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Luke 5:30

But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with the publicans and sinners?

KJV

But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

Commentary

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Hebraic traditional view

Levi's feast and the old wine

Levi “made him a great feast in his own house,” and the objection came at the guest list: the Pharisaic table discipline meant an observant associate did not eat with the non-observant, whose food might be untithed and whose vessels unclean, and tax collectors stood furthest outside the circle of trust: the Mishnah rules a house unclean if tax collectors have entered it (Taharot 7:6), and even permits declaring untruths to them under duress, classing them with robbers (Nedarim 3:4). The table Jesus chose was a boundary deliberately crossed: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The fuller table-and-fasting background is in this site's Matthew 9 note.

Luke alone keeps the last saying: “No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.” Spoken at a Jewish table about Jewish devotion, it is a gracious word, not a sneer: Jesus knows exactly why the old ways taste right to those formed by them, even as He announces something new that will not fit the old wineskins.

Sources: Mishnah Taharot 7:6 (tax collectors and the unclean house) · Mishnah Nedarim 3:4 (vows made to tax collectors)

Original language & word study

23 tagged words
OriginalTransliterationMeaningWord study
καὶkaiAndG2532
ἐγόγγυζονegonguzonwere grumblingG1111
οἱhoitheG3588
ΦαρισαῖοιPharisaioiPhariseesG5330
καὶkaiandG2532
οἱhoitheG3588
γραμματεῖςgrammateisscribesG1122
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
πρὸςprosatG4314
τοὺςtoustheG3588
μαθητὰςmathētasdisciplesG3101
αὐτοῦautouof HimG846
λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004
διὰdiaBecause ofG1223
τίtiwhyG5101
μετὰmetawithG3326
τῶνtōntheG3588
τελωνῶνtelōnōntax collectorsG5057
καὶkaiandG2532
ἁμαρτωλῶνhamartōlōnsinnersG268
ἐσθίετεesthietedo you eatG2068
καὶkaiandG2532
πίνετε;¶pinetedrink?G4095

The walk

About Luke

The Return of the Prodigal Son — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)
The Return of the Prodigal Son — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)