Luke 12:38-40

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Luke 12:38 sn The second or third watch of the night would be between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. on a Roman schedule and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on a Jewish schedule. Luke uses the four-watch schedule of the Romans in Acts 12:4, so that is more probable here. Regardless of the precise times of the watches, however, it is clear that the late-night watches when a person is least alert are in view here.
2. Luke 12:38 tn Grk “finds (them) thus,” but this has been clarified in the translation by referring to the status (“alert”) mentioned in v. 37.
3. Luke 12:38 tn Grk “blessed are they”; the referent (the watchful slaves, v. 37) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4. Luke 12:39 sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.
5. Luke 12:39 tc Most mss (א¹ A B L Q W Θ Ψ 070 ƒ^1,13 33 M lat sy^p,h sa^ms bo) read “he would have watched and not let” here, but this looks like an assimilation to Matt 24:43. The alliance of two significant and early mss along with a few others (P⁷⁵ א* [D] e i sy^s,c sa^mss), coupled with much stronger internal evidence, suggests that the shorter reading is authentic.
6. Luke 12:40 sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it might take some time—so long, in fact, that some would not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).