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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 9 V1 V4 V7 V10 V13 V16 V19 V22 V25 V28 V31 V34 V37 V40 V43 V46 V49 V52 V55 V58 V61
OET (OET-LV) But the Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) said:
No_one Having_laid_on the hand of_him on the_plow, and looking on the things behind, is suitable in_the kingdom of_ the _god.
OET (OET-RV) But Yeshua responded, “No one who starts ploughing a field and then starts looking backwards is suitable for God’s kingdom.”
In the previous section, Luke spoke about the unwillingness of people in a Samaritan village to receive Jesus. In this Section 9:57–62, Luke told about three men who said that they were willing to follow Jesus. However, they did not understand the difficulties involved. Jesus warned each of them that it would not be easy. He told them that they must put the kingdom of God above everything else in their lives.
Some other examples of headings for this section are:
The Difficulty of Following Jesus
Three People Who Wanted To Be Jesus’ Followers
There is a parallel passage for this section in Matthew 8:19–22.
No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God: In this verse Jesus used a metaphor about farming with a plow. Jesus indicated here that a person who says he will follow Jesus but then wants to return to his former way of life cannot do useful work in God’s kingdom. He is like a person who looks behind him as he uses a plow. The similarity between these people is that neither one is able to do useful work. A person who looks backward while plowing a field will make crooked furrows. Similarly, a person who is sidetracked by his former way of life will not serve God effectively in his kingdom.
In some languages the meaning of this metaphor may be clear. If it is not clear, other ways to translate this metaphor are:
Change the metaphor to a simile. Make the implied topic explicit. For example:
No one who starts to be my disciple and then turns back to his former way of life will be useful to serve/work in God’s kingdom. He is like someone who begins to plow a field but then he looks backwards.
Make the topic explicit. State each part of the metaphor as a separate sentence. For example:
If anyone starts to plow a field and then looks back, his work will be useless. In the same way, if anyone starts to follow me and turns aside to do other things, he will not be able to do useful work in God’s kingdom.
State the meaning directly. For example:
Whoever starts to follow me and then looks back is of no use in serving God in his kingdom.
Translate this metaphor in the way that is most natural in your language.
Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back
Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and then looks behind him
But Jesus said, “If anyone starts to plow a field and then looks back, his work will be useless. In the same way, if anyone starts to follow me and turns aside to do other things,
But Jesus responded, “Any man who becomes my disciple and then wants to go back to his former way of life
puts his hand to the plow: The phrase puts his hand to the plow describes someone who grasps a plow to begin to use it to prepare his field for planting. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
begins to plow a field (NCV)
starts plowing (CEV)
plow: A plow (or plough) was a sharply pointed wooden tool used for breaking up the soil before planting seeds. It was pulled by a horse or an ox. The farmer held the plow in order to keep it going in a straight line.
and then looks back: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as looks back means “looks behind him.” If a farmer looks behind him as he plows, he will not be able to guide the plow in a straight line. Figuratively, this refers to a disciple who thinks longingly about how he used to live before he followed Jesus. This prevents him from following Jesus with all his heart.
is fit for the kingdom of God.”
is of no use in serving God in his kingdom.”
he will not be able to do useful work to benefit God’s reign/chieftaincy.”
is not useful as a servant/worker for God as God rules over people.”
is fit for the kingdom of God: Jesus was saying here that no one who commits himself to be a disciple of Christ and then wants to go back to his former life can serve God in a useful way in his kingdom.
In this context is fit for the kingdom of God probably refers to the way a person serves and obeys God in order to benefit God’s kingdom. That would include telling people about God ruling his people through the Messiah. It would also include helping people to believe in Jesus (as in 9:60b) and other types of service. Some ways to translate fit for the kingdom of God are:
serve God effectively to benefit his reign/chieftaincy
serve God in a useful way as he rules his people
fit for: In this context the Greek word that the BSB translates as fit means to be useful or able to serve effectively.
the kingdom of God: The phrase the kingdom of God refers to God ruling as king over his people. This same phrase occurs in 9:60b. See also the first note in this part of the verse for translation suggestions for this context.
In some languages it may be more natural to begin this verse without using a negative phrase such as “no one.” For example:
Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God. (GNT)
If someone starts to plow and then looks backward, his work in God’s kingdom will be useless.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
οὐδεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἄροτρον καὶ βλέπων εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, εὔθετός ἐστιν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Οὐδείς Ἐπιβαλών τήν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ἄροτρον καί βλέπων εἰς τά ὀπίσω εὔθετος ἐστίν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ)
Jesus responds with an illustration that is designed to teach this person about what is required to be his disciple. He means that a person is not suitable for the kingdom to God if his past loyalties are more important to him. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain this illustration. Alternate translation, add: [No one can plow straight if he is looking backwards, and in the same way, no one will be useful in the kingdom of God if his past loyalties are more important to him]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche
οὐδεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἄροτρον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Οὐδείς Ἐπιβαλών τήν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ἄροτρον καί βλέπων εἰς τά ὀπίσω εὔθετος ἐστίν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ)
Jesus refers to a person using a plow by describing one part of that activity, guiding the plow with the hand. Alternate translation: [No one who is using a plow]
Note 3 topic: translate-unknown
οὐδεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἄροτρον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Οὐδείς Ἐπιβαλών τήν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ἄροτρον καί βλέπων εἰς τά ὀπίσω εὔθετος ἐστίν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ)
A plow is a tool that farmers use to break up soil to prepare a field for planting. Plows have sharp, pointed prongs that dig into the soil. They usually have handles that the farmer uses to guide the plow. If your readers would not be familiar with this kind of tool, you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: [No one who needs to go straight forward]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
βλέπων εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω
looking on (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Οὐδείς Ἐπιβαλών τήν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ἄροτρον καί βλέπων εἰς τά ὀπίσω εὔθετος ἐστίν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ)
The implication is that anyone who is looking backwards while plowing cannot guide the plow where it needs to go. That person must focus on looking forward in order to plow well. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [looking backwards, and so not going in the right direction]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
εὔθετός ἐστιν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἶπεν Δέ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Οὐδείς Ἐπιβαλών τήν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ ἄροτρον καί βλέπων εἰς τά ὀπίσω εὔθετος ἐστίν τῇ Βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ)
See how you decided to translate the phrase the kingdom of God in [4:43](../04/43.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun kingdom with a verb such as “rule.” Alternate translation: [can really let God rule his life]
9:57-62 As he traveled toward Jerusalem to suffer and die, Jesus explained the cost to those who wished to follow him.
OET (OET-LV) But the Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) said:
No_one Having_laid_on the hand of_him on the_plow, and looking on the things behind, is suitable in_the kingdom of_ the _god.
OET (OET-RV) But Yeshua responded, “No one who starts ploughing a field and then starts looking backwards is suitable for God’s kingdom.”
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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