Translation commentary on Luke 12:32

Exegesis:

mē phobou, to mikron poimnion ‘do not be afraid, you little flock.’ The article to points to a vocative (Hebraism). to mikron poimnion takes up tous mathētas in v. 22, as an indication of the persons addressed.

poimnion ‘flock,’ figurative for a small group.

hoti eudokēsen ho patēr humōn ‘for your father has resolved.’ ho patēr humōn takes up humōn ho patēr of v. 30. eudokeō (cf. on 3.22) means here ‘to resolve,’ ‘to choose.’

dounai humin tēn basileian ‘to give you the kingdom,’ i.e. to grant you participation in the divine rule, cf. 22.29-30.

Translation:

Little flock. The vocative is sometimes to be marked as such by an exclamatory particle, or by ‘you.’ Elsewhere the phrase cannot be used as a vocative; hence e.g. ‘though you are a little flock.’ Where the term for flock (for which see 2.8) cannot be used figuratively of people one can say, ‘little group,’ ‘small band,’ ‘men few in number’ (Toraja-Sa’dan), preferably seeking a term that suggests a fellowship of persons following a leader.

It is your Father’s good pleasure, i.e. ‘your Father has resolved/chosen, or, has considered good’ (Sranan Tongo, lit. ‘found for good’).

To give you the kingdom, or, if syntactic shifts are required, ‘to allow you to reign where he reigns,’ ‘to make you kings/rulers/chiefs as he is.’

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

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