Luke 15:2-4 New English Translation
2 But[a] the Pharisees[b] and the experts in the law[c] were complaining,[d] “This man welcomes[e] sinners and eats with them.”
3 So[f] Jesus[g] told them[h] this parable:[i] 4 “Which one[j] of you, if he has a hundred[k] sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture[l] and go look for[m] the one that is lost until he finds it?[n]
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- Luke 15:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Luke 15:2 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
- Luke 15:2 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
- Luke 15:2 tn Or “grumbling”; Grk “were complaining, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Luke 15:2 tn Or “accepts,” “receives.” This is not the first time this issue has been raised: Luke 5:27-32; 7:37-50.
- Luke 15:3 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ telling of the parable is in response to the complaints of the Pharisees and experts in the law.
- Luke 15:3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Luke 15:3 sn Them means at the minimum the parable is for the leadership, but probably also for those people Jesus accepted, but the leaders regarded as outcasts.
- Luke 15:3 tn Grk “parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Luke 15:4 tn Grk “What man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a somewhat generic sense.
- Luke 15:4 sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.
- Luke 15:4 tn Or “desert,” but here such a translation might suggest neglect of the 99 sheep left behind.
- Luke 15:4 tn Grk “go after,” but in contemporary English the idiom “to look for” is used to express this.
- Luke 15:4 sn Until he finds it. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.
New English Translation (NET)
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