Luke
11:1-13
The teachings of Messiah, 9:51-19:44
2. The kingdom and power, 11:1-12:34
i] The meaning of prayer
SynopsisA rabbi would normally teach his disciples how to pray, and prompted by a question, Jesus sets out to examine this subject with his disciples. In arranging Jesus' instructions on prayer, Luke first records Jesus' personal topic list, then the parable of the midnight friend, and finally a set of sayings on prayer.
Teaching
When it comes to the promised blessings of the kingdom, ask and you will receive.
Issues
i] Context: See 9:51-56. The second six-layered Lukan sandwich in the major section The Teachings of the Messiah, 9:51-19:44, addresses the topic The Kingdom and Power, 11:1-12:34. In these episodes we see the disciples interacting with the power of the Spirit realised in the dawning of the new age of the kingdom. Each of the six episodes provide a lesson on discipleship.
The first episode concerns the meaning of prayer, 11:1-13. Luke examines the Lord's prayer, made up of five points (seven in Matthew), a teaching parable and a set of sayings. The episode reminds believers that the new age of the kingdom has dawned, the long-promised resurrection-life is a present reality, and that we interact with this reality in prayer. In the second episode, A sign of the new age, a believer's ability to stand the temptation / tests of Satan is confirmed in Jesus' power over the prince of demons. Jesus' disciples follow one stronger than Beelzebub, v14-26. The third episode, The Sign of Jonah, reinforces the importance of giving attention to the gospel / word of God - "blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it", v27-36. In the fourth episode, Bad news for churchmen, Jesus lays out the danger of pharisaism / nomism, v37-54. The fifth episode provides information for evangelists, reminding disciples of the importance of disclosing what is hidden, and of the Spirit's support in the business of disclosure, 12:1-12. Finally, in the last episode, Luke examines the issue of a believer's goals in life - to have or to live? v13-34. First, the parable of the rich fool makes the point that authentic life consists of a great deal more than what we own, v13-21. This subject is further explored in a set of sayings - "where your treasure is there your heart will be also", v22-34.
ii] Structure: The meaning of prayers:
The disciples' request, v1:
"teach us to pray ..."
Jesus' sample prayer, v2-4:
Address, 2a;
Requests, 2b-4;
Parable - the midnight friend, v5-8;
Sayings on prayer, v9-13:
"ask and it will be given ......", 9-10;
"if you .... know how to give good gifts ...., then ....", v11-13.
iii] Interpretation:
The kingdom of God is bursting in on Jesus' disciples and so their prayer-life should reflect this reality. They need to pray for the coming reign of God, for forgiveness in his sight, and for protection in the time of testing. Kingdom blessings are here for the asking - forgiveness, acceptance and resurrection-life through the indwelling Spirit of Christ.
The Lord's Prayer: The Lord's prayer consists of an invocation to the Father, two petitions concerning God's majesty and his kingdom, v2, and three petitions: for our "bread", v3; forgiveness; and "temptation", v4. The form is liturgical, that is, a form of words to be repeated [from memory] in both corporate and private worship (adoration). It is more than probable that the petitions consist of the "good things" God intends to give his children, and since they are of His will, they may be requested in the sure knowledge that they will be given.
Address: An affectionate term, so "Daddy", although an adult would not use the word in this childish sense. Such an intimate address to Yahweh is a revolutionary revelation, although some argue that such an address was known in Second Temple Palestinian Judaism. There is also some Old Testament precedents, Ps.89:26, Jer. 3:4, 19. Although Jesus taught his disciples to address God as "our Father", he never included himself in the "our", since his relationship to the Father is unique. For Jesus it is "my Father."
Request #1: "Sanctified / hallowed be your name." Bock argues that this is not a request, but a declaration. The aorist indicates an eschatological honouring of God when every knee will bow before him, rather than a daily ongoing recognition of his person (a process which would require a present tense). The passive voice leaves some doubt as to the agent, either of humans / heavenly host having declared, treated, acknowledged God as holy, "venerated", Plummer, or of God himself, cf Ez.36:23, "I will sanctify my great name", in which case the sense of the petition is "reveal your glory", Nolland.
Request #2: "Your kingdom come." Most commentators understand the kingdom of God in the sense of "God's rule of righteousness and love", Caird, ie., the term is used dynamically of the act of ruling. Possibly the eschatological reign /rule of God through Christ, "the coming reign of God", Tannehill, "the actual consummation of the Messianic kingdom", Leaney, although the kingdom is a now / not yet reality. The term "kingdom of God" is used by Luke 31 times, with "kingdom" 6 times. Given Old Testament usage, the domain over which God reigns is also intended, thus including membership, obligations, blessings ...., all the trappings of a kingdom. Plummer suggests "dominion", in the sense of authority and territory, but better "dominion and domain." "Begin your eschatological rule", Nolland, "may it be inaugurated / realised / consummated."
Request #3: "Give us this day our daily bread." As already noted, the petitions in the Lord's prayer most likely rest on the promised blessings of the covenant. Francis certainly believed that our daily provision is promised by God, a promise realised by faith, but surely this view does not properly address the intent of Jesus' words in 12:22-34. It does seem likely that survival provisions are not promised to believers, who, with all humanity, must face the vagaries of life in a world affected by sin. In fact, there is abundant evidence that the necessities of life have been denied many believers over the years. So, what then is the promised "bread"? Probably the promised provision of resources necessary for the inauguration / realisation of the kingdom of God. "Bread" and "daily" simply image the provision of Manna for the people of Israel in their journey to the promised land. So, for the NT saint, the provision is not physical "bread", but spiritual "bread", eg., the gifts of the Spirit, a "bread" which is promised.
Other possible interpretations have been suggested and they tend to be based on the etymology of "daily", a word which remains somewhat of a mystery:
a) "Necessary" bread. Here the argument rests on the sense of the prefix epi with ousia = super-substantial, so "essential" for survival. Favoured by Fitzmyer.
b) "Basic" bread. Here the argument rests on the word being the feminine participle of einai, the verb to-be. So, it is bread for the present day.
c) "Tomorrow's" bread. Here the argument rests on the word being the participle of the verb ienai, "to come, draw near." This view is favoured by Jeremias who argued that the bread is the eschatological bread of the coming messianic banquet. This option is certainly far superior to the first two, although why would we ask for tomorrow's bread to be given us "each day"?
Request #4: "Forgive us our sins ......." Again, the aorist imperative encapsulates the whole of the action and therefore leans toward an eschatological forgiveness at the final judgment, so Grundmann, etc. For the daily forgiveness of sins, an imperfective tense (present, imperfect) would have been used, none-the-less, many commentators argue for a "regular cleansing from sin", Stein. This position may find support in the fact that there is no evidence for the use of the present imperative of this verb, so Nolland. Either way, we may confidently ask God for forgiveness because he has promised forgiveness to those who ask.
As for the causal clause, gar, "for"; "for we also forgive ......." Although commonly argued, it is unlikely that God's forgiveness is dependent on a person's willingness to forgive others. Note Bock, "the petitioner is to ask for forgiveness, not because it is deserved, but because the petitioner is forgiving to others" .... Ouch! How many of us have just been ruled out of the kingdom by Bock's interpretation? Our request for God's forgiveness is based on his promise to forgive, not on our ability to forgive. Our confidence in asking is gar, "because", even sinful humanity has the capacity to forgive; "Forgive us our sins, for even we, flawed as we are (with difficulty / imperfectly / sometimes!), are able to forgive others when they sin against us."
Request #5: "lead us not into temptation." The word peirasmon may mean the eschatological tribulation / test / trial when even the faithful will fall away, although the word is missing the article. For this reason, Moule argues for any damning test / trial. Luce suggests Gethsemane was such a test for Jesus, and this type of test could easily overwhelm us, so "pray that you not enter into testing", 22:40. The promise behind the request is that, for those in Christ, there is no test / trial which has the power to drive a believer into apostasy. The request is not that we be spared such tests, since such tests are promised, but rather that we not succumb to them. Such protection is promised, and thus we may ask in the sure knowledge that the Shepherd will keep his sheep safe. So, "Let us not be overcome by temptation."
Although the wording, "do not bring us to the time of trial", is in favour today, there is still support for the meaning "temptation", see Creed. Most people, faced with this new "test / trial" line in the Lord's Prayer, are left floundering as to its meaning, whereas the notion of "temptation", of being led into a situation of evil where we end up being abandoned by God, is easily understood. Of course, God would not do such a thing, which fact is drawn out by the strong adversative alla, "but", found in Matthew's version of the prayer - "don't do that [and we know you wouldn't do that], but do this." In English, this idea may be better expressed with "rather than that, this"; "rather than being caught up in temptation, loss and ultimate destruction, mh eisenegkhV hJmaV eiV peirasmon (Matt.6:13), keep us safe from the evil one's snare." The retention of "temptation" brings us closer to the truth than the new innovation of "testing", although we need to remember that there is no promise in the scriptures of freedom from temptation as such.
The teaching parable of the midnight friend, v5-8: This parable is often treated as if teaching persistence in prayer. This seems unlikely. Given the thrust of the teaching sayings following the parable, it seems more likely that the parable teaches a how much more lesson. If a midnight guest can get what he wants from a reluctant friend, imagine how much more we can get from a gracious God. Some argue that although the parable does not teach perseverance in prayer, as though persistence in asking bends God's will, it may teach a willingness to ask, irrespective of the circumstances. See thn anaideian (a), "boldness / shameless audacity", in v8.
The first saying on prayer, v9-10: The two stitched sayings of Jesus serve to apply the parable. If a friend will give you what you ask, even when it is inconvenient to do so, imagine what God will do for you when you ask something of him, so ask ... The general nature of the first saying has led to the view that a believer can ask anything of God and it will be given. This view is often moderated by qualifications such as "asking in faith / believing", even of being in a state of grace, forgiven, living a righteous life, etc. Given the context, the asking surely relates to what God has promised to give, all the promised blessings of the kingdom, rather than a general promise for "anything", eg., forgiveness, salvation, perseverance, the Holy Spirit, ....... Ask for Jesus' friendship and it is ours for eternity, seek him and we will find him, knock on his door and we will be welcomed into his presence.
The second saying on prayer, v11-13: In a lesser to greater argument, Jesus supports his call to prayer. If an earthly father willingly gives good things to his children, "how much more" will our heavenly Father give his promised good gifts to us. Unlike Matthew, Luke specifies the paramount promised blessing / good thing (in his view???) as the gift of Holy Spirit.
iv] Synoptics:
See 3:1-20.. The Lord's Prayer parallels Matthew 6:9-13. Luke, in his shorter version, doesn't include the reference to God's will be done, nor the request, deliver us from evil. Commentators argue as to whether Luke, or Matthew, is closest to the original. Of course, Jesus may have used the prayer differently on numerous occasions such that in the oral tradition of the church, a number of versions of the prayer were in circulation. It is certainly likely that the counterpoint alla, "but", "deliver us from evil", serves to exegete what is meant by "lead us not into temptation", but it is unclear whether it is original, was added during transmission, or added by Matthew. The parable of The Midnight Friend, v5-8, is unique to Luke, while the attached sayings, v9-13, are paralleled in Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, 7:7-11. Unlike Matthew, Luke defines the domata agaqa, "good gifts", as "the Holy Spirit." Fitzmyer regards this as a Lukan redaction.
v] Exposition: A simple exposition of this passage may be found in the linked pew-level Sermon Notes.
Text - 11:1
Jesus' teaching on prayer: i] Introduction - the setting. "Teach us to pray." The disciples ask Jesus for a form of prayer that might be uniquely theirs.
kai egeneto (ginomai) aor. "one day" - and it came about, happened. Transitional, introducing a main step in the narrative, see egeneto, 1:8; "Now it happened", NJB.
en tw/ + inf. "[Jesus] was" - in the = while [he] to be. This preposition, with the articular infinitive of the verb to-be, introduces a temporal clause, indefinite time; "once, while he was praying."
proseucomenon (proseucomai) pres. part. "praying" - praying. The participle, with the present verb to-be, forms a present periphrastic construction, possibly underlining durative aspect.
en + dat. "in" - in [a certain place]. Local, expressing space / place. The presence of tiV, "certain", indicates an indefinite location.
wJV "when" - as = when [he ceased, stopped speaking]. The use of the conjunction here is obviously temporal. "After he had finished", Fitzmyer.
twn maqhtwn (hV ou) gen. "of [his] disciples" - [a certain] of the disciples [of him]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.
didazon (didaskw) aor. imp. "teach" - [said toward him, lord], teach [us]. Imperative, aorist possibly indicating urgency, "teach us now to pray", Bock.
prosercesqai (prosercomai) pres. inf. "to pray" - to pray. The infinitive introduces an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what Jesus should "teach", namely, "how to pray", Phillips, Knox, "what to pray" = "a prayer", Barclay The request is obviously prompted by the disciples again finding Jesus at prayer.
kaqwV "just as" - as, in like manner [john and = also taught the disciples of him]. Comparative. Of course, we don't know how or what John taught his disciples when it came to prayer. The disciples are probably asking for a distinctive prayer for disciples of Jesus, in the same way John's disciples had a distinctive prayer. Certainly, the early church treated the prayer as belonging exclusively to believers.
v2
ii] The Lord's Prayer, v2-4. The prayer, outlining the fundamental concerns for a disciple's prayer life, is liturgical in form and commences with an invocation, ie., an address to God. In the Lord's prayer, God is addressed as "Father"; this is a very intimate address, a sign of the disciples' status before God. Then follows a list of requests that comply with the will of God:
• "May your name be honoured", Phillips. May God be recognised for whom he is.
• "May your reign begin", Moffatt. Referring to the coming kingdom, both inaugurated and realised, through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
• "May we be equipped each day (day by day) with all the resources necessary to realise the reign of God." "Bread", manna, once supplied for the wilderness wanderings of the people of Israel, is used to illustrate the necessary resources for service on the way today.
• "Forgive us when we fail to serve you faithfully, for even we can forgive, albeit imperfectly." Our forgiving is not the ground for God's forgiving, rather, the qualification reminds us that, given our capacity to forgive a little, we may expect that God's capacity to forgive is unlimited.
• "Let us not be overwhelmed by Satan's destructive evil, both now and at the great tribulation (Armageddon)." The vagaries of life will always test / tempt us, and we will often fall, but Jesus promises that no temptation, no test, no trial, has the power to destroy our faith - the Lord will answer our prayer and "deliver us from the evil one", Matt.6:13.
autoiV dat. pro. "to them" - [but/and he said] to them. Dative of indirect object. In answer to the disciples' question.
oJtan + subj. "when" - when [you pray say]. Introducing an indefinite temporal clause; "whenever you pray", Williams. The person is plural, indicating that the prayer is corporate rather than personal.
Pater (pathr) voc. "Father" - father. Vocative. Variant, "Our Father in heaven", is obviously taken from Matthew's version, which form of words is usually regarded as original, although debates over the original words of Jesus is fruitless.
aJgiasqhtw (aJiazw) aor. pas. imp. "hallowed be" - may be hallowed, let be held in reverence, glorified, sanctified. Here with the sense "treated as holy", BDAG 10a.
to onoma (a atoV) "name" - the name [of you]. Nominative subject of the passive verb "to be hallowed." The "name" being the person of, the whole self, being of; "you as you have revealed yourself", TH.
elqetw (ercomai) aor. imp. "come" - let come. Possibly "let they kingdom be inaugurated", Schonfield, although the kingdom, in the sense of God's eschatological reign, is already inaugurated and therefore the sense may be weighted toward "realised", even "consummated."
hJ basileia (a) "kingdom" - the kingdom [of you]. Nominative subject of the passive verb "to come." Note variant, "thy holy Spirit come on us and purify us", rejected by most, but very Lukan.
v3
In the Gk., note the emphasising position of the direct object, "bread", ie., it is in front of the imperative, "give". The adjective, epiousion, usually translated "daily", is unknown, but may well mean "necessary", and with ton becomes a noun, presumably standing in apposition to "bread". The accusative articular prepositional phrase to kaq hJmeran, "according to the day" = "day by day / daily", is adverbial, modifying the verb "to give." Matthew simply has the adverb shmeron, "today". So, the Gk. gives us "Give according to the day (day by day, each day) the bread of us to us, ie., the one which is necessary"
didou (didwmi) pres. imp. "give" - give. The present tense is durative, urging activity as an ongoing process, so "continually give us."
hJmin dat. pro. "us" - to us. Dative of indirect object, after the verb "to give."
kaq (kata) + acc. "[each day]" - [the] according to [the day]. Here distributive. The phrase is idiomatic meaning "each day". The accusative article is only sometimes used in this adverbial construction; usually just kaq hJmeran.
ton epiousion adj. "daily" - the one next day = necessary. The adjective is used as a substantive. For the sense of "next day", see "Interpretation" above. The sense "essential / necessary" seems best, but not "necessary for survival ", Fitzmyer, etc., but "necessary for service to the inauguration / realisation of the kingdom."
v4
hJmin dat. pro. "us" - [and forgive, remit] to us. Dative of indirect object / interest, advantage.
hJmwn gen. pro. "our" - [the sins] of us. The genitive is adjectival, possessive / verbal, subjective; "our sins / the sins which we commit."
kai gar "for" - and for = for even / also, indeed. Introducing a causal clause explaining why God would answer the prayer, namely, "because" even sinful humanity has the capacity to forgive. Note how Matthew's wJV kai, "even as", promotes the idea that God's forgiveness is conditional.
autoi "we" - we ourselves. Nominative subject of the verb "to forgive, remit." "We ourselves", TH.
afiomen (afihmi) pres. "forgive" - are forgiving. The present tense is durative, so "practise forgiveness", Nolland.
panti dat. adj. "everyone" - everyone. Dative of direct object after the verb "forgive" which takes a dative of persons / dative of interest, advantage.
ofeilonti (ofeilw) pres. part. "who sins against" - being indebted. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "everyone". Not literal debts, but rather, the word "debt" and "sin" were interchangeable for Second Temple Jews, although this was not so in classical Greek. This is why Luke probably replaces Matthew's "debts" with "sins" in "forgive us our sins", so Fitzmyer, although "other forms of indebtedness" may be intended as well, so Nolland.
hJmin dat. pro. "against us" - to us. Dative of indirect object after the verb "forgive", the direct object being "everyone who sins."
mh eisenegkhV (eisferw) aor. subj. "lead us not" - [and] do not lead, drive, bring [us]. A prohibitive subjunctive. As above, the aorist, here with the subjunctive, forms a prohibition that covers, not the commencement of the action, "do not begin to", but rather the whole of the action. Rather than "do not cause", possibly "do not permit, allow", in the sense of "do not let us be overcome by ...."
eiV + acc. "into" - into [temptation, test]. Expressing the direction of the action and arrival at.
v5
iii] Parable - The Midnight Friend, v5-8. This teaching parable draws out a lesson from a neighbourly request. "Can you imagine the situation where an old acquaintance arrives on your doorstep at midnight after a long journey. You have no food in the house to give him a meal, so you go off to a friend's home and ask for some food. Because the hour is late, your friend tells you to get lost, but you are persistent, and so your friend gives you what you need, even if reluctantly." The parable is not an allegory, it is just a teaching illustration. The point is simple: if a friend will comply with a difficult request, although sometimes belatedly, imagine how much more God will comply with our requests (as long as they are "according to his will"!!!!).
There is a long history of the interpretation of this passage in the terms of persistence in prayer, as if in accord with Zon Chu, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again", eg., from the basic "men should be importunate (persistent) in prayer", Creed, to the more sophisticated "the endless persistence in prayer is a natural rhythm to life (very true!)", Tinsley. Yet, it is unlikely that this is Jesus' intended sense; a lesser to greater comparison is surely the intention.
tivV "one [of you]" - [and he said toward them] who. The interrogative pronoun introduces a rhetorical question covering v5-7, "Who of you will have ...... and will come / go ........ and say ......" These verses present as the protasis of a conditional clause; " If a certain one of you .........", with v8 as the apodosis, " then I tell you ....." "Suppose one of you has a friend who comes to him in the middle of the night", REB / "Can anyone one of you imagine that you have a friend ....", Marshall.
ex (ek) + gen. "-" - from [you]. Here the preposition serves as a partitive genitive; "one from among you" / "of you."
mesonukiou (on) gen. "at midnight" - [will have a friend and will come toward him] of midnight. Genitive of time; "at midnight."
eiph/ (eipon) aor. subj. "says" - [and] may say [to him]. Deliberative subjunctive, here setting up a question where an answer is expected. The answer comes in v8.
crhson (kicrhmi) aor. imp. "lend" - lend. As in borrowing something, not lend with an expected payment of interest; "Friend, let me have three loaves of bread", Rieu.
moi dat. pro. "me" - to me [three loaves]. Dative of indirect object.
v6
epeidh "because" - since, because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why he needs to borrow some bread.
mou gen. pro. "of mine" - [a friend] of me. The genitive is adjectival, relational.
ex + gen. "on [a journey]" - [arrived] from [a way = a journey toward me]. Expressing separation, "away from,"
o} rel. pro. "[no]thing" - [and i do not have] what [i will set before]. Introducing a relative clause which serves as the object of the negated verb "to have"; "I don't have a thing for him to eat", CEV. Here as a dependent statement of perception expressing what the man does not have, but often in the form of an indirect question. The future tense of the verb "to set before" is probably used instead of a subjunctive expecting "a sort of result", Marshall
autw/ dat. pro. "him" - him. Dative of direct object after the para prefix verb "to set before."
v7
eiph/ (legw) aor. subj. "then / suppose" - [and that one within having answered] may say. Deliberative subjunctive. Sometimes the sense of ekainoV, "that one", is derogatory, or at least sarcastic. The participle apokriqeiV, "having answered", is attendant circumstance, expressing action accompanying the main verb "may say", redundant, (pleonastic); see apokriqeiV, 1:19.
mh ... parece (parecw) pres. imp. "don't bother" - do not cause [trouble]. The present tense is durative, expressing ongoing trouble. Probably the image is of a small house where getting up to open the door will wake the whole household. "Don't bother me with your troubles", Phillips.
moi dat. pro. "me" - to / for me. Dative of interest, disadvantage, or possibly reference / respect.
met (meta) + gen. "-" - [already the door has been shut, and the children of me are] with [me in the bed]. Expressing association / accompaniment.
ou dunamai pres. "I can't" - i am not able. Possibly stronger; "I won't get up", Manson.
anastaV (anisthmi) aor. part. "get up" - having arisen. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the complementary infinitive "to give"; "I am not able to get up and to give". Obviously "not willing", or better, as above, "won't".
dounai (didwmi) aor. inf. "give" - to give. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the negated verb "to be able"; "not able ..... to give."
soi dat. pro. "you anything" - something to you. Dative of indirect object.
v8
We finally come to the answer of the rhetorical question asked in v5. Of course, in verse five the question was formed in the second person plural, but this seems to have been lost in the journey and is further disturbed by the addition of "I tell you" (this phrase is often used to indicate an application of, or conclusion to, an argument and so can be left untranslated). Nolland suggests we can pick up on the origin of the rhetorical question in v5 with "you are quite right to think ....."
ei kai + ind. "though" - [i say to you, and = even] if [he will not give to him]. Introducing a concessive conditional clause, 1st class, where the proposed condition is assumed to be true, "if / although, as is the case, ..... then ....." The conditional clause is best translated as "even if .... certainly", rather than "although ...... at least", so Nolland. Even if / although a situation did / may develop where a friend was unwilling to be inconvenienced, which is unlikely, he certainly would inevitably act on the request so as not to be shamed in the sight of his neighbours.
anastaV (anisthmi) aor. part. "get up" - having arisen. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "will not give", so "get up and give", as NIV.
dia to + inf. "because of" - because [a friend of him he is. This construction, the preposition dia with the articular infinitive, introduces a causal clause expressing the reason for the action of the main verb "will not give." "Even though he will indeed refuse to bestir himself for friendship sake", Cassirer.
ge "yet" - yet. Emphatic introduction for the apodosis of the conditional clause.
dia + acc. "Because" - because of. Causal; "on account of, because."
thn anaideian (a) "boldness / shameless audacity" - the persistence [of him]. The meaning of this word, a hapax legomenon (once only use in the NT), is disputed and so numerous translations are proposed: "persistence", namely the persistence of the friend who beats upon door; "boldness", Stein; "shamelessness", in the sense of making such a demand at midnight, Johnson = "impudence"; "shameless boldness", Bock; "unblushing persistence", Leaney; "his importunity in begging and begging at this late hour of the night", Fitzmyer. Although unlikely, the word may take a positive sense, so "honour", "self-respect", and therefore expresses the motivation of the friend in bed. The friend may not act as a friend, but out of "honour" he will act, or at least "so as not to lose face", Marshall. See Nolland, 626. So, presumably the genitive pronoun autoV "of him = his", refers to the man knocking on the door, not the man asleep; "his shameless persistence."
egerqeiV (egeirw) aor. pas. part. "he will surely get up" - having arisen. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "he will give"; "he will arise and give him what he wants."
autw/ dat. pro. "him" - [he will give] to him. Dative of indirect object.
w{swn gen. pro. "as much as" - whatever [he has need of]. Genitive of direct object after the verb crhzei, "has need of."
v9
iv] Sayings on prayer, v9-13: Saying #1. The reliability of God - He keeps his promises, v9-10. The first saying draws out the implication of the parable. If a friend, at an inconvenient moment, will reluctantly given you what you ask for, imagine what God will do for you when you ask of him. God unhesitatingly meets his obligations when asked; he is always found by those who seek him, and he will immediately open himself up to those who approach him.
kagw uJmin legw "so I say to you" - and i say to you. Again, serving to introduce a conclusion or application. "Here's what I'm saying", Peterson.
aiteite (aitew) pres. imp. "ask" - ask. As with the following verbs, the present imperative may serve to urge activity as an ongoing process / iterative, so "make it your habit", Rogers, but at the same time, it may just be gnomic.
doqhsetai (didwmi) fut. pas. "it will be given" - [and] it will be given. Probably a theological passive expressing God as the agent (although a dubious grammatical category).
uJmin dat. pro. "to you" - to you, [seek and you will find]. Dative of indirect object.
uJmin dat. pro. "to you" - [knock and it will be opened] to you. Dative of indirect object / interest, advantage, "for you."
v10
As for v9, a codicil applies to the statement "everyone who asks receives" - "ask anything according to his will", 1Jn.5:14. God freely gives of his promised blessings, rather than our perceived needs. Drawing on the OT., it is often argued that long-life, health and happiness are included in these promised blessings, even though Jesus teaches that the way of a disciple is anything but a bed of roses - more like a bed of thorns. For the people of Israel, the blessings of the kingdom were often described in tangible terms - many children to defend the home, rich harvests, etc. .... a land of milk and honey. From the time of the prophets and into the NT., these physical blessings are treated as illustrative of a spiritual reality which transcends the physical world, eg., long life becomes eternal life.
gar "for" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why a disciple should ask, seek, and knock; "because ......" Possibly serving to introduce a restatement of wisdom (parallelism), "so then doesn't this proverb say ......", even as a prophetic confirmation of v9, "so therefore you should ask and you will receive", Nolland.
oJ aitwn (aitew) pres. part. "who asks" - [all / everyone] the one asking. If the adjective paV, "all" is treated as a substantive, "everyone", then the participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "everyone", as NIV. The same construction is repeated by "all the one seeking" and "to all the one knocking", with "all" assumed.
lambanei (lambanw) pres. "receives" - receives [and the one seeking finds]. The present tense is probably gnomic, but it is possibly iterative, expressing repeated action.
tw/ krouonti (krouw) dat. pres. part. "to the one who knocks" - [and] to the one knocking. The participle is adjectival, as oJ aitwn above, dative of interest, advantage; "for all the one who knocks" = "for everyone who knocks."
anoighsetai (anoigw) fut. pas. "will be opened" - it will be opened, unlocked, disclosed. Variant in the present tense exists and has strong support. Again, may be treated as a theological passive.
v11
Saying #2. God's good gifts, v11-13. The second saying aligns with the parable as a how much more lesson. If we know how to give "good gifts" to our children, "how much more" will God give good gifts to his children. The problem lies in understanding the nature of the "good gifts." Unlike Matthew, Luke makes sure that we understand that the "good gifts" are encapsulated in the gift of the "Holy Spirit". Luke is certainly no proponent of a prosperity gospel. The gift of the Holy Spirit to the believer entails not just the gift of the personal presence of the Spirit of Christ in the life of a believer, but all the promised blessings that flow from our union with God through the Spirit. So, the "good gifts" are the promised blessings of the covenant - new life in the Spirit, now and for eternity.
tivna pro. "which" - [but/and] what [father]. Interrogative pronoun.
ex (ek) + gen. "of" - from [you]. The preposition here serves as a partitive genitive.
aithsei (aitew) fut. "if [your son] asks for" - [the son] may ask [to be given a fish]. Deliberative future, deliberating over a possibility. Here the possibility is made unlikely if the variant negative connective mh, instead of kai, is accepted as original
kai "-" - and. The variant mh exists; ruled out by Metzger. The kai probably reflects the original construction which was possibly a Semitic conditional sentence with the apodosis in the form of a question, "if any father among you is asked by his son for a fish, (kai = then) will he give him a serpent instead of a fish"? Marshall. The syntax of the sentence is difficult, ie., an anacoluthon (Luke has lost his way with the grammar). Note the double accusative construction ("fathers" and "fish") with "asks", "which" and "fathers" in apposition. The articular form of "fathers" and "son" serve to express the possessive.
anti + gen. "-" - instead of [a fish will give him a snake]. Here expressing substitution, "instead of, in place of." The fish may possibly be an eel.
v12
kai "[or] if" - [or asks to be given an egg] and [instead of an egg, will give a scorpion to him]. It is likely that kai again serves to introduce the apodosis of a Semitic conditional clause, 3rd. class, where the condition is assumed a possibility, as NIV. Variants exist where the syntax is repaired; h] kai ean + subj. / fut. - the future tense will sometimes serve as a subjunctive. Just as an eel looks a bit like a snake, so a scorpion can roll up into an egg-like shape. "Or if he asks for an egg, (kai = "then") is he likely to give him a scorpion"? Barclay.
v13
ei + ind. "if" - if. Introducing a conditional clause 1st class, where the proposed condition is assumed to be true, "if, as is the case, .... then how much more ...."
oun "then" - therefore, thus. Inferential, drawing a logical conclusion from v11, 12.
uJparconteV (uJparcw) pres. part. "though you are [evil]" - [you] being, possessing [evil, wickedness]. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting / modifying "you", "you who are evil", but possibly adverbial, concessive, as NIV. Simply stating a general fact about humanity; we are all sinners. "Bad as you are", TH.; "although you are naturally evil and ungenerous", Barclay.
didonai (didwmi) pres. inf. "to give" - [know] to give [good gifts to the children of you]. The infinitive introduces an object clause / dependent statement of perception expressing what "you know."
toiV teknoiV (on) dat. "to [your] children" - to the children [of you]. Dative of indirect object.
posw/ dat. pro. "how much" - how much [more] Dative of measure / difference / degree, "by how much" + the comparative adverb "more". The phrase may be treated as an exclamation, as NIV, or as a question, "how much more shall the Father from his Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him?" Rieu. This phrase serves as the key to understanding the passage as a whole. "How much more likely is it that", Phillips.
oJ "-" - [the father] the one [from heaven]. This variant article may be original, and if so, it functions as an adjectivizer turning the prepositional phrase "from heaven" into an attributive modifier of "the Father"; "the / your Father who is in heaven." Possible assimilation with Matthew for both "your" and "in heaven." Without the article, the preposition ek expresses source / origin; "the Father gives from heaven the Holy Spirit."
pneuma aJgion "the Holy Spirit" - [will give] holy spirit. Variant, "good Spirit", as opposed to Matthew's "good gifts." Variant, "good gifts", also exists for Luke, but it is more than likely that "Holy Spirit" is original (Nolland, Stein, etc. disagree). Luke's propensity to affirm the role of the Spirit is an unlikely motivation for changing an original "good gifts", since the gift of the Spirit, for Luke, awaits Pentecost. So, Luke reminds us that an open slather of good gifts is not in mind here, but rather gifts that are promised, in particular, the gift of the Holy Spirit.
toiV aitousin (aitew) dat. pres. part. "those who ask" - to the ones asking [him]. The participle serves as a substantive, dative of indirect object. Should we underline the durative sense of the present tense? "Those who continue to ask him", Williams. Probably not!
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