LUKE 5:39 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. καί
2. kai
3. -
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. -
11. 42427
1. Οὐδείς
2. oudeis
3. No one
4. -
5. 37620
6. R····NMS
7. no_one
8. no_one
9. S
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42428
1. πιών
2. pinō
3. having drunk
4. -
5. 40950
6. VPAA·NMS
7. ˓having˒ drunk
8. ˓having˒ drunk
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42429
1. παλαιόν
2. palaios
3. +the old
4. -
5. 38200
6. S····AMS
7. ˓the˒ old
8. ˓the˒ old
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42430
1. εὐθέως
2. eutheōs
3. -
4. -
5. 21120
6. D·······
7. immediately
8. immediately
9. -
10. -
11. 42431
1. θέλει
2. thelō
3. is wanting
4. -
5. 23090
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˓is˒ wanting
8. ˓is˒ wanting
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42432
1. νέον
2. neos
3. +the new
4. -
5. 35010
6. S····AMS
7. ˓the˒ new
8. ˓the˒ new
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42433
1. λέγει
2. legō
3. he is saying
4. -
5. 30040
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓is˒ saying
8. ˱he˲ ˓is˒ saying
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42434
1. γάρ
2. gar
3. because/for
4. because
5. 10630
6. C·······
7. for
8. for
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42435
1. Ὁ
2. ho
3. The
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NMS
7. the
8. the
9. D
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42436
1. παλαιός
2. palaios
3. old
4. -
5. 38200
6. S····NMS
7. old
8. old
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42437
1. χρηστός
2. χrēstos
3. good
4. good
5. 55430
6. S····NMS
7. good
8. good
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42438
1. χρηστότερός
2. χrēstoteros
3. -
4. -
5. 55435
6. S····NMS
7. better
8. better
9. -
10. -
11. 42439
1. ἐστίν
2. eimi
3. is
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIPA3··S
7. is
8. is
9. -
10. Y31; TParable_of_the_Winseskins
11. 42440

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:33–39: Jesus explained why his disciples did not fast

In this section, some people made a comment to Jesus about fasting. Their comment implied that they were criticizing the disciples. It also implied the question, “Why do your disciples act differently from the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees?” Jesus explained the difference in their actions. In his explanation, he compared himself to a bridegroom, and he compared his disciples to wedding guests. The disciples could not fast while he was with them, just as wedding guests do not fast while the bridegroom is with them.

After he had explained this different attitude towards fasting, he told them that he was teaching a new way to live for God. His new way would not fit into the old traditions. To illustrate this, Jesus used three comparisons:

He compared the old traditional ways to an old garment. He compared his new way to cloth taken from a new garment. No one would sew the new cloth onto an old garment.
He compared the old traditional ways to old wineskins. He compared his new way to new wine. When new wine is put into old wineskins, both are ruined.
Jesus concluded with a saying that rebuked those who wanted to keep to the old traditions. Jesus said that people who had drunk old wine did not want to drink new wine. He was really talking about people who were content with the old ways and teaching of the Jewish religion. He said that they were unwilling to consider the new ways and teaching that he had brought.

This section can be difficult for people to understand because Jesus used comparisons to illustrate what he was teaching. He did not make what he was teaching explicit. If you need to make the meaning clearer, you should explain it in a footnote.

In this section, there are some ideas that may not be familiar in certain cultures. For example:

fasting
Jewish wedding customs about bridegrooms
sewing patches onto cloth
new wine and old wine
wineskins

Consider carefully how to translate each of these ideas in a meaningful way in your language. The notes for this section will give suggestions.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus taught that his new way was different from Jewish traditions

Jesus’ new way and the old ways

This story also occurs in Matthew 9:14–17 and Mark 2:18–22.

Paragraph 5:36–39

In this paragraph, Jesus used three short parables to explain that he was teaching a new way to live for God. His new way would not fit into the old traditions. People could not combine the old ways with the new. Each of the three parables is introduced with a general statement that is true of everyone.

5:39

This is the third short parable or illustration. Like the previous parable, it is about wine and wineskins. However, this parable makes a different point. Jesus said that people who had drunk old wine did not want to drink new wine. He was really talking about people who were content with the old ways and teaching of Jewish religion. He said that they were unwilling to consider the new ways and teaching that he had brought.

5:39a

And no one after drinking old wine wants new,

And nobody who has drunk old wine wants to drink new wine.
Here’s another example: People do not desire new wine after they have been drinking old wine,

And: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as And introduces a third illustration. In this illustration, Jesus criticized those who wanted to keep to the old traditions.

Introduce this illustration in a way that is natural in your language. You can use the same word that you did in 5:37. You should make it clear that this is a third illustration. It is different from the previous illustration about wine and wineskins. Another way to translate this is:

Also

no one after drinking old wine wants new: This is a general statement of something that is true of most people. Use a natural form in your language to make a general statement. For example:

People who have drunk old wine do not want to drink new wine.

…you don’t want new wine after drinking old wine. (GNT)

new: This Greek word for new is the same word that was used in 5:37a and 5:37b. It refers to wine that has been pressed recently from grapes and is not yet fermented or strongly fermented.

5:39b

for he says, ‘The old is better.’”

For he says to himself, ‘The old wine is good/better.'"
because they think/believe that the old wine is good/better.”

for he says, ‘The old is better.’: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as says here could also mean “thinks” or “believes.”

The old is better: There is a textual issue here. Some Greek manuscripts have “the old is good” while others have “the old is better.” “The old is good” is supported by the older Greek manuscripts and is likely the original reading. So a number of English versions follow this in their translation (for example RSV, NJB). In this statement, people are comparing new wine with old wine. The statement is literally “the old is good,” meaning that it is good when compared with the new. Many English versions translate “good” as “better” (for example, the BSB and the NIV). Express this comparison in a natural way in your language.

General Comment on 5:39

You may want to add a footnote to explain some of the meaning of Jesus’ illustration about the wine. Some sample footnotes are:

Jesus was using a parable to talk about people who were content with the old ways and teaching of Jewish religion. He implied that they were unwilling to consider the new ways and teaching that he had brought.

Here old wine represents the old ways and teaching of the Jewish religion. New wine represents the new ways and teaching of Jesus. Jesus implied that people were unwilling to consider the news ways because they thought that the old ways were better.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

οὐδεὶς πιὼν παλαιὸν θέλει νέον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Οὐδείς πιών παλαιόν θέλει νέον λέγει γάρ Ὁ παλαιός χρηστός ἐστίν)

Jesus is leaving out some of the words. You may want to supply these words in your translation if not having them would be confusing in your language. Alternate translation: [No one who is used to drinking old wine wants to try new wine]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

οὐδεὶς πιὼν παλαιὸν θέλει νέον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Οὐδείς πιών παλαιόν θέλει νέον λέγει γάρ Ὁ παλαιός χρηστός ἐστίν)

Jesus is contrasting the old teaching of the religious leaders with his own new teaching. The point is that people who are used to the old teaching are not receptive to the new things that he is bringing. Jesus does not explain the metaphor, so you do not need to explain it in your translation unless you think your readers will not understand it.

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear LUKE 5:39