Luke 12 - Indepthbible.org

2577 2578person, on this (very) night they are demanding your innermost being from you; but then the2574(...continued)many,” is omitted by Bezae and a majority of the Old Latin witnesses.We see no reason for this omission, and consider it an “editorial omission” by Bezae, etc.,thinking that the words are unnecessary for the meaning of the text. The omission does notchange the meaning of Luke in any significant way, but only shortens the text.2575Similar statements are found in the Jewish Bible:Ecclesiastes 8:15. The Greek translation reads, ouvk e;stin avgaqo.n tw/| avnqrw,pw| u`po.to.n h[lion o[ti eiv mh. tou/ fagei/n kai. tou/ piei/n kai. tou/ euvfranqh/nai, “there is no good forthe person under the sun that except to eat and to drink and to be joyous” (three of the verbsused are same as in Luke 12:19;Tobit 7:10 kai. ei=pen Ragouhl pro.j Twbian fa,ge kai. pi,e kai. h`de,wj gi,nou soi.,“...and Raguel said to Tobias, ‘eat and drink and pleasurably become for yourself...”;Sirach 11:19 (see footnote 12). Marshall comments that “The rich man is implicitlydepicted as selfishly enjoying his riches without thought for his needy neighbors or concern aboutGod (compare 16:19-31).” (P. 524)Fitzmyer comments that “These are acts symbolic of carefree, luxurious, even dissipatedliving.” He refers to 1 Corinthians 15:32 (= Isaiah 22:13) and 1 Enoch 97:89.2576Fitzmyer notes that this wealthy farmer “...is addressed by the Lord of life, without whomhe has schemed.” (2, p. 973) This is a very clear picture of the “godless” life and attitude. Sucha life, and such an attitude, are very clear concerning earthly wealth and financial security, buttotally blind to heavenly riches, and the future security of the innermost being beyond this life.2577Marshall comments that “Such an attitude is folly in the eyes of God who now steps intothe story and addresses the man directly as av ,frwn, ‘fool’ (compare 11:40; Psalm 14:1 [and53:2]). Such a way of life fails to reckon with the possibility of sudden and swift crisis.” (P. 524)This adjective av ,frwn occurs some 144 times in the Greek Bible, occurring especiallyoften in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach, the “Wisdom Literature” ofIsrael.Fitzmyer notes that “Running through the story is the God-fool contrast...One lives withoutreckoning with God; and, Luke’s story adds, without acknowledging the obligation to use one’swealth for others and realizing that death’s call may come at the height of the ambitious pursuit.The fool’s godlessness manifests itself in his lust for more, whereas the fear of the Lord which isthe beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10) never crosses his mind.”1245