OET interlinear LUKE 6:17

6:17a

Then: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the ESV, translate it that way. Other versions, such as the NIV and CEV, do not translate this conjunction. However, since this conjunction introduces an event that occurred right after the previous one, other versions (BSB, NET) translate it as “then.” Another way to translate this is:

When (GNT, NLT)

Connect 4:4a to 4:3b in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus came down with them: The phrase Jesus came down with them means that Jesus went down the mountain with his apostles. The other disciples also went with him. For example:

Jesus and his apostles went down from the mountain (CEV)

When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus (NLT)

them: The pronoun them refers to the twelve apostles. It probably also includes the other disciples who had been on the mountain too. Use a general term that can include both groups.

and stood on a level place: The Greek word that the BSB translates as stood means that Jesus stopped descending the mountain. It does not focus on his posture. Some other ways to translate this are:

the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area (NLT)

and stopped on some level ground (REB)

and came to some flat, level ground (CEV)

level place: In this context the Greek word that the BSB translates as a level place refers to level/flat ground where people could sit. This level ground did not have steep places, and it was a suitable place for a large crowd to gather. The word does not indicate whether this place was in a lowland area or in a mountainous area.The parallel passages in Matthew and Mark may describe this same sermon or different speeches/sayings of Jesus. The location of the speeches are described in different ways. Matthew describes Jesus addressing the people “on the mountain” (Matthew 5:1). The parallel verses in Mark describe Jesus and the people gathering by the sea (Mark 3:7–9). All of these descriptions could fit a level place on the slope of a mountain near the sea.

6:17b

6:17c

6:17d

6:17b–d

A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon: Jesus and his disciples found a large group of people waiting for them. This large group of people included:

1. an additional group of his disciples, plus

2. a large group of people who had traveled from other places.

The text does not say how many people had gathered. This entire group could have been as large as several thousand people. (The same Greek phrase for large crowd was used in Matthew 14:14 to talk about the crowd of five thousand that Jesus fed.)

A large crowd of His disciples was there: There is a textual issue in 6:17b regarding a Greek word that means “large” or “great.” Some manuscripts omit this word, and versions such as the KJV do not have it. However, the earliest and most reliable manuscripts include this word, and most English versions do have it. The clause A large crowd of His disciples was there refers to other disciples who had not been with Jesus at the top of the mountain. They were there waiting for Jesus.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

A large crowd of other disciples was waiting there

There they found/met many more of his disciples

surrounded by many of his followers (NLT)

disciples: See the note on disciples at 6:1b. See disciple in the Glossary.

large crowd…great number: The Greek word that the BSB translates as number is literally “multitude.” It implies a larger group than the Greek word translated as crowd. Both words describe a very large gathering of people.

If you have more than one word that can describe a large crowd, use the word that describes the larger group for the second group of people. If you have only one word for “crowd,” you could use it to describe both groups and indicate that second group was larger. For example:

So were very many other people

from all over Judea, Jerusalem: Judea refers to the country of the Jews as a whole. Jerusalem was the most important town within that country. Some other ways to translate this are:

from all over Judea, including the town of Jerusalem

from Jerusalem and many other areas/places in Judea

and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon: The phrase and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon indicates that people came from the area near the sea that included the cities of Tyre and Sidon. (Tyre and Sidon were Gentile towns on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, to the north of Israel.) Some other ways to translate this are:

and from the coastal region/area where the cities of Tyre and Sidon are located

from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon and the area around them

and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon (NLT)