[CatherineTorpey]

Hello Bibliophiles!

I have the privilege of preaching tomorrow, so I had a chance to really dig into the original Greek of our passage, which is Luke 13:10-17

What I loved about this passage, which is not seen in the typical translations, is that there’s a consistent theme of being bound/bent and being unbound/unbent.

Here is my word study. At the end, I put it altogether in a literal translation.

13:10 One day, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
13:11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit of [ἀσθενείας = asthenes]
This word “a-sthenes” literally means “no strength.” The best translation is probably “in-firmity” which in English has the same literal meaning. So, of course, just as we use the term “infirmity” to mean a physical illness, I was quite moved by the idea that she had no strength, which could be spiritual or emotional as well as physical.

for eighteen years. She was bent over [συνκύπτουσα = sunkuptousa]
The word “bent over” interested me – it is made up of the prefix “syn” (or “sym”, which is the same thing) which means together/altogether/with – we use this same prefix in our English words “synthesis” and “symphony”
The second part of the word is from the base word “kupto” which means to bend completely. This word, “kupto,” is the same one that John uses to say to Jesus, “I’m not worth to stoop down [kupto] to tie your sandals”
So to be syn-kupto is to be altogether bent over. I imagined how one bends over with depression or discouragement, when one has “no strength”

and was quite unable [μὴ δυναμένη = me dynamene]
literally, she had “no power” – you might recognize where we get the word “dynamite” from the Greek word “power”

to stand up [ἀνακύψαι = anakupsai]
to “stand up” in her case is to “un-bend” – so we still have the base word “kupto” meaning “bent”, but the prefix “ana” indicates upward, backward, or repetition — so she cannot “up-bend” or to “get back from being bent”
(We have words in English that use this prefix “ana” in our words “analogy” which means to find another word/idea for something, and our word “anatomy” which comes from the idea of “cutting up” a body.)

straight [παντελές = panteles]
panteles comes from two words: “pan” meaning all, full, everywhere — as in our English word “pandemic” (meaning it’s everywhere), and the word “telos” which is an important word in Greek meaning the goal, end-point, the purpose. So to be “straight” in this sense could be translated as taking up the fullness of one’s purpose

13:12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free [ἀπολέλυσαι = apolelusai]
the phrase “set free” here is literally to unleash, unbind. It is the word used for “divorce” in Greek. It comes from the prefix “apo” which means to separate or move away and the root word “luo” which means to release unbind, divorce, and also to forgive (release from obligation) This word for “forgive” is used at Luke 6:43 (“forgive and you’ll be forgiven”)

13:13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight (ἀνωρθώθη = anorthothe)
This is a different word for “straight” than above. Here the word used is ana-orthos. Here we have that prefix “ana” again, which means indicates upward, back or again. The root “ortho” you’ll recognize from our English words “orthodox” and “orthopedic.” Ortho means straight or correct, the way something ought to be. One might say that Jesus put her back the way she was meant to be.

and began praising [ἐδόξαζεν = eddoxazen] God.
Here, the root of the word praise is “doxa” which means “glory,” so the most literal translation is “glorifying”

13:14 But the leader of the synagogue [ἀρχισυνάγωγος = archisynagogos]
Here I’ll just point out that our phrase “leader of the synagogue” is one word in Greek: archi-synagogos, like our word “archbishop” – the head honcho

indignant [ἀγανακτῶν = aganakton]
This word, from the root “aganokteo”, does mean indignant or, more broadly, aggrieved. It is related to the Greek word “agony”. I am fascinated that the woman is not described with this kind of high-emotion word, but the leader of the synagogue is!

because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” 13:15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites [Ὑποκριταί = hypokritai]!
Our word “hypocrite” comes directly from this word, so frequently spoken by Jesus. David Bentley Hart says that “hypocrite” in Jesus’ day didn’t have exactly the meaning we give it today. He translates this word as “charlatan” because it is related to the word used in a theater, for someone pretending to be someone they aren’t.

Does not each of you on the sabbath untie [λύει = luei]
Here we see that same word used above, from the root word “luo” for tying or binding.

his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 13:16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound [ἔδησεν = edesen]
Here a different root word is used for “binding,” the word “deo” which means “to tie, fasten, impel, compel; to declare as prohibited and unlawful.

for eighteen long years, be set free [λυθῆναι = luthenai]
Again, though the construction of the word makes it less visible, this too is from the root word “luo” – to bind, and here to be unbound

from [ἀπὸ = apo] this bondage [δεσμοῦ = desmou]
In my reading for worship, I translate the word “desmou” as “chain” because that is its literal meaning. This is the same same word used in Acts, PHillipians, Philemon and other post-resurrection writings to refer to being imprisoned or in chains.

on the sabbath day?” 13:17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame [κατῃσχύνοντο = katēschynonto]
This word for “put to shame” comes from the prefix “kata” indicating a downward motion, and “schynonto” which means shame, and unfortunately has its root in the idea of physical disfigurement. The addition of the word “kata” intensifies the idea of shame and adds the sense of heads hung downward, as had been the body of the woman

and the entire crowd was rejoicing [ἔχαιρεν = echairen]
the word “rejoicing” here is related to the word “chairos” meaning grace or gift. It’s where we get our English words “charismatic” and “charity”

at all the wonderful [ἐνδόξοις = endoxois]
Here we see the root word “doxa” (glory) again – so the most literal translation is “glorious”

things that he was doing.

SO, TAKING ALL OF THAT:
13:10 One day, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit of no strength for eighteen years. She was totally bent over (syn-kupto), and had no power to unbend (ana-kupto) into the fullness of her purpose (panteles).

12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are unbound (apo-leo).

13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she arose, back the way she was meant to be and she began glorifying God.

14 But the leader of the synagogue, agonized because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.”

15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You charlatans! Doesn’t each of you on the sabbath unbind your ox or donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan compelled for eighteen long years, be unbound from this chain on the sabbath day?”

17 When he said this, all his opponents bent down in shame and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the glorious things that he was doing.

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