LUKE 7:47 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. οὗ
2. hos
3. of which
4. -
5. 37390
6. R····GNS
7. ˱of˲ which
8. ˱of˲ which
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44774
1. χάριν
2. χarin
3. for reason of
4. -
5. 54840
6. P·······
7. for_reason_of
8. for_reason_of
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44775
1. Δέ
2. de
3. -
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. S
10. -
11. 44776
1. λέγω
2. legō
3. I am saying
4. -
5. 30040
6. VIPA1··S
7. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ saying
8. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ saying
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman; R44623; Person=Jesus
11. 44777
1. εἶπον
2. legō
3. -
4. -
5. 30040
6. VIAA1··S
7. ˱I˲ said
8. ˱I˲ said
9. -
10. -
11. 44778
1. σοί
2. su
3. to you
4. -
5. 47710
6. R···2D·S
7. ˱to˲ you
8. ˱to˲ you
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44779
1. ἀφέωνται
2. afiō
3. have been forgiven
4. -
5. 8630
6. VIEP3··P
7. ˓have_been˒ forgiven
8. ˓have_been˒ forgiven
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44780
1. ἀφέονται
2. afiō
3. -
4. -
5. 8630
6. VIPP3··P
7. ˓are_being˒ forgiven
8. ˓are_being˒ forgiven
9. -
10. -
11. 44781
1. αὐτῆς
2. autos
3. -
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3GFS
7. ˱of˲ her
8. ˱of˲ her
9. -
10. R44707
11. 44782
1. αὐτῇ
2. autos
3. -
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3DFS
7. ˱to˲ her
8. ˱to˲ her
9. -
10. -
11. 44783
1. αἱ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NFP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44784
1. ἁμαρτίαι
2. hamartia
3. sins
4. sins
5. 2660
6. N····NFP
7. sins
8. sins
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44785
1. αὐτῆς
2. autos
3. of her
4. Her
5. 8460
6. R···3GFS
7. ˱of˲ her
8. ˱of˲ her
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44786
1. αἱ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NFP
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44787
1. πολλαί
2. pollos
3. many
4. -
5. 41830
6. A····NFP
7. many
8. many
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44788
1. πολλά
2. polla
3. -
4. -
5. 41775
6. D·······
7. much
8. much
9. -
10. -
11. 44789
1. ὅτι
2. hoti
3. because
4. because
5. 37540
6. C·······
7. because
8. because
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44790
1. ἠγάπησεν
2. agapaō
3. she loved
4. -
5. 250
6. VIAA3··S
7. ˱she˲ loved
8. ˱she˲ loved
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman; R44707
11. 44791
1. πολύ
2. polu
3. much
4. -
5. 41775
6. D·······
7. much
8. much
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44792
1. ᾧ
2. hos
3. to whom
4. -
5. 37390
6. R····DMS
7. ˱to˲ whom
8. ˱to˲ whom
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44793
1. δέ
2. de
3. but
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. but
8. but
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44794
1. ὀλίγον
2. oligon
3. little
4. -
5. 36405
6. D·······
7. little
8. little
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44795
1. ἀφίεται
2. afiēmi
3. is being forgiven
4. -
5. 8630
6. VIPP3··S
7. ˓is_being˒ forgiven
8. ˓is_being˒ forgiven
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44796
1. καί
2. kai
3. -
4. -
5. 25320
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. -
11. 44797
1. ὀλίγον
2. oligon
3. little
4. -
5. 36405
6. D·······
7. little
8. little
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44798
1. ἀγαπᾷ
2. agapaō
3. is loving
4. loving
5. 250
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˓is˒ loving
8. ˓is˒ loving
9. -
10. Y31; TAnointed_by_a_Sinner_Woman
11. 44799

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 7:36–50: Jesus forgave a woman’s sins and taught a Pharisee about love

In this section a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to be the guest of honor at a dinner in his home. While Jesus was there, a sinful woman came and washed his feet with her tears. She dried them with her hair, kissed them, and poured scented oil on them. By these unusual actions, the woman honored Jesus and showed that she loved him.

By contrast, Simon neglected common ways to honor a guest. He did not greet Jesus with a kiss or give him water to wash his feet or put oil on his head. Jesus said that the woman’s acts of love showed that her sins had been forgiven. Simon’s failure to show love showed that his sins had not been forgiven.

Certain Jewish customs help to explain some of the actions in this story:

For special meals, the Jews usually ate at low tables and reclined on couches or cushions with their feet extended away from the table. This made it easier for the woman to kiss Jesus’ feet and pour perfume on them. (See the notes at 7:36b.)
When a religious teacher such as Jesus was invited to a feast, he ate with the host and the other invited guests. People who had not been invited were allowed to come in quietly and listen to what the teacher said. They were not supposed to join the invited guests.
Often a slave washed the feet of the guests. People considered feet to be dirty. When the woman washed Jesus’ feet and kissed them, she humbled herself and honored Jesus.

This section is not explicitly connected to the preceding one, but it does illustrate some of the statements in 7:29–35. The woman was a person who “acknowledged God’s justice” (7:29). Simon the Pharisee was one of those who “rejected God’s purpose for themselves” (7:30).

Some other possible headings for this section are:

A sinful woman washes Jesus’ feet at the home of a Pharisee named Simon

Jesus compares a Pharisee and a sinful woman

Paragraph 7:44–47

In this paragraph Jesus compared debts to sins. He also implied that the woman was like the man in the story who owed much money. Jesus was like the lender. The lender forgave the man his debt, and Jesus forgave the woman’s sins. The woman loved Jesus very much because he had forgiven her for many sins. Simon was like the man who borrowed only a little money. He did not love Jesus as much, because he thought that he did not need much forgiveness from Jesus.

7:47

many sins…loved much: There is an implied comparison in this verse. Jesus implied that the woman was like the man in the parable who owed much money and loved the lender for canceling his large debt. She loved Jesus much because she knew that he had forgiven her for many sins.

Make sure that the connection between receiving much forgiveness and loving much is clear in your translation. See the examples in the notes for this verse.

forgiven little loves little: In this verse Jesus also implied that Simon was like the man in the parable who owed only a small debt. This comparison is clear only because Jesus indicated that Simon did not show much love to him. This implies that Simon thought that he had not sinned much and did not need much forgiveness.

7:47a

Therefore I tell you, because her many sins have been forgiven,

For this reason it is clear that this woman has been forgiven of/for her many sins,
And so I assure you that she has certainly received pardon/forgiveness for all her numerous sins.
I tell you that I have certainly forgiven her for the many things that she has done wrong.

7:47b

she has loved much.

for her great love/gratitude is the evidence/proof.
It/This is shown by how much she has loved me.
This/That is the reason that she has shown me so much love.

7:47a–b

Some English versinos, such as the ESV, NIV, and NLT, connect 7:47a and 7:47b with a dash. Other English versions do not use a dash here. It is probably not necessary to use a dash in your translation.

Therefore: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Therefore means “for this reason.” It introduces a conclusion. Jesus concluded that the woman showed so much love to him because she was grateful to him for forgiving her many sins. The way that she behaved toward him proved that this was true. Other ways to express this connection in English are:

I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. (GNT)

That’s why I’m telling you that her many sins have been forgiven. Her great love proves that. (GW)

So, I tell you, her great love proves that her many sins have been forgiven… (REB)

The conjunction Therefore works together with the conjunction “for” in 7:47b. Consider the meaning of the whole statement and connect it to the context in a natural way in your language.

I tell you: Jesus often used the words I tell you to begin a statement that he wanted to emphasize. It indicates that the statement was important and that people should listen carefully to it. Some other ways to show this emphasis are:

Use a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:
Let me tell you this
Listen
I assure you
Use an emphatic word within Jesus’ statement. For example:
her many sins have certainly been forgiven.

If you have another way in your language to emphasize an important statement, consider using it here.

See 7:26c and 7:28a, where the same phrase occurs.

because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as because her many sins have been forgiven, she has loved much is literally “her many sins have been forgiven, for she has loved much.” The Greek conjunction “for” indicates “as is shown by the fact that.” It implies that the woman’s love for Jesus was the proof that she understood for how much Jesus had forgiven her.

There are a number of ways to express the connection between these ideas:

it is clear that she must have been forgiven because she loved/loves much

her many sins are forgiven, so she showed great love (NCV)

Express this connection in a clear way in your language.

The clause her many sins have been forgiven is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to translate it without using a passive verb. For example:

she has received forgiveness/pardon for her many sins

In some languages it may be helpful to say who had forgiven the woman’s sins. If that is true in your language, you may specify that Jesus had forgiven her sins.In the parable that Jesus told, he showed that it was natural for the men to be thankful to the person who had canceled their debts. In the same way, this woman was thankful to Jesus for forgiving her, and that is why she showed great love to him. For example:

I have forgiven her many sins

I have forgiven her for the many times that she has sinned

her many sins: In this context the phrase her many sins refers to the woman’s sins against God. Jesus used the phrase in a general way to refer to the sinful things that she had done in her life. He was not implying that the woman had offended him personally.

In general, the word sins refers to offenses against God. These sins include acts, thoughts, and attitudes that are not what God wants or approves.In Greek, the verb that English versions translate as sin is also a term that is used in archery to mean “miss the target.” When a person sins, he “misses” the target, that is, he fails to reach God’s standard. A person can also offend God by not doing what God wants him to do. God is also offended by actions that a person does to harm other people.

It is helpful to translate sins with a general term that can include any offense against God. Here are problems to avoid:

The term should not imply that only serious crimes like murder or stealing are sins. Other offenses like gossip and greed are also sins.
The term should not include accidents or mistakes that are not against God’s will.

See sin, sense A, in KBT.

Some ways to translate sins are:

wrong acts

offenses against God

In some languages it may be natural to translate sins with a phrase that includes a verb. For example:

the things that she has done wrong

have been forgiven: The verb form that the BSB translates as have been forgiven indicates that at a previous time in the past the woman’s sins were forgiven. The woman continued to live as a forgiven person. Use a natural form in your language to describe an action in the past that continues to be effective in the present.

In this context the verb have been forgiven indicates Jesus forgave the woman for all that she had ever done that was wrong. As a result, God would not punish her for any of her sins. He would cancel her guilt and treat her as though she had never sinned. Some other ways to translate have been forgiven are:

have been pardoned

have been canceled

have been taken away

7:47c

But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

But if a person sins in small ways and is forgiven for only those sins, that person will love the one who forgives him only a little.
But the person who thinks that he needs little pardon/forgiveness shows little love/gratitude to the one who forgives him.”

But he who has been forgiven little loves little: This clause expresses a fact that is true of people in general. It does not refer to Simon alone, but it explains Simon’s actions. Simon showed little love for Jesus because he did not think that he needed much forgiveness. Simon did not realize that he had sinned many times. In some languages it may be necessary to make this meaning more explicit. For example:

But whoever thinks that he does not need to be forgiven for many sins does not respond with much love.

As in 7:47a–b, the verb has been forgiven is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to translate the clause without using a passive verb. For example:

But if someone sins against a person in only small ways and the person forgives him, the one who sinned will not show much love to the one who forgave him.

But if someone forgives a person who sinned only a few times, the one who sins/sinned will love the one who forgives only a little.

uW Translation Notes:

λέγω σοι

˱I˲_˓am˒_saying (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὗ χάριν λέγω σοί ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς αἱ πολλαί ὅτι ἠγάπησεν πολύ ᾧ δέ ὀλίγον ἀφίεται ὀλίγον ἀγαπᾷ)

This phrase emphasizes the importance of the statement that follows. Alternate translation: [pay attention to this]

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς αἱ πολλαί

˓have_been˒_forgiven the sins ˱of˲_her ¬the many

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form, and you could state who has done the action. Alternate translation: [God has forgiven her many sins]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὅτι ἠγάπησεν πολύ

because ˱she˲_loved much

The implication is that her display of love was the evidence that her sins were forgiven. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: [We can tell this because she has shown that she greatly loves the one who forgave her]

ὅτι ἠγάπησεν πολύ

because ˱she˲_loved much

Your language may require you to state the object of loved. Alternate translation: [because she greatly loves the one who forgave her]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ᾧ δὲ ὀλίγον ἀφίεται, ὀλίγον ἀγαπᾷ

˱to˲_whom (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὗ χάριν λέγω σοί ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῆς αἱ πολλαί ὅτι ἠγάπησεν πολύ ᾧ δέ ὀλίγον ἀφίεται ὀλίγον ἀγαπᾷ)

In this sentence Jesus states a general principle. However, he is saying implicitly that Simon specifically has shown very little love for him. A further implication is that one to whom little is forgiven is actually someone who thinks he is better than others and mistakenly thinks he does not need to be forgiven for very much. Alternate translation: [a person like you who thinks that God has only had to forgive him for a few things does not show much love]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ᾧ & ὀλίγον ἀφίεται

˱to˲_whom & little ˓is_being˒_forgiven

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form, and you could state who has done the action. Alternate translation: [the person who thinks that God has only had to forgive him for a few things]

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 7:47

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)