:5); ἐκδίκησις three times and all three are Luke's (18:7, 18:8, 21:22). χήρα, widow, stands twelve times and not once in Matthew — three in Mark, nine in Luke. ἀντίδικος, the opposing party, stands four times: twice at Matt 5:25 and at Luke 12:58 and 18:3, so within this book the word of chapter 12 returns here. And two words call other places. ἐντρέπομαι, to respect, stands five times: Matt 21:37, Mark 12:6 and Luke 20:13 are all the vineyard owner saying they will respect my son, and the other two are here at 18:2 and 18:4, where the judge does not respect man — Luke holds both. μακροθυμέω, to be patient, stands three times: Matt 18:26 and 18:29 are the indebted slave begging be patient with me, and the third is God at v.7. The naming at v.6 is striking as well — ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀδικίας, the judge of unrighteousness, is the same build as 16:8's ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς ἀδικίας, the manager of unrighteousness. Two chapters on, the same shape returns.
Rendering options · 2
Basis The word occurs once in the four Gospels and that once falls here. Softening it to wear me out hides why this word and not another — the excess of a judge speaking of a widow's fists is the grain of the parable. The versions split four to nine — the striking side in LSV (bruise), ESV (beat me down), NIV2011 (attack) and MSG (beaten black and blue); the other nine soften it to wearing down (개역한글 괴롭게; wear me out; weary; plague).
Basis A widow striking a judge does not fit the context, and the verb is attested figuratively for wearing someone down.
Rejected That a figurative use is attested does not mean the literal sense is absent. This edition does not push etymology into the text, but where a word occurs only once it chooses to let that once be visible — the same handling as μωραίνω at Matt 5:13, rendered become foolish. Which way to read it is left to the reader.
The judge of unrighteousness keeps the Greek genitive, as at 16:8.
Is he patient with them — the Greek is hard here, and it may also be read “though he is patient over them”. It is left open.
Will he find faith on the earth — the parable about praying ends on a question about faith, and it is not answered.
This parable stands only in this book, and the writer again names its target first.
A Pharisee and a tax collector — the pair of 7:29–30.
Toward himself — the Greek may mean he prayed by himself or to himself, and it is left open. Ravenous (ἅρπαγες, harpages) is from the verb for snatching away.
Twice in the week — the law asked for one fast a year.
Be propitiated toward me renders ἱλάσκομαι (hilaskomai), a word from sacrifice and appeasement — this edition keeps it apart from the mercy-words, and it stands in the four Gospels only here. The sinner carries the article: not “a sinner” but “the sinner”.
Why this rendering
Luke.18.13 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἱλάσκομαι is a hapax in the four Gospels. The imperative ἱλάσθητι is narrower than have mercy on me — the word-group is bound to atonement and being made favourable, and the tax collector prays ἱλάσθητι to me, the sinner. The four Gospels have another word for asking mercy: ἐλέησον, and the blind man uses it in the very next passage at 18:38 and 39. So within one chapter two words stand side by side and the base text keeps them apart. στῆθος, breast, stands four times, twice in Luke and twice in John — Luke's two are 18:13 and 23:48, the crowd beating their breasts as they turn back from the cross, so the only two breast-beatings in this book call each other; John's two (13:25, 21:20) are a disciple leaning on Jesus's breast. δικαιόω, to justify, stands seven times, twice in Matthew and five in Luke, and two of Luke's five are 16:15, you are the ones who justify yourselves before people, and 18:14, this one went down justified — the same verb, once done to oneself and once undergone. ἐξουθενέω, to despise, stands twice and both are Luke's — 18:9 and 23:11, where Herod treats Jesus with contempt. ἅρπαξ, a robber, stands twice, the other being Matt 7:15, the ravening wolves in sheep's clothing. ἀποδεκατόω, to tithe, stands three times: Matt 23:23, Luke 11:42, and here.
Rendering options · 2
Basis The base text keeps the two words apart within one chapter. Rendering both as have mercy erases that, and buries a word that occurs once in the four Gospels under a common one. Of thirteen versions examined only two take the atonement side (YLT, LSV, be propitious); the other eleven go to be merciful and so become identical with the ἐλέησον of 18:38.
Basis It is the familiar phrase, and atonement language is heavy and strange in Korean and English.
Rejected Familiar does not mean the base text used that word. And in the same chapter, at 18:38, the blind man does use the familiar word — rendering the two alike hides that Luke deliberately chose a different one.
Lost in translation
The Greek ἱλάσκομαι belongs to a word-group bound to sacrifice and reconciliation, carrying both cover my sin and be favourable to me on one word. English has no word that carries both — either choice thins one layer. The atonement side is taken here and the fact recorded.
Exalts … humbled — the line of 14:11, repeated to close the parable.
Infants (βρέφη, brephē) — this book says infants; Mark 10:13 and Matthew 19:13 say children.
Why this rendering
Luke.18.15 Observation
Syntactic observation
Matthew 19:13 and Mark 10:13 both have παιδία, children; Luke 18:15 has βρέφη, infants. And in the very next verse, 18:16, Luke returns to παιδία — the two words stand one after the other within a single passage. βρέφος occurs five times in the four Gospels and all five are Luke's, the other four being 1:41 and 1:44, the babe leaping in Elizabeth's womb, and 2:12 and 2:16, the babe lying in the manger. So the only places the word stands in this book are the womb, the manger, and here — and four of the five are in the first two chapters. Matthew and Mark do not have the word at all. Otherwise the three books run nearly together: the touching, the disciples' rebuke, and the ἀμήν at v.17 (Mark 10:15 has it too). Matthew 19:13 alone has them brought so that he might lay hands on them and pray, where Mark and Luke have them brought so that he might touch them.
Rendering options · 2
Basis The base text uses two words one after the other. Matching them erases the one place where Luke parts from Matthew and Mark, and hides that the word calls back to this book's first two chapters.
Basis It is one group of children, so changing the word may read as a different group.
Rejected The base text changes it. And βρέφος has stood only in the womb and the manger in this book, so its use here does not look accidental — matching cuts that link.
Do not prevent them — this book does not record his indignation, as Mark 10:14 does.
Like a child — the Greek can mean “as a child receives” or “as one receives a child”.
A certain ruler — this book alone calls him a ruler; Matthew 19:20 alone calls him young. Neither book calls him a rich young ruler — that man is made by reading them together.
Why do you call me good — the question is not answered.
This book's order differs from Mark 10:19 — adultery comes first here.
From my youth — the man does not dispute the list.
Distribute it (διαδίδωμι, diadidōmi) — only this book has the giving-out verb here.
Exceedingly rich — this book alone grades it.
Those who have goods — the Greek says “the ones having possessions”.
A fine needle — the three books use three different pairs of words for the needle and its hole, and this edition keeps them apart.
Why this rendering
Luke.18.25 Observation
Syntactic observation
All three books name both the needle and the hole differently. Matthew 19:24 has διὰ τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος; Mark 10:25 διὰ τῆς τρυμαλιᾶς τῆς ῥαφίδος; Luke 18:25 διὰ τρήματος βελόνης. The counts hold it: ῥαφίς, a sewing needle, stands only at Matt 19:24 and Mark 10:25; βελόνη is a hapax in the four Gospels. The hole is more striking still — τρύπημα (Matthew), τρυμαλιά (Mark) and τρῆμα (Luke) are each a hapax in the four Gospels. Three authors each chose a word they use in this one sentence and nowhere else. So both words part within one sentence. The passage before parts too. Matthew 19:20 calls the questioner νεανίσκος, a young man; Luke 18:18 ἄρχων, a ruler; Mark uses neither — a rich young ruler stands in none of the three. In the address Luke follows Mark exactly: Mark 10:17-18 and Luke 18:18-19 read Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ … Τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός, word for word, while Matthew 19:16-17 alone lifts the good out of the address and puts it on the deed (τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω) and changes the answer to Τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ. The list at v.29 differs three ways: Matt 19:29 has house, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, fields; Mark 10:29 has no wife; Luke 18:29 has house, wife, brothers, parents (γονεῖς, one word), children — no sisters, no fields, and the wife stands second. The reason differs as well: Matthew for my name's sake, Mark for my sake and the gospel's, Luke for the sake of the kingdom of God. So does the repayment: Matthew and Mark ἑκατονταπλασίονα, a hundredfold, and Luke πολλαπλασίονα, manifold — a hapax in the four Gospels.
Rendering options · 2
Basis The datum here is that the three books draw one picture with different words. Unifying all three as the eye of a needle erases that entirely. The same for the list: who has the wife and where the fields stand is what parts. All thirteen versions examined unify it as the eye of a needle — every word parts across the three books, and that parting shows in none of them. This edition stands alone here, so the ground is recorded the more heavily.
Basis It is the familiar phrase, and since the three say one thing, unifying makes the parallel plain.
Rejected That they say one thing is a judgement — by the words, every one of them differs (two needles, three holes). And this edition exists to set the three side by side, so what shows when they are set side by side is not erased in advance.
Lost in translation
ῥαφίς is a sewing needle and βελόνη a finer, piercing one — the Greek names two kinds. English has only needle. Different renderings can preserve that the two places use different words; how they differ does not cross over.
Then who can be saved — the hearers read wealth as a sign of favour.
The things impossible with men — this book turns the saying into a noun phrase.
Our own — the Greek says “our own things”, which this edition keeps.
Or wife — this book has the wife in the list, as Matthew 19:29 does; Mark 10:29 does not.
Manifold — the manuscripts differ, and some read “sevenfold”. This book has no “with persecutions”, as Mark 10:30 does.
Will be completed renders τελέω (teleō) — the verb of John 19:30.
Insulted (ὑβρίζω, hybrizō) is to treat with outrage — only this book has it here.
On the third day — this book, like Matthew 20:19, says the third day.
This word was hidden from them — only this book says so three times over in one verse.
As he drew near to Jericho — this book puts the healing on the way in; Mark 10:46 and Matthew 20:29 put it on the way out.
Why this rendering
Luke.18.35 Observation
Syntactic observation
The blind man at Jericho stands in all three books, and the number, the name and the direction all differ. Matthew 20:29-30 has them going out from Jericho, two blind men, unnamed. Mark 10:46 has them come to Jericho and go out from it, one man, named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus. Luke 18:35 has him drawing near to Jericho (ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν εἰς), one man, unnamed. So the direction splits two against one, the number two against one, and the naming one against two. Luke's being on the way in has a sequel: 19:1 continues, and he entered Jericho and was passing through, and Zacchaeus comes out there. Ἰεριχώ stands six times — once in Matthew, twice in Mark, and three times in Luke (10:30, the road the man went down; 18:35; 19:1). ἐπαιτέω, to beg, stands twice and both are Luke's — 16:3, where the manager says he is ashamed to beg, and here. Ναζωραῖος stands six times: twice in Matthew, once in Luke (here), three times in John, and never in Mark. And this passage joins the one before it by a word: what the blind man cries twice is ἐλέησόν με, have mercy on me — the very word the tax collector did not use at 18:13, where he said ἱλάσθητι instead. The αἶνος of v.43, praise, stands twice, the other being Matt 21:16.
Rendering options · 2
Basis That the three books part is the datum. Matching the direction to Mark breaks the link to 19:1, and supplying a number or a name puts into the text what the base text does not have.
Basis The apparent conflict confuses a reader, and since Mark gives a name, telling the reader it is the same man helps.
Rejected The apparent conflict is the datum. And blurring the direction breaks Luke's build: he meets the blind man on the way in and Zacchaeus once inside. That order is this book's own. Whether it is the same man the text does not say, and the translation does not decide. Of thirteen versions examined not one blurs the direction or imports Mark's name — here the versions too follow their base text.
He asked what this might be — only this book has him ask first.
Nazorean — the spelling of the base text here.
Son of David — the title comes before the name in the Greek at verse 39.
He cried out much more — the rebuke makes the crying louder.
Ordered him to be brought — this book has the order given, not the crowd's word passed on.
That I may see again (ἀναβλέπω, anablepō) says he had seen once.
See again — the command uses the same verb the man asked with.
Glorifying God … gave praise to God — only this book ends with the whole crowd praising.