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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
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Luke 7 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49
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
And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you;
Jesus said to the woman, “You(sing) are saved because you(sing) believe in me.
Jesus continued to speak to the woman, “God has rescued you(sing) because you(sing) trust in me.
In this verse Jesus finished what he was saying to the woman in 7:48. He did not respond to what the people were thinking in 7:49. Introduce Jesus’ words to the woman in a way that is natural in your language. You may want to say something like:
He/Jesus continued to say to the woman…
Your faith has saved you: The word faith here refers to trust or reliance on God. See believe, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.
In some languages it may be necessary to translate faith as a verb. For example:
You are saved because you believe/trust in me.
God has saved you because you believe in me.
saved: The Greek word that the BSB translates as saved means “to rescue someone from danger or trouble.” In this context it refers to rescuing someone from the spiritual dangers of sin and the punishment that results from sin. Because of the woman’s faith, God rescued the woman from her sinful life and would not punish her for it. See save, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.
In your translation, you may want or need to make explicit what the woman was saved from. For example:
your faith has saved you from sin
your faith has rescued you from sin and its punishment
go in peace.”
Go, and may God’s peace be with you(sing).”
You(sing) may go, knowing that you(sing) have peace with God.”
go in peace: The clause go in peace was a common blessing that a Jewish person would give to someone who was leaving. This blessing means “may you go with peace.” It strongly implies to Jewish people that God is the one who gives that peace. Jesus used this blessing here to reassure the woman. Other ways to say this are:
Go and may God continue to give you his peace.
You may go home now with the blessing of God’s peace.
Go and may the peace of God rest upon you.
You may go home now, knowing that you are at peace with God.
This same expression occurs in 8:48b. See also peace, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.
peace: In Jewish cultures the word peaceThe word “peace” here is a translation of the Hebrew word shalom (the word that Jesus probably spoke here). refers to serenity and absence of conflict. It often indicates a relationship with God and all the benefits that come from that relationship, such as security, health, and prosperity. Here Jesus’ blessing of peace focuses on health and the relationship with God that the woman had because she was no longer ritually impure.
See peace, Meaning 6, in the Glossary.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ πρός τήν γυναῖκα Ἡ πίστις σοῦ σέσωκεν σέ πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην)
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun faith with a verb such as “trust.” Alternate translation: [You have trusted in God, and God has saved you]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / personification
ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ πρός τήν γυναῖκα Ἡ πίστις σοῦ σέσωκεν σέ πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην)
Jesus speaks of the woman’s faith as if it had actively saved her. He means that it provided the conditions for her to receive salvation from God. Alternate translation: [You have trusted in God, and God has saved you]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην
˓be˒_going in peace
This was a way of saying goodbye while giving a blessing at the same time. It also reassured the woman, despite the disapproval of the religious leaders. Alternate translation: [May God give you peace as you go] or [You may go now, and do not worry about your sins anymore]
7:36-50 Jesus’ comment in 7:35 is now illustrated by one of “wisdom’s children” (see study note on 7:35), a repentant sinner who shows gratitude for the forgiveness she has received.
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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