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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Luke C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24
Luke 6 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49
OET (OET-LV) And he_ also _spoke a_parable to_them:
Surely_not a_blind one is_able to_be_guiding a_blind one?
˓Will˒_ not _be_falling both into a_pit?
OET (OET-RV) Then Yeshua told them a parable: “Surely a blind person can’t be a guide for someone else who’s blind. Won’t both of them fall into a ditch?
In this section, Jesus spoke about how his true disciples should think and act. He spoke about this immediately after he had chosen twelve of his disciples to be his apostles. Jesus said many things about this topic in his speech, so that people have often called this particular speech of Jesus a “sermon.”
In this sermon, Jesus asked those who heard him to be different from other people in the world and to think differently. He encouraged his disciples to obey his authority and live as people of God. They should be generous and merciful even to their enemies, as God is generous to everyone. Jesus assured his disciples that they would be blessed and rewarded for their obedience and for suffering for him. He concluded his speech by telling parables to motivate his disciples to obey his teaching.
Another possible heading for this section is:
The Sermon on the Plain (NET)
Some English versions divide 6:17–49 into several sections. Here is one way that might be done:
6:17–26 Blessings and woes
6:27–36 Love your enemies
6:37–42 Do not judge
6:43–45 A tree and its fruit
6:46–49 Two foundations
The sermon in 6:17–49 is similar to the sermon commonly referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew chapters 5–7.
In 6:39, Jesus told a proverb about two blind men. It is a warning. Jesus said that a blind person cannot lead another blind person. The result would be disaster. The rhetorical question form emphasizes the warning. It warns the disciples to be careful whom they follow. It also warns them not to be like a blind leader.
Jesus also told them a parable:
¶ Jesus also told them a parable:
¶ Jesus also gave them this illustration/proverb,
Jesus also told them a parable: Luke used this clause to introduce the parable that Jesus spoke to the disciples.
parable: In this context the word parable refers to a proverb or short illustration that teaches a spiritual truth. See parable, Type 1, in the Glossary and the note on 5:36a.
Here is another way to translate the word parable in this context:
illustration (NET)
“Can a blind man lead a blind man?
“Can one blind man lead/guide another blind man? Of course not!
“A blind man certainly cannot lead another blind man!
Can a blind man lead a blind man?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize something that is not possible. No blind man can lead another blind man. This proverb refers to an unwise leader leading others.
Some ways to translate this emphasis are:
As a rhetorical question. If your language uses rhetorical questions to make emphatic statements, then you can translate this as a rhetorical question. For example:
Can one blind person lead another? (GW)
Can a blind person lead another blind person? No! (NCV)
As a statement. If you language does not use rhetorical questions to make emphatic statements, then you need to find another way to emphasize this statement. For example:
One blind man cannot lead another one… (GNT)
A blind man certainly cannot lead another blind man.
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
Will they not both fall into a pit?
Won’t they both fall into a pit? (NET)
If he did/tried, both of them would certainly stumble into a ditch/pit.
Will they not both fall into a pit?: This is a second rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize the disaster that would happen when a blind man leads a blind man. Both blind men would surely fall into a pit. This part of the proverb refers to the disaster that happens when a false teacher leads someone.
Some ways to translate this emphasis are:
As a rhetorical question. For example:
Won’t they both fall into a pit? (NET)
As a statement. For example:
Surely they will both fall into the ditch together. (JBP)
The first one will fall into a ditch and pull the other down also. (NLT96)
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
This question includes the implied information “if a blind man does lead another…” You may want to make this explicit. For example:
if he does, both will fall into a ditch (GNT)
pit: The Greek word that the BSB translates as a pit (and some other English versions translate as a “ditch”) could refers to:
A large hole or trench that is dug by people.
A natural depression in the ground.
In either case, it was a space large enough for people to fall into.
It may be more natural in your language to combine these two rhetorical questions into one statement. For example:
If a blind person leads another blind person, they will both stumble and fall into a ditch.
It is impossible for a blind person to lead another blind person, because both of them will fall into a pit.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parables
εἶπεν δὲ καὶ παραβολὴν αὐτοῖς
˱he˲_spoke (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ καί παραβολήν αὐτοῖς Μήτι δύναται τυφλός τυφλόν ὁδηγεῖν Οὐχί ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον πεσοῦνται)
Jesus is giving a brief illustration that teaches something true in a way that is easy to understand and remember. Alternate translation: [Then he gave them this illustration to help them understand better]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
μήτι δύναται τυφλὸς τυφλὸν ὁδηγεῖν?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ καί παραβολήν αὐτοῖς Μήτι δύναται τυφλός τυφλόν ὁδηγεῖν Οὐχί ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον πεσοῦνται)
Here the word translated blind one is masculine, but Jesus is using it in a generic sense that includes all people. Alternate translation: [Can one person who is blind guide another person who is blind?]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives
μήτι δύναται τυφλὸς τυφλὸν ὁδηγεῖν?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ καί παραβολήν αὐτοῖς Μήτι δύναται τυφλός τυφλόν ὁδηγεῖν Οὐχί ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον πεσοῦνται)
The first word of this sentence in Greek is a negative word that can be used to turn a negative statement into a question that expects a negative answer. ULT shows this by adding is he? Your language may have other ways of asking a question that expects a negative answer, for example, by changing the word order of a positive statement. Translate this in the way that would be clearest in your language. Alternate translation: [Can one person who is blind really guide another person who is blind?]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
μήτι δύναται τυφλὸς τυφλὸν ὁδηγεῖν?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ καί παραβολήν αὐτοῖς Μήτι δύναται τυφλός τυφλόν ὁδηγεῖν Οὐχί ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον πεσοῦνται)
Jesus is not expecting the people in the crowd to tell him whether one blind person can guide another. He is using the question form as a teaching tool to make a point and get his listeners to reflect on it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate his words as a statement. Alternate translation: [We all know that one blind person cannot guide another blind person.]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τυφλὸς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ καί παραβολήν αὐτοῖς Μήτι δύναται τυφλός τυφλόν ὁδηγεῖν Οὐχί ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον πεσοῦνται)
The blind person represents someone who has not yet been fully trained and taught as a disciple. But since Jesus explains this figure in the next three verses, you do not need to explain it explicitly here in your own translation.
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
οὐχὶ ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον ἐμπεσοῦνται?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ καί παραβολήν αὐτοῖς Μήτι δύναται τυφλός τυφλόν ὁδηγεῖν Οὐχί ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον πεσοῦνται)
Jesus is using this question as well as a teaching tool. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate his words as a statement. Alternate translation: [Both of them would certainly fall into a ditch]
6:17-49 The central theme of Jesus’ great sermon is that an authentic life of righteousness accompanies repentance and acceptance into God’s Kingdom.
OET (OET-LV) And he_ also _spoke a_parable to_them:
Surely_not a_blind one is_able to_be_guiding a_blind one?
˓Will˒_ not _be_falling both into a_pit?
OET (OET-RV) Then Yeshua told them a parable: “Surely a blind person can’t be a guide for someone else who’s blind. Won’t both of them fall into a ditch?
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.
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