Luke 13 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

2663 2664 2665Siloam fell, and killed them, do you think that they were debtors beyond all the people2666 2667 2668 2669that are living in Jerusalem? 13:5 No, I tell you, but rather, unless you turn around,2662(...continued)able, and that such tragedies can come our own way as well. And because of that fact, that truth,we should humbly repent of all our sinfulness, turning our lives around, repenting before God.We cannot mine the depths of human tragedy–whatever its cause–but we can get our ownlives in order, being ready for whatever may come our way. That’s what Jesus teaches us.2663This name "Siloam" occurs only four times in the Greek Bible: Isaiah 8:6; Luke13:4 (here); John 9:7, 11 (Jesus tells a blind man to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam, andwhen he does, his eyesight is restored). See footnote 2667.2664Nolland comments that "While in verses 2-3 we were dealing with the act of a cruelleader and perhaps of people who 'asked for it' by their political activity, now we are probably tothink of an 'act of God' falling randomly on those who just happen innocently to be present. Thesame judgments apply." (2, p. 719)2665The noun ovfeile,tai, "debtors," "those who are under obligation," is used as a synonymfor a`martwloi., "missers-of-the-mark," or "sinners," in verse 2.The word "debtor" occurs only some seven times in the entire Greek Bible (never in theLXX). In the Greek New Testament: Matthew 6:12; 18:24; Luke 13:4 (here); Romans 1:14;8:12; 15:27; Galatians 5:3). By contrast, "missers-of-the-mark" occurs some 226 times in theGreek Bible, including some 47 occurrences in the Greek New Testament.Nolland comments that "[debtors] probably reflects Aramaic idiom (chayyabh, which hasan idiomatic use in connection with those who have fallen into 'debt' in connection with God)." (2,p. 718)2666The present participle katoikou/ntaj, "living," "dwelling," "inhabiting," is changed toevnoikou/ntaj, "living in," etc., by Bezae. This is a typical "editorial" change by this copyist, whichdoes not effect the meaning of Luke.2667What we take to be the original text of Luke reads katoikou/ntaj VIerousalh,m, literally"inhabiting Jerusalem," with only the prefixed preposition in the participle, is read by P75 (probably),Vaticanus, Bezae, L, Family 1 of Minuscules, Minuscule 892, some other Greek manuscripts,the Old Latin Manuscripts e, i and some manuscripts of the Latin Latin Vulgate.The preposition evn, "in," is interpolated into the text between these two words bySinaiticus, Alexandrinus, W, Theta, Psi, Uncial Manuscript 070, Family 13 of Minuscules,Minuscule 1241 (see) and the "Majority Text." The interpolated word does not change the(continued...)1271