Luke 7:47-49

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Luke 7:47 tn Grk “for she loved much.” The connection between this statement and the preceding probably involves an ellipsis, to the effect that the ὅτι clause gives the evidence of forgiveness, not the ground. For similar examples of an “evidentiary” ὅτι, cf. Luke 1:22; 6:21; 13:2. See discussion in D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:703-5. Further evidence that this is the case here is the final statement: “the one who is forgiven little loves little” means that the one who is forgiven little is thus not able to love much. The REB renders this verse: “her great love proves that her many sins have been forgiven; where little has been forgiven, little love is shown.”sn She loved much. Jesus’ point is that the person who realizes how great a gift forgiveness is (because they have a deep sense of sin) has a great love for the one who forgives, that is, God. The woman’s acts of reverence to Jesus honored him as the one who brought God’s message of grace.
2. Luke 7:48 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
3. Luke 7:48 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4. Luke 7:48 sn Jesus showed his authority to forgive sins, something that was quite controversial. See Luke 5:17-26 and the next verse.
5. Luke 7:49 tn Grk “And”; here καί (kai) has been translated as an adversative (contrastive).
6. Luke 7:49 tn Grk “were reclining at table.”