Luke 14:2 - And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
HUDROPIKOS is the Greek word, and it is made up of two Greek words that literally means water, HUDOR, and PHINO, to appear. It means to appear watery.
In those days, this was a technical medical term that meant that the connecting tissues of the body were filling with water. And this is the only instance of it in the New Testament. By saying that this man was before him, EMPROSTHEN in the Greek, it indicates that he was strategically placed.
So, they invited Jesus over on the Sabbath Day for a meal. And on the Sabbath Day the main meal was the mid-afternoon meal for the Jews. They did not warm the food. It was cold food prepared the day before.
And this man who suffered from HUDROPIKOS (the dropsy), water in the connecting tissues of the body, they put him before them. Because they knew what Jesus was going to do.
Luke 14:3 - And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?
It is interesting that the word for "to heal" is the word THERAPUO where we get our word therapy from. There is a different Greek word for physical healing. This is therapy (THERAPUO).
What it indicates is that when Jesus healed someone of their physical problem, He also healed all of the effects afterwards. They didn't have to go for therapy. He took care of it all so there would be no doubt as to what happened.
Luke 14:4 - And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
And He is saying to them, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day? And they didn't want to answer. And He took the man, and healed him, physical healing. And released him, let him go. Go home, you are healed!
Luke 13:5 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Jesus says I tell you, No. And in the Greek text it's very emphatic. But, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
There are actually two words in the New Testament for repent. The main word is the word METANOEO, and it basically means to make a decision for change. It also carries with it the understanding that if you make a decision for change, you can't change yourself. You can only make the decision for change.
So, when a person repents and comes to Christ, that means they have made a decision to change the direction of their life, and they are asking the Lord to come into their life and make the changes. I can't do it. Yet God is offering a free gift in the person of Christ.
The second word METAMELOMAI, is found in Matthew 27:3. This is of Judas. He (Judas) repented, but he did not repent as in in METANOEO. The word repent used for Judas was METAMELOMAI.
METAMELOMAI means to be sorry. That is not repentance. Judas was sorry for what he did, and he went out and killed himself. That is not repentance. Repentance is when you make a decision for change, and you come to Christ, and you say I want to change the direction of my life, but I can't change it myself. The only way I can be changed is by Christ.
Luke 13:24 - Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
The word "strive" is the word AGONIDZO where we get the word agonize from. Agonize to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Luke 12:50 - But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
He says, but I have a baptism to be baptized with. This is the word BAPTO for immersed. He is not talking about water baptism. He says I'm totally immersed in what I have to do. That's fantastic! I can't always say that about myself. I'll get immersed back with the Lord tomorrow. Today I am busy!
Luke 12:57 - Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
The word right is the word DIAKOUSOUNAE which means righteousness that which lines up with God. What Jesus is saying here is "Why can't you discern what lines up with God?"
Luke 12:59 - I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
Jesus says, I tell thee, thou shalt not depart there, till you have paid the very last mite, or LEPTOS.
A LEPTOS is the smallest of Roman coins. It is 1/8th of a cent. He says you are not going to get out of prison till you pay every last LEPTOS.
Luke 12:22 - And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
And again, the word for thought is MERIMNA. That is the word that means to occupy the attention of the mind. Jesus is the first one that introduced this teaching that is taught throughout the New Testament. It is the main word that Paul, and John, and Peter used in their teaching to Christians.
It is translated anxiety or worry or care in the English text, but it is the word MERIMNA, meaning to occupy the attention of the mind. What He is saying here is take no thought for your life, don't be occupied with your life what you shall eat, neither for your body what you shall put on. Those are the necessities. Don't even be occupied with the necessities in life.
Luke 12:39 - And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
We read this in our English text, and we envision someone breaking down a door or going through a window to break into a house, but here's the beauty of the Greek text. Where it says "broken through, literally in Greek text it says "dug up" because they used to dig up and go under the wall and up through the dirt flooring.
Luke 12:42 - And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
The word wise is not the word SOPHOS for wisdom, but the word PHRONEMOS, which means sensible. Who is that faithful and sensible steward, who his lord shall make ruler over his household (literally household slaves), to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luke 11:14 - And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
And he was casting out a demon, (The word devil is the word demon) in the Greek text.
Luke 11:15 - But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
Now, for this word Beelzebub. English translations use the term Beelzebub, the emphasis being on the last three letters "bub." The Greek texts use the word Beelzebul, "bul." It does make a difference.
Why does the English text use Beelzebub? It is because in the Old Testament, he was called Beelzebub, and in the New Testament he is called Beelzebul. So, the name changed and there are two different meanings.
Beelzebub means "lord of the fly." That is Beelzebub. Beelzebul is even worse. It means "the lord of the manure pile." These were the Phoenician gods and they had a god, small "g" for everything, even flies.
There was lord of the flies, and there was a god overseeing the manure pile, and the Jews used to call the Philistines' god the lord of the fly, the lord of the manure pile in a demeaning way.
So, when they approached Jesus, they said He cast out demons through Beelzebub who is the head of the demons. Not just any demon, but they said that He is the chief of the devils.
And so that's what Beelzebub and Beelzebul mean. In our English text, it has to do with lord of the flies, but the Greek word is lord of the manure pile.
Luke 11:33 - No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
Every time in the King James text, when you see the word "candle" and "candlestick," it is literally lamp and lamp stand.
Literal translation: No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, puts it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a lamp stand, so that they can see when they come in the house.
Luke 10:41 - And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
Careful is the word for anxiety. It is the word MERIMNA which I have mentioned before. It means to have the attention of your mind occupied with something. It's the word for worry and anxiety.
It is Satan's only weapon against a believer in Christ. Once you are saved, you belong to Christ. The second part of Christianity, after salvation, is the renewing of the mind, and growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Satan can't take your soul, so he gets you distracted and occupied to take you away from the word, so that the Lord can't heal and mend from the damage of sin.
And then troubled (TURBADZO) means turmoil, and it represents an outward expression of an inward thought. It is great how the Greek gives us a better picture of what's taking place in this verse.
Luke 11:3 - Give us day by day our daily bread.
The Greek word for "daily" is the word "necessary." The emphasis is that I am praying for my needs today. Not tomorrow or the next day.
The daily bread, which is necessary for today, whatever my sustenance is, today I pray that God will provide for that. I have to trust that whatever His provision is, that is His will for my life. I might not get to eat at In and Out Burger for lunch today like I would like to. It might not work out that way, but I'm trusting in the Lord to provide for my needs.
Luke 11:8 - I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
This word importunity in the Greek means shameless persistence. You may have only heard the word persistence in these teachings, but this is shameless persistence. No shame in this man and he is going to keep pounding on that door until he rises and gives him as many as he needs.
Luke 10:39 - And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
The word sat and hearing in the Greek denotes that it was a continuous habit of her to do. It is kind of interesting to see the characteristics of people? She loved to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.
Luke 10:40 - But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
This is great. I love to study about Martha. The word "cumbered" is one of three important words in this text.
First word (Cumbered), it is a fishing term that means having the net pulled up around you as if you were a fish in the sea and you are caught in the net. You are caught in the net and the net is being pulled up around you.
Now, about "much serving," because Jesus is in her house and He is teaching, and she's the only one in the kitchen serving. So, you can see her dilemma here.
And she came to Him, and in the Greek text it means this; and I think this is great, poor Martha! At least we don't have her last name so we can't slander her too much.
Reading it from the Greek text, it says she burst into the room and stood over Him. And she says, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me alone to serve?
Now, apparently the Lord nodded yes because she says, well then bid her to help me "if you care." Obviously, all this time she's been in the kitchen "stewing!" So, tell her to help me!
Luke 9:31 - Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Literally, the Greek word for decease is the word exodus. It's the word death. It's the same word used in Hebrews 11:20 to talk about the children of Israel and their exodus out of Egypt. That's exactly what this word is supposed to make a reference to. The Lord's exodus is the fulfillment of the exodus in the Old Testament.
Luke 9:51 - And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem! The word steadfastly in the Greek means a fixed established position. When it was time to go and die, Jesus was fixed to go to Jerusalem. You couldn't get Him off track.
Luke 9:3 - And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
The word staves mean walking sticks. And scrip means money bag.
Luke 9:26 - For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
The word ashamed in Greek means to withdraw. That is what people do when they are ashamed or embarrassed, they kind of withdraw. So, Jesus says you withdraw from me and my word, when you stand before me in judgment, I will withdraw from you.
Luke 9:29 - And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
Now here's where the Greek text really brings out the meaning of this verse:
And as he was praying, the fashion, (literally outward appearance), of his countenance, or face, was altered. Here in the Greek text, it just uses the word HETEROS. His face became different.
But even with the Greek word HETEROS, meaning different in kind than He was before. It wasn't a physical change. It was a physical change into a Spiritual change.
Matthew uses the word METAMORPHOSIS, meaning completely transformed. So, he went from the physical to the Spiritual. And then it says about His clothing, it says that His raiment, or His clothing was white and glistering.
The Greek word for glistering represents emitting a light, not reflecting but emitting. The light was actually coming out from Him. And it is the word that is used to describe lightening.
So, you can imagine what the scene was like. It was not reflected light. It was not a spotlight coming out of heaven to shine on Jesus. He was literally transformed into His body of glory in front of them.
Luke 8:19 - Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.
This word "press" is not talking about newspaper reporters. But of course, you already know that! This is the word OCHLON which means the throng of the crowd.
Luke 8:23 - But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
There came down a storm of wind on the lake; It's called a LAILOPS, which is hurricane force, hurricane force that sits almost 600 ft. below sea level, the Sea of Galilee.
Luke 8:27 - And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
The word devils is literally the word demons. He wore no clothes. That is one of the characteristics in the bible of demonized people. They don't like to keep their clothes on.
That doesn't mean that all people that don't want to keep their clothes on are demonized! He had devils or demons for a long time. He didn't wear any clothes, and he didn't live in any house. He lived in the tombs, the cemetery, where dead people are buried.
Luke 8:29 - (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
This word "fetters" in the Greek means shackles.
Luke 8:30 - And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
Legion means 6,000.
Luke 8:31 - And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
And they, (the demons), besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. That is the abyss where the demons are going to wind up as we know from the book of Revelation, the ABUSSO, the bottomless pit.
Luke 8:8 - And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The term "let him hear" is not an invitation or a challenge. In the Greek text, it is a command. The one having ears to hear, and He says, hear! And what Jesus is doing is activating people's hearing, the ones who have a heart or an ear to hear, He is actually giving them the ability to do so.
Luke 8:14 - And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
The word "cares" is the word MERIMNA. It is usually translated anxiety or worry. MERIMNA, just as the general definition, means "to occupy the attention of the mind." Not to occupy the mind, but to occupy the attention of the mind. That is Satan's only weapon against a believer. That is what the Bible presents. Once you become a Christian, once you know Christ, Satan can't take your soul away from Jesus Christ. All he can do is keep our minds occupied and distracted from the things of the Lord in order to keeps us from growing spiritually.
Luke 8:16 - No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
In the King James text, every time you see the word candle, it is the literally the word lamp in all of its uses. And a candle stick is a lamp stand. It wasn't a candle.
No one when he has lighted a lamp, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under his bed; (that is pretty comical), but he sets it on a lamp stand, in order that those who enter in may see the light. I mean that is what it is for, so that you can see.
As you know, Luke is fairly long. I am about three quarters of the way through but thought I would go ahead and post as I go. Thanks again for the encouragement.
Luke 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
This word "blessed" MAKARIOS means to experience the fullness of someone or something. And the word "poor" in this verse (PROKOS) means physical poverty! Now remember the Lord has His disciples there. He has got the 12 apostles that He has just appointed, and He's looking at them, and He's teaching the crowd, and He says pay attention here people, the fullness of God is experienced and is upon the life of the poor!
Luke 6:27 - And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
The word "saw" in the Greek text is not your normal word (BLEPO) to see somebody, but actually Jesus observed him. Jesus was studying him and watching him.
And the word "publican" means a tax collector.
Luke 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
The word "thank" here is the word grace in the Greek text. It reads what grace do you have?
Luke 6:35 - But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
In the Greek, it's an act of violence. He is violently removed from them, and then shall they fast in those days. He will be taken away, it will be a time of grief, and then they will fast.
Luke 6:37 - And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
Again, the word "bottles" is not what we think in English. The Greek tell us that these are wine skins.
Luke 6:40 - The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
The word "perfect" is the word KARATEIDZO. This is the same word used for the fishermen who were mending their nets when Jesus came to call them.
Luke 5:18 - And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
Again, this word palsy tells us that this man was a paralytic, paralyzed from the neck down. Please don't get the wrong idea about this bed because it was like a cot that just rolls up. And these men, the carriers, we are told in Mark that there were four of them. Four people that brought this paralyzed man to Jesus, and they were seeking the means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
Luke 5:22 - But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
Jesus perceived their thoughts. And you see, they didn't say it out loud, they were thinking it. DIALOGEIDZOMAI is the Greek word. They were dialoguing in their minds. Who does this guy think He is? That is blasphemy. The Lord says "I know what you are thinking." And so, He answering said unto them, "What reason you in your hearts?"
Luke 5:24 - But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
Again, this could be translated (he said unto the paralyzed man).
Luke 5:26 - And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
The Greek work for "strange things" is PARADOXSOS, and it's where we get our word paradox from. What they were literally saying was, "We have seen a paradox today!" In our English text, we can go in many different directions as to what "strange things" might mean.
Luke 6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
A man whose right hand was withered. Literally in the Greek, it is shriveled up, or shrunk.
Luke 5:11 - And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
When they had brought their ships to land, and please notice this: they forsook all. It is called an Aorist Passive Participle in the Greek. It means it was a one-time thing. They turned their back on the old life and never went back. But you have to understand what they turned their back on.
You see, we know that when Jesus called the disciples to follow Him earlier, that they left their father in the boats, and they were following Jesus. In order to completely forsake everything to follow Christ, they are giving up their inheritance because that shipping industry would be passed on to them after their father dies. So, they are leaving their whole future from a human standpoint. All of their inheritance, they forsook it all and followed him.
The word "followed" is in the imperfect tense, meaning they were continually following Him. One time thing! They left all, turned their backs on the old life, and were continually following Him. Now just by way of side note you should know that this is not the first time they've seen Jesus, nor the second. This is at least the third time.
We know that the end of John Chapter 1 that Andrew introduced Jesus Christ to Peter. He says we have found the Messiah. And it was at that time that Peter was introduced to Christ. And they left that scene, and they went back home, and they were in the fishing industry and remember Jesus walked along the shore and called them and says follow me, and they responded. And here they are again. This is the final stage where they finally left everything, and they were continually following Him.
Luke 5:1 - And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
Now this has nothing to do with Biblical Greek studies, but I just wanted to share some information about the lake of Gennesaret that's mentioned in this verse. Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is also called the Sea of Tiberius in John 6:1 and John 21:1. So the Sea of Galilee, the lake Gennesaret, and the Sea or Lake of Tiberius are all the same place.
The word "Gennesaret" itself comes from the Hebrew word KANNAR that means heart. And that is because the Lake is heart-shaped. And so, with certain people, at different phases of history, they didn't call it the Sea of Galilee. They called it the lake of Gennesaret because it is in the shape of a heart. So KANNAR is the Hebrew word, and it is where we get the name Gennesaret from.
Luke 5:5 - And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
The word toiled is KOPOS, and that means to work to the point of exhaustion.
Luke 5:6 - And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
The word "brake" is actually an Imperfect Tense in the Greek, which tells us that the net didn't really break because then you would lose your fish. But it was to the point that it was starting to tear. This could have been translated, "and their net began to tear."
Luke 1:52 - He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
The words "low degree" comes from the word TAPEINOS which means humbleness. This is something else we don't get from our English text. The humble will be exalted!
Luke 1:54 - He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
Holpen is the word helped or supported.
Luke 1:68 - Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
He says in Verse 68, blessed be, and again this is the word EULOGEO, to speak well of. I point this out because we see the word "blessed" used several times in our English text, but we are not going to get the true meaning of the word unless we know that there are different words in the Greek for our word blessed.
Luke 2:7 - And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
That is a title, firstborn, the one who inherits. It also tells us, as the other Gospel writers have, that she had more children after Jesus.
And then it says, "wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. Here it is literally: "wrapped him in linen cloth and laid him in a feeding trough."
Luke 2:13 - And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Now right here in the original language, there was an angel speaking and then all of a sudden, the entire sky was filled with angels that accompanied this angel.
Luke 2:14 - Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Here is the literal translation from the Greek. "And upon the earth, peace towards men of goodwill. That is to say those who have a good response to God. It is telling us that God's peace will be on those who have a good heart and a good response to Him.
Luke 1:45 - And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
This word blessed here is different from the same word used in Luke 1:42. The word here is MAKARIA, which is the feminine form, and it means to experience the fullness of something. The first two words in Luke 1:42 for blessing were to speak well of or to speak good about, but this one here means to experience the fullness.
This is something we don't catch in our English bibles.
Luke 1:47 - And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
The word rejoiced is not the normal Greek word. This is the word for celebration, the same word as Hannah started off in 1 Samuel 2:1, when Hannah prayed and said "My heart rejoiceth.
Again, that's the word celebration, in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice, I celebrate, in Thy salvation. So, both women begin their songs with celebration.
But look what Mary says in the content in Verse 47. My spirit celebrates in whom? God my Savior! She has an awareness already that she needs a Savior. That means that she has an awareness that she's a sinner and needs a Savior just like everyone else does.
Please keep that in mind about Mary. We don't want to put her down, but we want her put her in her place and realize that she is blessed among women, but she is still a sinner like you and I, and she needs a Savior.
Luke 1:48 - For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
She says, for he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: Handmaiden is the word DOULAE, the feminine form of DOULOS for servant (or slave).
Luke 1:35 - And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
You may not see anything wrong in this verse, but I believe this is a very bad translation. It should read the Holy One, not "holy thing," because he is making reference to the child (Jesus) conceived. Jesus should never be referred to as a "thing!"
Luke 1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
As I mentioned previously, when you see the phrase "those days" in scripture, it is talking about feasting, festivals, or feast days. Anytime you see that phrase in the gospels "in those days" it is a tip off to you that these are the feast days. Not just any old day, but the feast days.
Luke 1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
This particular section, Luke 1:42-45, is an official title in literature and is called beatitude, the beatitude of Elizabeth, because of the word blessed. There are three blessings that are mentioned in her song in Verses 42 through 45. In Greek literature, it is called the beatitude of Elizabeth, and she pronounces three blessings.
First of all, she said blessed are you among women. Notice that it doesn't say blessed are you above women, but among women. And blessed is the fruit of your womb. These two words for "blessed" mean to speak well of. It comes from the Greek word EULOGEO.
It is not a pronouncement of a blessing on somebody. It is to speak well of them. It is to thank God for them. You are blessed, and the fruit of your womb, and she's speaking well of that.
Luke 14:2 - And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
HUDROPIKOS is the Greek word, and it is made up of two Greek words that literally means water, HUDOR, and PHINO, to appear. It means to appear watery.
In those days, this was a technical medical term that meant that the connecting tissues of the body were filling with water. And this is the only instance of it in the New Testament. By saying that this man was before him, EMPROSTHEN in the Greek, it indicates that he was strategically placed.
So, they invited Jesus over on the Sabbath Day for a meal. And on the Sabbath Day the main meal was the mid-afternoon meal for the Jews. They did not warm the food. It was cold food prepared the day before.
And this man who suffered from HUDROPIKOS (the dropsy), water in the connecting tissues of the body, they put him before them. Because they knew what Jesus was going to do.
Luke 14:3 - And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?
It is interesting that the word for "to heal" is the word THERAPUO where we get our word therapy from. There is a different Greek word for physical healing. This is therapy (THERAPUO).
What it indicates is that when Jesus healed someone of their physical problem, He also healed all of the effects afterwards. They didn't have to go for therapy. He took care of it all so there would be no doubt as to what happened.
Luke 14:4 - And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
And He is saying to them, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath Day? And they didn't want to answer. And He took the man, and healed him, physical healing. And released him, let him go. Go home, you are healed!
Luke 13:5 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Jesus says I tell you, No. And in the Greek text it's very emphatic. But, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
There are actually two words in the New Testament for repent. The main word is the word METANOEO, and it basically means to make a decision for change. It also carries with it the understanding that if you make a decision for change, you can't change yourself. You can only make the decision for change.
So, when a person repents and comes to Christ, that means they have made a decision to change the direction of their life, and they are asking the Lord to come into their life and make the changes. I can't do it. Yet God is offering a free gift in the person of Christ.
The second word METAMELOMAI, is found in Matthew 27:3. This is of Judas. He (Judas) repented, but he did not repent as in in METANOEO. The word repent used for Judas was METAMELOMAI.
METAMELOMAI means to be sorry. That is not repentance. Judas was sorry for what he did, and he went out and killed himself. That is not repentance. Repentance is when you make a decision for change, and you come to Christ, and you say I want to change the direction of my life, but I can't change it myself. The only way I can be changed is by Christ.
Luke 13:24 - Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
The word "strive" is the word AGONIDZO where we get the word agonize from. Agonize to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Luke 12:50 - But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
He says, but I have a baptism to be baptized with. This is the word BAPTO for immersed. He is not talking about water baptism. He says I'm totally immersed in what I have to do. That's fantastic! I can't always say that about myself. I'll get immersed back with the Lord tomorrow. Today I am busy!
Luke 12:57 - Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
The word right is the word DIAKOUSOUNAE which means righteousness that which lines up with God. What Jesus is saying here is "Why can't you discern what lines up with God?"
Luke 12:59 - I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.
Jesus says, I tell thee, thou shalt not depart there, till you have paid the very last mite, or LEPTOS.
A LEPTOS is the smallest of Roman coins. It is 1/8th of a cent. He says you are not going to get out of prison till you pay every last LEPTOS.
Luke 12:22 - And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
And again, the word for thought is MERIMNA. That is the word that means to occupy the attention of the mind. Jesus is the first one that introduced this teaching that is taught throughout the New Testament. It is the main word that Paul, and John, and Peter used in their teaching to Christians.
It is translated anxiety or worry or care in the English text, but it is the word MERIMNA, meaning to occupy the attention of the mind. What He is saying here is take no thought for your life, don't be occupied with your life what you shall eat, neither for your body what you shall put on. Those are the necessities. Don't even be occupied with the necessities in life.
Luke 12:39 - And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
We read this in our English text, and we envision someone breaking down a door or going through a window to break into a house, but here's the beauty of the Greek text. Where it says "broken through, literally in Greek text it says "dug up" because they used to dig up and go under the wall and up through the dirt flooring.
Luke 12:42 - And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
The word wise is not the word SOPHOS for wisdom, but the word PHRONEMOS, which means sensible. Who is that faithful and sensible steward, who his lord shall make ruler over his household (literally household slaves), to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luke 11:14 - And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
And he was casting out a demon, (The word devil is the word demon) in the Greek text.
Luke 11:15 - But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
Now, for this word Beelzebub. English translations use the term Beelzebub, the emphasis being on the last three letters "bub." The Greek texts use the word Beelzebul, "bul." It does make a difference.
Why does the English text use Beelzebub? It is because in the Old Testament, he was called Beelzebub, and in the New Testament he is called Beelzebul. So, the name changed and there are two different meanings.
Beelzebub means "lord of the fly." That is Beelzebub. Beelzebul is even worse. It means "the lord of the manure pile." These were the Phoenician gods and they had a god, small "g" for everything, even flies.
There was lord of the flies, and there was a god overseeing the manure pile, and the Jews used to call the Philistines' god the lord of the fly, the lord of the manure pile in a demeaning way.
So, when they approached Jesus, they said He cast out demons through Beelzebub who is the head of the demons. Not just any demon, but they said that He is the chief of the devils.
And so that's what Beelzebub and Beelzebul mean. In our English text, it has to do with lord of the flies, but the Greek word is lord of the manure pile.
Luke 11:33 - No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
Every time in the King James text, when you see the word "candle" and "candlestick," it is literally lamp and lamp stand.
Literal translation: No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, puts it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a lamp stand, so that they can see when they come in the house.
Luke 10:41 - And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
Careful is the word for anxiety. It is the word MERIMNA which I have mentioned before. It means to have the attention of your mind occupied with something. It's the word for worry and anxiety.
It is Satan's only weapon against a believer in Christ. Once you are saved, you belong to Christ. The second part of Christianity, after salvation, is the renewing of the mind, and growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Satan can't take your soul, so he gets you distracted and occupied to take you away from the word, so that the Lord can't heal and mend from the damage of sin.
And then troubled (TURBADZO) means turmoil, and it represents an outward expression of an inward thought. It is great how the Greek gives us a better picture of what's taking place in this verse.
Luke 11:3 - Give us day by day our daily bread.
The Greek word for "daily" is the word "necessary." The emphasis is that I am praying for my needs today. Not tomorrow or the next day.
The daily bread, which is necessary for today, whatever my sustenance is, today I pray that God will provide for that. I have to trust that whatever His provision is, that is His will for my life. I might not get to eat at In and Out Burger for lunch today like I would like to. It might not work out that way, but I'm trusting in the Lord to provide for my needs.
Luke 11:8 - I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
This word importunity in the Greek means shameless persistence. You may have only heard the word persistence in these teachings, but this is shameless persistence. No shame in this man and he is going to keep pounding on that door until he rises and gives him as many as he needs.
Luke 10:39 - And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
The word sat and hearing in the Greek denotes that it was a continuous habit of her to do. It is kind of interesting to see the characteristics of people? She loved to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.
Luke 10:40 - But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
This is great. I love to study about Martha. The word "cumbered" is one of three important words in this text.
First word (Cumbered), it is a fishing term that means having the net pulled up around you as if you were a fish in the sea and you are caught in the net. You are caught in the net and the net is being pulled up around you.
Now, about "much serving," because Jesus is in her house and He is teaching, and she's the only one in the kitchen serving. So, you can see her dilemma here.
And she came to Him, and in the Greek text it means this; and I think this is great, poor Martha! At least we don't have her last name so we can't slander her too much.
Reading it from the Greek text, it says she burst into the room and stood over Him. And she says, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me alone to serve?
Now, apparently the Lord nodded yes because she says, well then bid her to help me "if you care." Obviously, all this time she's been in the kitchen "stewing!" So, tell her to help me!
Luke 9:31 - Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Literally, the Greek word for decease is the word exodus. It's the word death. It's the same word used in Hebrews 11:20 to talk about the children of Israel and their exodus out of Egypt. That's exactly what this word is supposed to make a reference to. The Lord's exodus is the fulfillment of the exodus in the Old Testament.
Luke 9:51 - And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem! The word steadfastly in the Greek means a fixed established position. When it was time to go and die, Jesus was fixed to go to Jerusalem. You couldn't get Him off track.
Luke 9:3 - And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
The word staves mean walking sticks. And scrip means money bag.
Luke 9:26 - For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
The word ashamed in Greek means to withdraw. That is what people do when they are ashamed or embarrassed, they kind of withdraw. So, Jesus says you withdraw from me and my word, when you stand before me in judgment, I will withdraw from you.
Luke 9:29 - And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.
Now here's where the Greek text really brings out the meaning of this verse:
And as he was praying, the fashion, (literally outward appearance), of his countenance, or face, was altered. Here in the Greek text, it just uses the word HETEROS. His face became different.
But even with the Greek word HETEROS, meaning different in kind than He was before. It wasn't a physical change. It was a physical change into a Spiritual change.
Matthew uses the word METAMORPHOSIS, meaning completely transformed. So, he went from the physical to the Spiritual. And then it says about His clothing, it says that His raiment, or His clothing was white and glistering.
The Greek word for glistering represents emitting a light, not reflecting but emitting. The light was actually coming out from Him. And it is the word that is used to describe lightening.
So, you can imagine what the scene was like. It was not reflected light. It was not a spotlight coming out of heaven to shine on Jesus. He was literally transformed into His body of glory in front of them.
Luke 8:19 - Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.
This word "press" is not talking about newspaper reporters. But of course, you already know that! This is the word OCHLON which means the throng of the crowd.
Luke 8:23 - But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
There came down a storm of wind on the lake; It's called a LAILOPS, which is hurricane force, hurricane force that sits almost 600 ft. below sea level, the Sea of Galilee.
Luke 8:27 - And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
The word devils is literally the word demons. He wore no clothes. That is one of the characteristics in the bible of demonized people. They don't like to keep their clothes on.
That doesn't mean that all people that don't want to keep their clothes on are demonized! He had devils or demons for a long time. He didn't wear any clothes, and he didn't live in any house. He lived in the tombs, the cemetery, where dead people are buried.
Luke 8:29 - (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
This word "fetters" in the Greek means shackles.
Luke 8:30 - And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
Legion means 6,000.
Luke 8:31 - And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
And they, (the demons), besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. That is the abyss where the demons are going to wind up as we know from the book of Revelation, the ABUSSO, the bottomless pit.
Luke 8:8 - And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The term "let him hear" is not an invitation or a challenge. In the Greek text, it is a command. The one having ears to hear, and He says, hear! And what Jesus is doing is activating people's hearing, the ones who have a heart or an ear to hear, He is actually giving them the ability to do so.
Luke 8:14 - And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
The word "cares" is the word MERIMNA. It is usually translated anxiety or worry. MERIMNA, just as the general definition, means "to occupy the attention of the mind." Not to occupy the mind, but to occupy the attention of the mind. That is Satan's only weapon against a believer. That is what the Bible presents. Once you become a Christian, once you know Christ, Satan can't take your soul away from Jesus Christ. All he can do is keep our minds occupied and distracted from the things of the Lord in order to keeps us from growing spiritually.
Luke 8:16 - No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
In the King James text, every time you see the word candle, it is the literally the word lamp in all of its uses. And a candle stick is a lamp stand. It wasn't a candle.
No one when he has lighted a lamp, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under his bed; (that is pretty comical), but he sets it on a lamp stand, in order that those who enter in may see the light. I mean that is what it is for, so that you can see.
God bless you.
As you know, Luke is fairly long. I am about three quarters of the way through but thought I would go ahead and post as I go. Thanks again for the encouragement.
Blessings to you also!
[Comment Removed]
Luke 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
This word "blessed" MAKARIOS means to experience the fullness of someone or something. And the word "poor" in this verse (PROKOS) means physical poverty! Now remember the Lord has His disciples there. He has got the 12 apostles that He has just appointed, and He's looking at them, and He's teaching the crowd, and He says pay attention here people, the fullness of God is experienced and is upon the life of the poor!
Luke 6:27 - And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
The word "saw" in the Greek text is not your normal word (BLEPO) to see somebody, but actually Jesus observed him. Jesus was studying him and watching him.
And the word "publican" means a tax collector.
Luke 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
The word "thank" here is the word grace in the Greek text. It reads what grace do you have?
Luke 6:35 - But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
In the Greek, it's an act of violence. He is violently removed from them, and then shall they fast in those days. He will be taken away, it will be a time of grief, and then they will fast.
Luke 6:37 - And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
Again, the word "bottles" is not what we think in English. The Greek tell us that these are wine skins.
Luke 6:40 - The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
The word "perfect" is the word KARATEIDZO. This is the same word used for the fishermen who were mending their nets when Jesus came to call them.
Luke 5:18 - And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
Again, this word palsy tells us that this man was a paralytic, paralyzed from the neck down. Please don't get the wrong idea about this bed because it was like a cot that just rolls up. And these men, the carriers, we are told in Mark that there were four of them. Four people that brought this paralyzed man to Jesus, and they were seeking the means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
Luke 5:22 - But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
Jesus perceived their thoughts. And you see, they didn't say it out loud, they were thinking it. DIALOGEIDZOMAI is the Greek word. They were dialoguing in their minds. Who does this guy think He is? That is blasphemy. The Lord says "I know what you are thinking." And so, He answering said unto them, "What reason you in your hearts?"
Luke 5:24 - But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
Again, this could be translated (he said unto the paralyzed man).
Luke 5:26 - And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
The Greek work for "strange things" is PARADOXSOS, and it's where we get our word paradox from. What they were literally saying was, "We have seen a paradox today!" In our English text, we can go in many different directions as to what "strange things" might mean.
Luke 6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
A man whose right hand was withered. Literally in the Greek, it is shriveled up, or shrunk.
Luke 5:11 - And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
When they had brought their ships to land, and please notice this: they forsook all. It is called an Aorist Passive Participle in the Greek. It means it was a one-time thing. They turned their back on the old life and never went back. But you have to understand what they turned their back on.
You see, we know that when Jesus called the disciples to follow Him earlier, that they left their father in the boats, and they were following Jesus. In order to completely forsake everything to follow Christ, they are giving up their inheritance because that shipping industry would be passed on to them after their father dies. So, they are leaving their whole future from a human standpoint. All of their inheritance, they forsook it all and followed him.
The word "followed" is in the imperfect tense, meaning they were continually following Him. One time thing! They left all, turned their backs on the old life, and were continually following Him. Now just by way of side note you should know that this is not the first time they've seen Jesus, nor the second. This is at least the third time.
We know that the end of John Chapter 1 that Andrew introduced Jesus Christ to Peter. He says we have found the Messiah. And it was at that time that Peter was introduced to Christ. And they left that scene, and they went back home, and they were in the fishing industry and remember Jesus walked along the shore and called them and says follow me, and they responded. And here they are again. This is the final stage where they finally left everything, and they were continually following Him.
Luke 5:1 - And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
Now this has nothing to do with Biblical Greek studies, but I just wanted to share some information about the lake of Gennesaret that's mentioned in this verse. Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is also called the Sea of Tiberius in John 6:1 and John 21:1. So the Sea of Galilee, the lake Gennesaret, and the Sea or Lake of Tiberius are all the same place.
The word "Gennesaret" itself comes from the Hebrew word KANNAR that means heart. And that is because the Lake is heart-shaped. And so, with certain people, at different phases of history, they didn't call it the Sea of Galilee. They called it the lake of Gennesaret because it is in the shape of a heart. So KANNAR is the Hebrew word, and it is where we get the name Gennesaret from.
Luke 5:5 - And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
The word toiled is KOPOS, and that means to work to the point of exhaustion.
Luke 5:6 - And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
The word "brake" is actually an Imperfect Tense in the Greek, which tells us that the net didn't really break because then you would lose your fish. But it was to the point that it was starting to tear. This could have been translated, "and their net began to tear."
Luke 1:52 - He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
The words "low degree" comes from the word TAPEINOS which means humbleness. This is something else we don't get from our English text. The humble will be exalted!
Luke 1:54 - He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
Holpen is the word helped or supported.
Luke 1:68 - Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
He says in Verse 68, blessed be, and again this is the word EULOGEO, to speak well of. I point this out because we see the word "blessed" used several times in our English text, but we are not going to get the true meaning of the word unless we know that there are different words in the Greek for our word blessed.
Luke 2:7 - And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
That is a title, firstborn, the one who inherits. It also tells us, as the other Gospel writers have, that she had more children after Jesus.
And then it says, "wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. Here it is literally: "wrapped him in linen cloth and laid him in a feeding trough."
Luke 2:13 - And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Now right here in the original language, there was an angel speaking and then all of a sudden, the entire sky was filled with angels that accompanied this angel.
Luke 2:14 - Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Here is the literal translation from the Greek. "And upon the earth, peace towards men of goodwill. That is to say those who have a good response to God. It is telling us that God's peace will be on those who have a good heart and a good response to Him.
Luke 1:45 - And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
This word blessed here is different from the same word used in Luke 1:42. The word here is MAKARIA, which is the feminine form, and it means to experience the fullness of something. The first two words in Luke 1:42 for blessing were to speak well of or to speak good about, but this one here means to experience the fullness.
This is something we don't catch in our English bibles.
Luke 1:47 - And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
The word rejoiced is not the normal Greek word. This is the word for celebration, the same word as Hannah started off in 1 Samuel 2:1, when Hannah prayed and said "My heart rejoiceth.
Again, that's the word celebration, in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice, I celebrate, in Thy salvation. So, both women begin their songs with celebration.
But look what Mary says in the content in Verse 47. My spirit celebrates in whom? God my Savior! She has an awareness already that she needs a Savior. That means that she has an awareness that she's a sinner and needs a Savior just like everyone else does.
Please keep that in mind about Mary. We don't want to put her down, but we want her put her in her place and realize that she is blessed among women, but she is still a sinner like you and I, and she needs a Savior.
Luke 1:48 - For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
She says, for he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: Handmaiden is the word DOULAE, the feminine form of DOULOS for servant (or slave).
Luke 1:35 - And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
You may not see anything wrong in this verse, but I believe this is a very bad translation. It should read the Holy One, not "holy thing," because he is making reference to the child (Jesus) conceived. Jesus should never be referred to as a "thing!"
Luke 1:39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
As I mentioned previously, when you see the phrase "those days" in scripture, it is talking about feasting, festivals, or feast days. Anytime you see that phrase in the gospels "in those days" it is a tip off to you that these are the feast days. Not just any old day, but the feast days.
Luke 1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
This particular section, Luke 1:42-45, is an official title in literature and is called beatitude, the beatitude of Elizabeth, because of the word blessed. There are three blessings that are mentioned in her song in Verses 42 through 45. In Greek literature, it is called the beatitude of Elizabeth, and she pronounces three blessings.
First of all, she said blessed are you among women. Notice that it doesn't say blessed are you above women, but among women. And blessed is the fruit of your womb. These two words for "blessed" mean to speak well of. It comes from the Greek word EULOGEO.
It is not a pronouncement of a blessing on somebody. It is to speak well of them. It is to thank God for them. You are blessed, and the fruit of your womb, and she's speaking well of that.