LUKE 7:24 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Then after the messengers of John had gone away, he began to say to the crowds concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

UST When the men whom John had sent left, Jesus began to talk to the crowd of people about John. He said, “What did you go into the wilderness to see? A thin stalk of a plant shaken by the wind?

BLB And the messengers of John having departed, He began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What have you gone out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

AICNT After the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the crowds about John,
¶ “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

OEB When John’s messengers had left, Jesus, speaking to the crowds, began to say with reference to John,

WEBBE When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

WMBB When Yochanan’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about Yochanan, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

NET When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

LSV And the messengers of John having gone away, He began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What have you gone forth into the wilderness to look on? A reed shaken by the wind?

FBV After the messengers from John had left, Jesus began telling the crowd, “About John: what did you expect to see when you went out to meet him in the desert? Some reed blown about by the wind?

TCNT When John's [fn]messengers had gone away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

7:24 messengers ¦ disciples ANT

T4T When the men whom John had sent left, Jesus began to talk to the crowd of people about John. He said to them, “Think about what sort of person you went to see in the desolate area when you went there to see John [RHQ]. You did not go there to listen to a man who constantly changed the nature of his message [MET], like a reed that is blown back and forth by the wind [RHQ].

LEB And when[fn] the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

7:24 *Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had departed”)

BBE And when the men who were sent by John had gone away, he said to the people, about John, What did you go out into the waste land to see? a tall stem moving in the wind?

Moff When John's messengers had gone, he proceeded to speak to the crowds about John:
⇔ "What did you go out to the desert to see?
⇔ A reed swayed by the wind?

Wymth When John's messengers were gone, He proceeded to say to the multitude concerning John, "What did you go out into the Desert to gaze at? A reed waving in the wind?

ASV And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind?

DRA And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak to the multitudes concerning John. What went ye out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind?

YLT And the messengers of John having gone away, he began to say unto the multitudes concerning John: 'What have ye gone forth to the wilderness to look on? a reed by the wind shaken?

Drby And the messengers of John having departed, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John: What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken by the wind?

RV And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind?
(And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye/you_all out into the wilderness to behold? a red shaken with the wind? )

SLT And the messengers of John having departed, he began to say to the crowds concerning John, What went ye forth into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Wbstr And when the messengers of John had departed, he began to speak to the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

KJB-1769 ¶ And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
(¶ And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye/you_all out into the wilderness for to see? A red shaken with the wind? )

KJB-1611 ¶ And when the messengers of Iohn were departed, hee beganne to speake vnto y^e people concerning Iohn: What went ye out into the wildernesse for to see? A reede shaken with the winde?
(¶ And when the messengers of Yohn were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning Yohn: What went ye/you_all out into the wilderness for to see? A reede shaken with the wind?)

Bshps And when the messengers of Iohn were departed, he began to speake vnto the people concernyng Iohn: What went ye out into the wildernesse for to see? a reede shaken with the wynde?
(And when the messengers of Yohn were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning Yohn: What went ye/you_all out into the wilderness for to see? a reede shaken with the wind?)

Gnva And when the messengers of Iohn were departed, hee began to speake vnto the people, of Iohn, What went ye out into the wildernes to see? A reede shaken with the winde?
(And when the messengers of Yohn were departed, he began to speak unto the people, of Yohn, What went ye/you_all out into the wilderness to see? A reede shaken with the wind? )

Cvdl Whan the messaungers of Iho were departed, Iesus begane to speake vnto ye people cocernynge Iho: What are ye gone out for to se in ye wyldernesse? Wolde ye se a rede, that is shake wt the wynde?
(When the messengers of Iho were departed, Yesus/Yeshua began to speak unto ye/you_all people concerning Iho: What are ye/you_all gone out for to see in ye/you_all wilderness? Would ye/you_all see a rede, that is shake with the wind?)

TNT When the messengers of Iohn were departed he began to speake vnto the people of Iohn What wet ye oute into the wildernes for to se? went ye to se arede shaken with the wynde?
(When the messengers of Yohn were departed he began to speak unto the people of Yohn What wet ye/you_all out into the wilderness for to se? went ye/you_all to see arede shaken with the wind? )

Wycl And whanne the messangeris of Joon weren go forth, he bigan to seie of Joon to the puple,
(And when the messengers of Yohn were go forth, he began to say of Yohn to the people,)

Luth Da aber die Boten des Johannes hingingen, fing JEsus an, zu reden zu dem Volk von Johannes: Was seid ihr hinausgegangen in die Wüste zu sehen? Wolltet ihr ein Rohr sehen, das vom Winde beweget wird?
(So but the messenger the Yohannes went_there, caught Yesus an, to/for talk to/for to_him people from Yohannes: What are you(pl)/their/her went_out in the desert to/for see? Wolltet you(pl)/their/her a Rohr see, the from_the winds beweget becomes?)

ClVg Et cum discessissent nuntii Joannis, cœpit de Joanne dicere ad turbas: Quid existis in desertum videre? arundinem vento agitatam?[fn]
(And when/with discessissent news Yoannis, he_began from/about Yoanne to_say to crowds: What existis in/into/on desert to_see? reedm with_the_wind actsatam? )

7.24 Quid. Ubi monuit discipulos Joannis in crucem Dominicam esse credendum: conversus ad turbas, ad virtutem pauperes provocat, ne exaltati corde, mente instabiles, consilio infirmi, speciosa utilibus æternis caduca præferrent, sed crucem potius quam mundi phaleras tollant. Et ideo laudat personam Joannis, qui posthabito amore vitæ etiam justitiæ formam nec mortis timore mutavit. Deserto mundus comparatur, quia adhuc incultus et sterilis in quem non est ita prodeundum, ut homines mente carnis inflatos et virtutis vacuos, et de fragilis mundi gloria jactantes, putemus esse imitandos. Arundinem vento. BED. Per arundinem carnalis animus, qui cum favore vel detractione tangitur, in quamlibet partem inclinatur. Sed Joannes non est arundo vento agitata, quia illum nec gratia blandum nec cujuslibet ira faciebat asperum, nec prospera erigebant, nec adversa inclinabant.

7.24 Quid. Where warned disciples Yoannis in/into/on cross/frame Mastercam to_be to_be_believed: turned_around to crowds, to virtue the_poor provokes, not exaltsi heart, mind instabiles, by_design/by_the_advice sick, beautiful utilibus eternal caduca beforeferrent, but cross/frame rather how world phaleras tollant. And therefore/for_that_reason praises person Yoannis, who/which posthabito with_love of_life also justice form but_not of_death with_fear changed. Deserto world is_compared, because still incultus and barren in/into/on which not/no it_is so/thus prodeundum, as people/men mind of_flesh inflatos and of_virtue vacuos, and from/about fragilis world glory they_boastes, putemus to_be imitandos. Arundinem with_the_wind. BED. Per reedm carnal/bodily animus, who/which when/with favore or detractione touchesur, in/into/on however part is_inclined. But Yoannes not/no it_is arundo with_the_wind actsata, because him but_not grace blandum but_not whoselibet anger/rage he_was_doing asperum, but_not prosperous erigebant, but_not adverse incline/leanbant.

UGNT ἀπελθόντων δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων Ἰωάννου, ἤρξατο λέγειν πρὸς τοὺς ὄχλους περὶ Ἰωάννου: τί ἐξήλθατε εἰς τὴν ἔρημον θεάσασθαι? κάλαμον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον?
(apelthontōn de tōn angelōn Yōannou, aʸrxato legein pros tous oⱪlous peri Yōannou: ti exaʸlthate eis taʸn eraʸmon theasasthai? kalamon hupo anemou saleuomenon?)

SBL-GNT Ἀπελθόντων δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων Ἰωάννου ἤρξατο λέγειν ⸂πρὸς τοὺς ὄχλους⸃ περὶ Ἰωάννου· Τί ⸀ἐξήλθατε εἰς τὴν ἔρημον θεάσασθαι; κάλαμον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον;
(Apelthontōn de tōn angelōn Yōannou aʸrxato legein ⸂pros tous oⱪlous⸃ peri Yōannou; Ti ⸀exaʸlthate eis taʸn eraʸmon theasasthai; kalamon hupo anemou saleuomenon;)

RP-GNT Ἀπελθόντων δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων Ἰωάννου, ἤρξατο λέγειν τοῖς ὄχλοις περὶ Ἰωάννου, Τί ἐξεληλύθατε εἰς τὴν ἔρημον θεάσασθαι; Κάλαμον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον;
(Apelthontōn de tōn angelōn Yōannou, aʸrxato legein tois oⱪlois peri Yōannou, Ti exelaʸluthate eis taʸn eraʸmon theasasthai; Kalamon hupo anemou saleuomenon;)

TC-GNT Ἀπελθόντων δὲ τῶν [fn]ἀγγέλων [fn]Ἰωάννου, ἤρξατο λέγειν [fn]τοῖς ὄχλοις περὶ [fn]Ἰωάννου, Τί [fn]ἐξεληλύθατε εἰς τὴν ἔρημον θεάσασθαι; Κάλαμον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον;
(Apelthontōn de tōn angelōn Yōannou, aʸrxato legein tois oⱪlois peri Yōannou, Ti exelaʸluthate eis taʸn eraʸmon theasasthai; Kalamon hupo anemou saleuomenon; )

7:24 αγγελων ¦ μαθητων ANT

7:24 ιωαννου ¦ ιωανου WH

7:24 τοις οχλοις ¦ προς τους οχλους ANT CT TR

7:24 εξεληλυθατε ¦ εξηλθατε CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 7:18–35: John the Baptizer sent messengers to Jesus

At the time when the events in this section happened, John the Baptizer was in prison (3:20). He sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask Jesus whether he was the Messiah. He referred to the Messiah as “the coming one” whom he and the people were expecting. Jesus’ answer implied that he was the Messiah.

After John’s messengers had left, Jesus talked about what a great man John was. But he also implied that the coming kingdom would be greater. It would be so great that people who would experience it and its benefits would have even greater privileges and blessings than John had. Finally, Jesus showed that the Jewish religious leaders rejected the plan of God, since they rejected both John and Jesus.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus responds to the messengers of John the Baptizer and speaks about John to the crowd

Jesus speaks to the people about John the Baptizer

Jesus teaches about John the Baptizer

There is a parallel passage for this section in Matthew 11:3–19.

7:24–26

In these verses Jesus talked to the people about John. He wanted them to think about what kind of person John was. Three times he asked the people similar rhetorical questions and suggested answers to these questions. Consider how to translate this rhetorical conversation in a natural way in your language.

All of the questions in 7:24–26 refer to the time when John was preaching and baptizing in the desert. Many people were going there to hear him preach then and to be baptized by him. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example, you could make this context clear in the first question of 7:24b:

When John was preaching/baptizing in the desert, what did you go out to see?

7:24a

After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:

¶ When the two messengers from John had gone, Jesus started talking to the people about John/him.
¶ The men whom John sent left to return to him. Then Jesus spoke to the crowd about John, saying,

After John’s messengers had left: The phrase John’s messengers refers to the two disciples whom John had sent to Jesus. In this part of the verse, they left Jesus to return to John.

Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: In the previous paragraph Jesus was speaking to John’s disciples. In this paragraph he spoke to the crowd about John.

the crowds: The plural phrase that the BSB translates literally as the crowds has the same meaning here as the singular form “crowd.” It refers to a large group of people. Your translation should not imply that there were different groups of people there. Some other ways to translate this are:

the people (NCV)

the large crowd of people

the many people there

7:24b–c

What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?: Scholars interpret the phrase A reed swaying in the wind in different ways. The interpretation you choose will also affect the way you translate the question What did you go out into the wilderness to see? The two main interpretations are:

It refers figuratively to a man who has a weak character. He often changes his opinions because he is influenced by what other people think of him. For example:
What kind of person did you go out to the desert to see? Was he like tall grass blown about by the wind? (CEV) (CEV, LB, NLT; probably GNT)
It refers literally to the tall grass that is found in the desert of Judea. For example:
Did you go out into the desert just to see tall grass that the wind blows around? (BSB, ESV, GW, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB, NRSV, REB, RSV)

Bible scholars are quite evenly divided between those who favor interpretations (1) and (2).This is true of commentaries on Luke where, for example, Bock, Green, Nolland, Stein, and the UBS Translator’s Handbook on Luke favor the literal interpretation while Arndt, Fitzmyer, Lenski, Marshall, and the UBS Translator’s Guide favor the figurative. However, the majority of Matthew commentaries favor the figurative interpretation for the parallel passage in Matthew 11:7. Many English versions translate the questions fairly literally. If you need to translate more explicitly, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Both interpretations make sense in the context. Those who favor the figurative interpretation suggest that a “reed blown by the wind” is proverbial and describes someone who is weak and easily gives in to men’s opinions. There appears to be ample evidence that this was proverbial. See, for example:· “And the LORD will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water.”· 3 Maccabees 2:22: “He shook him on this side and that as a reed is shaken by the wind, so that he lay helpless on the ground….”· “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”· “Man should strive to be tender like the reed and not hard like the cedar” (from B. Taan. 20a, in Manson, The Sayings of Jesus, p. 68, and cited by Marshall and Bock).· Lucian, Hermotimus 68: “You will be…indeed like a reed growing on a river bank, bending to every breath of wind, however slight the breeze that blows and shakes it.”If this was proverbial, it is hard to imagine that Jesus chose this expression and intended it to be taken literally.

Some ways to translate interpretation (1) are:

What kind of person did you go out to the desert to see? A man who is like a reed blown about by the wind?

What kind of person did you go out to the desert to see? A man as weak as a reed that is swayed by the wind?

What: If you have a question word that can be used with either people or things, it would be good to use it here. You can use the same word where the question is repeated in 7:25a and 7:26a. In some languages there may be different question words for people and things. For example:

what (for things)

whom (for people)

Consider which question word would be most natural in this context. As you translate, remember that the answer Jesus finally gave to the question “What did you go out into the desert to see?” was “A prophet” (7:26).

If you are following interpretation (1) above, you may want to say:

“What kind of person/man did you go out to the desert to see?”

7:24b

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see?

“When you^(plur) went out into the desert, what/who did you go there to see?
“When John was baptizing in the wilderness and you went there to see him, what kind of person did you^(plur) go out to see?
“Think about what kind of person you expected to see when you went out into the uninhabited areas to see John.

What did you go out into the wilderness to see?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used it to focus people’s attention on the topic of John the Baptizer. Jesus was asking the crowd to think about John.

Some ways to translate this rhetorical question are:

As a question. For example:
What did you go out into the desert to see?
When you went into the desert to see John, what kind of person did you expect to see?
As a polite instruction. For example:
Think about what kind of man you went out into the desert to see.

wilderness: The Greek word that the BSB translates as wilderness refers to a wild area where few people lived. Some versions translate it as “desert” (CEV, GW). But while it was often a dry area, it was not just sand and barren ground. Some wild grasses and bushes grew there. Some languages have a special word to refer to such areas, such as “the bush” (Africa) or “steppes” (Asia). Other ways to translate this word are:

uninhabited place

wild, open area

You may use the same word or expression that you used in 1:80 and 3:2.

7:24c

A reed swaying in the wind?

Did you go there just/only to see a blade of tall grass that the wind blows this way and that way?
Did you go to see a man as changeable/indecisive as a reed that sways/bends in the wind? No!
You certainly did not expect a man who was like tall grass swayed/blown by the wind.

A reed swaying in the wind?: This also is a rhetorical question. This question is an ellipsis. Its full form is “Did you go out into the desert to see a reed swaying in the wind?” Jesus asked this question to make people think about what John was like. There are two ways you could translate this:

As a question. For example:
Did you go to see a reed swayed by the wind?
Was he like tall grass blown by the wind?
As an emphatic statement. For example:
You certainly did not go to see a reed swayed by the wind.
Surely you did not go out just to see someone who was like tall grass that the wind blows.

The answer to this rhetorical question is “No.” In some languages it may be necessary to make the answer explicit:

A reed swayed by the wind? No, of course not!

The phrase that the BSB translates as A reed swaying in the wind is literally “a reed swayed by the wind” or “a reed shaken by the wind.” This phrase contains a passive verb. Another way to translate it is:

A reed that the wind can easily sway?

reed: A reed is a tall blade of wild grass.

General Comment on 7:24b–c

It is possible to combine the two rhetorical questions in 7:24b–c and translate them as one question or statement. For example:

When you went out into the wilderness, did you go out to see a reed swayed by the wind?

When you went out into the wild/uninhabited place, you certainly did not go out to see tall grass blown around by the wind.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

ἤρξατο λέγειν

˱he˲_began ˓to_be˒_saying

Here the pronoun he refers to Jesus. Alternate translation: [Jesus began to say]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί ἐξήλθατε εἰς τὴν ἔρημον θεάσασθαι? κάλαμον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀπελθόντων Δέ τῶν ἀγγέλων Ἰωάννου ἤρξατο λέγειν πρός τούς ὄχλους περί Ἰωάννου Τί ἐξήλθατε εἰς τήν ἐρῆμον θεάσασθαι Κάλαμον ὑπό ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον)

Jesus is using these questions as a teaching tool. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could show that consequently he expects a negative answer. You could also translate these words as a statement. Alternate translation: [Did you go out into the wilderness just to see a reed that the wind was shaking? Of course not!] or [Surely you did not go out into the wilderness just to see a reed that the wind was shaking.]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

κάλαμον ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form. Alternate translation: [A reed that the wind was shaking?]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit