13:27a

And he will answer: There is a textual issue here:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts have literally, “he will say, saying to you” or “he will say to you” to introduce the homeowner’s answer to the people. For example:

But he will say, “I do not know…” (New Revised Standard Version)

(New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, God’s Word, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, Contemporary English Version)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts have literally, “he will say, ‘I tell you….’” The clause “I tell you” (or “I say to you”) is part of the homeowner’s answer to the people. For example:

But he will say, “I tell you, I do not know…” (Revised Standard Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). It is supported by some of the earliest manuscripts.

The first part of the reply is the same as in 13:25d. Because of this, it may be natural in some languages to supply a word such as “again.” For example:

But he will say again (Good News Translation)

I tell you, I do not know where you are from: This is the same answer as was given in 13:25d. The repetition emphasizes the owner’s disagreement with the people’s claim that they know him. In some languages, it may be more natural to indicate this emphasis by a word such as “really” or a phrase such as “I assure you.” For example:

I really don’t know who you are! (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I tell you, I do not know anything about you!

13:27b

Depart from me: The expression Depart from me means “Leave me” or “Go away from me.” The homeowner was rejecting the people who asked him to let them in. He refused to have anything to do with them.

all you evildoers: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you evildoers means “you who do evil.” These people regularly or habitually did what was wrong.

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