Luke 21
A widow puts in two small coins. He foretells the temple’s fall, speaks of Jerusalem surrounded by armies and of the Son of Man’s coming, and says: keep awake.
Treasury (γαζοφυλάκιον, gazophylakion) is the temple chest.
Needy (πενιχρός, penichros) — used once in all four Gospels, and this edition keeps it apart from the poor-word of verse 3. Lepta is a coin kept as sound, the smallest named in this book.
Why this rendering
Luke.21.2 Observation
Syntactic observation
The parallel is Mark 12:41-44, and three things differ. First, Luke does not explain the coin. Mark 12:42 has λεπτὰ δύο, ὅ ἐστιν κοδράντης, two lepta, which is a kodrantes, converting the value for his reader; Luke 21:2 stops at λεπτὰ δύο. The counts hold it: λεπτόν stands three times in the four Gospels — Mark 12:42, Luke 12:59, Luke 21:2 — and κοδράντης twice — Matt 5:26, Mark 12:42. So Mark 12:42 is the only place both coins stand in one verse, and Luke uses the lepton and never the kodrantes at all. Second, the word for the widow changes within one verse's distance. v.2 has χήραν πενιχράν, a needy widow; v.3 ἡ χήρα ἡ πτωχή, this poor widow. πενιχρός is a hapax in the four Gospels, and Mark uses πτωχή at both places. Third, the oath-word differs: Mark 12:43 has Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, Luke 21:3 Ἀληθῶς λέγω ὑμῖν — the split recorded at Luke 12:44 returning here. Fourth, the noun for lack differs too: Mark ὑστερήσεως, Luke ὑστερήματος. βίος, living, stands in both, and it is the word the father divided and the brother devoured at Luke 15:12 and 15:30. γαζοφυλάκιον, the treasury, stands five times — three in Mark, one in Luke, one in John — and never in Matthew.
Rendering options · 2
Basis The base text uses two words; matching them erases that πενιχρός stands once in the four Gospels and erases where Luke parts from Mark. The coin gloss is not in Luke's base text and is not supplied (DECISIONS C1) — supplying it would credit Luke with what Mark did. The versions divide by halves: not one of the thirteen supplies the kodrantes, agreeing with this edition, and not one splits πενιχρά from πτωχή either (all render both as poor). On the second half this edition stands alone.
Basis It is one widow, and the reader does not know what a lepton is worth.
Rejected That the base text uses two words for one widow is the datum. And converting the value is what Mark did for his readers and Luke did not — a place where it shows whom each book writes for, and that is not erased.
More than all of them — the measure is not the amount. This book does not convert the coin, as Mark 12:42 does for Roman readers.
The whole living she had renders βίος (bios) — the word is both a life and what one lives on, and this edition keeps the double sense.
Votive offerings (ἀναθήματα, anathēmata) — used once in the four Gospels, gifts set up in a temple.
Why this rendering
Luke.21.5 Observation
Syntactic observation
The exclamation over the temple differs between the books. Mark 13:1 has one disciple say ποταποὶ λίθοι καὶ ποταπαὶ οἰκοδομαί, what stones and what buildings; Luke 21:5 has some say it was λίθοις καλοῖς καὶ ἀναθήμασιν κεκόσμηται, adorned with beautiful stones and votive offerings. So Mark sees buildings and Luke sees offerings. ἀναθήμασιν stands only here — MorphGNT lemmatises it as ἀνάθεμα, and that lemma too stands once in the four Gospels. And κοσμέω, to adorn, stands five times — three in Matthew (12:44, 23:29, 25:7) and two in Luke (11:25, 21:5) — and Luke's other is 11:25, where the unclean spirit returns to find the house swept and adorned. So the only two things called adorned in this book are an empty house and the temple. The text does not state the link. The speaker differs too: in Mark one disciple, in Luke some. The answer at v.6 runs nearly together in all three, except that Matt 24:2 and Mark 13:2 have here not one stone upon another, while Luke takes up what precedes with ταῦτα ἃ θεωρεῖτε, these things that you behold. And the same phrase has already fallen on the city at Luke 19:44 — see the Luke 19 entry.
Rendering options · 2
Basis That the two books see different things in the temple is the datum. And since adorned stands twice in this book, splitting the renderings keeps the two from calling each other.
Basis Votive offerings are unfamiliar, and since the books record one scene, matching helps.
Rejected That the two books see different things in one scene is the datum. Matching erases it, and erases a word that stands once in the four Gospels.
Not one stone will be left upon a stone — the Greek doubles the negative.
These things — the question is asked twice in one verse.
The time has drawn near — only this book adds the second cry. I am he renders the bare phrase ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi).
Upheavals (ἀκαταστασίαι, akatastasiai) — this book's own word; Mark 13:7 says rumours of wars.
Then he said to them — the writer marks a pause in the speech.
Plagues … terrors — only this book names them.
Before all these things — this book puts the persecution first in time.
It will turn out for you as a testimony — the Greek says it will “come out” for a testimony.
Rehearse beforehand renders προμελετάω (promeletaō), used once in the four Gospels — the word for practising a speech.
A mouth and wisdom — this book says he will give the mouth; Mark 13:11 says the Holy Spirit will speak.
Some of you — this book says some, not all.
Because of my name — the reason is the name, not the deeds.
Not a hair of your head will perish — it stands next to “they will put some of you to death”, and the text does not reconcile them.
Gain your lives — lives is ψυχή (psychē); the manuscripts differ over whether the verb is a command or a promise.
Surrounded by armies — this book says armies where Mark 13:14 says “the abomination of desolation”. This edition keeps the difference.
Why this rendering
Luke.21.20 Observation
Syntactic observation
The three books tell you to look at different things at the same point. Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 say to look for τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως, the abomination of desolation, and both add let the reader understand. Luke 21:20 says to look for κυκλουμένην ὑπὸ στρατοπέδων Ἰερουσαλήμ, Jerusalem surrounded by armies, and has no let the reader understand. The counts draw the split exactly: ἐρήμωσις, desolation, stands three times in the four Gospels — Matt 24:15, Mark 13:14, Luke 21:20 — so it is in all three books. But βδέλυγμα, abomination, also stands three times — Matt 24:15, Mark 13:14, Luke 16:15. That is, Luke keeps ἐρήμωσις and drops only βδέλυγμα, using that word elsewhere in his book (16:15, what is exalted among people) — as recorded at Luke 16. What fills the place, στρατόπεδον, an army, is a hapax in the four Gospels. And Luke adds two clauses of flight at v.21: Matt 24:16 and Mark 13:14 have only let those in Judea flee to the mountains, while Luke adds let those inside her depart and let those in the country not enter her. ἐκχωρέω, to depart, is also a hapax in the four Gospels.
Rendering options · 2
Basis The words are not in the base text (DECISIONS C1). And the split is backed by the counts: Luke does not lack βδέλυγμα but uses it elsewhere. Its absence here is therefore not accidental, and supplying it would erase that choice. Of thirteen versions examined not one imports the abomination — here the versions too follow their base text.
Basis The three carry one discourse, and helping the reader see the parallel is a service.
Rejected Harmonising erases exactly what this edition sets out to show: that the three books point at different things at the same place, and that Luke knew the word and did not use it here.
Those inside her … those in the country — only this book gives the third group.
Days of vengeance — this book's own phrase.
Distress upon the land — the Greek word for “land” is also “earth”, and it is not settled which is meant.
Trodden (πατέω, pateō) — this edition keeps it apart from the compound at Matthew 5:13. The times of the nations is this book's own phrase.
Why this rendering
Luke.21.24 Observation
Syntactic observation
This verse is Luke's alone. Matthew 24 and Mark 13 have nothing answering to it. Three words hold the place: αἰχμαλωτίζω, to be led captive, is a hapax in the four Gospels; πατέω, to tread, stands twice and both are Luke's, the other being 10:19, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions. So the only two treadings in this book are the disciples treading and Jerusalem being trodden. And καιροὶ ἐθνῶν, times of the nations, is a phrase found at this one place in the four Gospels. The verse before parts as well: Matt 24:19 and Mark 13:17 have the same woe to those with child and those nursing, while Luke adds ἀνάγκη μεγάλη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ὀργὴ τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ, great distress upon the land and wrath upon this people. The grounding at v.22 is Luke's own too — ἡμέραι ἐκδικήσεως, days of vengeance — and ἐκδίκησις stands three times in the four Gospels and all three are Luke's (18:7, 18:8, 21:22): the word from the widow and the judge of Luke 18 returning here.
Rendering options · 2
Basis There are only two treadings in this book and they run opposite ways; splitting the renderings loses that. καιροὶ ἐθνῶν is not unpacked by the text, so the translation does not unpack it.
Basis Trodden sounds weak, and the reader can hardly tell what καιροὶ ἐθνῶν means.
Rejected Strengthening it splits the word from 10:19, where the disciples do not trample snakes. And unfolding καιροὶ ἐθνῶν makes the translation interpret what the text does not. It is left hard and the ground recorded here.
Perplexity (ἀπορία, aporia) is used once in the four Gospels.
Fainting (ἀποψύχω, apopsychō) is used once in the four Gospels. Inhabited world renders οἰκουμένη (oikoumenē), the settled earth.
In a cloud — this book has one cloud; Mark 13:26 has clouds.
Redemption (ἀπολύτρωσις, apolytrōsis) — only this book has the word here, and it shares its root with the ransom-word.
And all the trees — only this book widens it past the fig tree.
Seeing it for yourselves — this book puts the knowing in their own eyes.
The kingdom of God is near — this book names the kingdom; Mark 13:29 says only “he is near”.
This generation — the hardest line in the chapter, and it is left as it stands.
My words — set against heaven and earth.
Surfeiting renders κραιπάλη (kraipalē) — the heaviness after drinking; this edition keeps it apart from drunkenness (μέθη, methē), which most versions do not. It is used once in the four Gospels.
Why this rendering
Luke.21.34 Observation
Syntactic observation
The close of this discourse is Luke's own. Matthew 24 runs on into the slave, the ten virgins and the talents, and Mark 13 ends with the doorkeeper; Luke 21:34-36 ends otherwise. And those three verses are made almost wholly of words found at this one place: κραιπάλη, a drinking-hangover; βιωτικός, of daily living; αἰφνίδιος, sudden; παγίς, a snare; ἐπεισέρχομαι, to come upon; and ἐκφεύγω, to escape, are each a hapax in the four Gospels. ἀγρυπνέω, to keep awake, stands twice — Mark 13:33 and here — and never in Matthew, whose word at that point is γρηγορέω; and as recorded at Luke 12, γρηγορέω stands only once in Luke, at 12:37. κατισχύω, to prevail, stands three times: Matt 16:18 (the gates of Hades shall not prevail) and twice in Luke (21:36 and 23:23, their voices prevailed). The last two verses (37-38) are Luke's alone as well: αὐλίζομαι, to lodge for the night, stands twice, the other being Matt 21:17 (he lodged in Bethany), and ὀρθρίζω, to come early in the morning, is a hapax in the four Gospels. So where the discourse ends Luke records a repeated round — teaching in the temple by day and lodging on the Mount of Olives by night — and Matthew and Mark have no such knot.
Rendering options · 2
Basis Two drink-words stand side by side in one verse and both are hapax in the four Gospels — κραιπάλη and μέθη; blurring them into dissipation or drunkenness hides that the base text used two. And κραιπάλη stands once in the four Gospels. Only three versions keep the after-drink grain (KJV, ASV, YLT surfeiting — the state after excess); the other ten go to carousing, dissipation, or 개역한글's 방탕함, which name the drinking or the revelling itself. And this edition has already used 방탕 for the ἀσώτως of 15:13, so that word is not available here.
Basis It is the familiar pair, and hangover sounds too light in Korean and English.
Rejected That it sounds light is the grain of the word — κραιπάλη is what comes after drinking and μέθη what comes during. Blurring loses the before and after. And dissipation is already used for the ἀσώτως of 15:13, so it would collide.
Lost in translation
The Greek splits drink into during (μέθη) and after (κραιπάλη). English drunkenness and hangover carry some of it. But the way this verse sets the two side by side as reasons a heart grows heavy does not cross over, because the two words now carry unequal weight — the hangover sounds light and the drunkenness heavy.
Like a snare — the manuscripts differ over whether “like a snare” closes verse 34 or opens this one.
Keep awake (ἀγρυπνέω, agrypneō) is the vigil-word of Mark 13:33.
Lodged (αὐλίζομαι, aulizomai) is to spend the night out of doors or in a courtyard.
Would come early in the morning renders one verb (ὀρθρίζω, orthrizō), used once in the four Gospels.