^5:33Then¹²⁶ they said to him, “John’s¹²⁷ disciples frequently fast¹²⁸ and pray,¹²⁹ and so do the disciples of the Pharisees,¹³⁰ but yours continue to eat and drink.”¹³¹^5:34So¹³² Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the wedding guests¹³³ fast while the bridegroom¹³⁴ is with them, can you?¹³⁵^5:35But those days are coming, and when the bridegroom is taken from them,¹³⁶ at that time¹³⁷ they will fast.” ^5:36He also told them a parable:¹³⁸ “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews¹³⁹ it on an old garment. If he does, he will have torn¹⁴⁰ the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.¹⁴¹^5:37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins.¹⁴² If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. ^5:38Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins.¹⁴³^5:39¹⁴⁴ No¹⁴⁵ one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ”¹⁴⁶

Read in Logos

Footnotes

126 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
127 Most (א*,2 A C D Θ Ψ f1, 13 𝔐 latt sy) read διὰ τί (dia ti, “Why do John’s …?”) here, turning the statement into a question. But such seems to be a motivated reading, assimilating the text to Mark 2:18 and Matt 9:14. The reading represented in the translation is supported by 𝔓4 א1 B L W Ξ 33 892* 1241 sa. John refers to John the Baptist.
128 John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29–34; 23:26–32; Num 29:7–11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
129 Grk “and offer prayers,” but this idiom (δέησις + ποιέω) is often simply a circumlocution for praying.
130 See the note on Pharisees in .
131 Grk “but yours are eating and drinking.” The translation “continue to eat and drink” attempts to reflect the progressive or durative nature of the action described, which in context is a practice not limited to the specific occasion at hand (the banquet).
132 Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ pronouncement is a result of their statements about his disciples.
133 Grk “the sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to guests at the wedding, or more specifically, friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
134 The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5–6; 62:4–5; 4 Ezra 2:15, 38).
135 Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “can you?”).
136 The statement when the bridegroom is taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 9:18ff.
137 Grk “then in those days.”
138 The term parable in a Semitic context can cover anything from a long story to a brief wisdom saying. Here it is the latter.
139 Grk “puts”; but since the means of attachment would normally be sewing, the translation “sews” has been used.
140 Grk “he tears.” The point is that the new garment will be ruined to repair an older, less valuable one.
141 The piece from the new will not match the old. The imagery in this saying looks at the fact that what Jesus brings is so new that it cannot simply be combined with the old. To do so would be to destroy what is new and to put together something that does not fit.
142 Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.
143 Most (A C [D] Θ Ψ f13 𝔐 latt sy) have καὶ ἀμφότεροι συντηροῦνται (kai amphoteroi suntērountai, “and both will be preserved”), assimilating the text to Matt 9:17. The earliest and best witnesses, as well as many others (𝔓4, 75vid א B L W f1 33 579 700 1241 2542 co), however, lack the words. The meaning of the saying new wine … into new skins is that the presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God.
144 The Western textual tradition (D it) lacks 5:39. The verse is unique to Luke, so the omission by these looks like assimilation to the other synoptic accounts.
145 Although most begin the verse with καί (kai, “and”), beginning the sentence without a conjunction is both a harder reading and is found in early and important witnesses (𝔓4, 75vid א2 B 579 700 892 1241). puts the word in brackets indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
146 Most , especially the later ones (A C Θ Ψ f1, 13 33 𝔐 lat), read χρηστότερος (chrēstoteros, “better”), a smoother reading. The reading of the text (found in 𝔓4 א B L W 1241 ) is preferred as the more difficult reading. This reading could suggest that the new thing Jesus brings is not even considered, since the “old wine” is already found quite acceptable. Grk “good.” The third illustration points out that those already satisfied with what they have will not seek the new (The old is good enough).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’ ”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’ ”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then they said to him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but yours eat and drink.”

Jesus said to them, “You can’t make the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them, can you? But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them—then they will fast in those days.”

He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’ ”

NLTNew Living Translation

One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?”

Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and make prayers—likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees—but yours are eating and drinking!” So he said to them, “You are not able to make the bridegroom’s attendants fast as long as the bridegroom is with them, are you? But days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And he also told a parable to them: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, he will have torn the new also, and the old will not match the patch that is from the new. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the wineskins, and it will be spilled and the wineskins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants new, because he says, ‘The old is just fine!’ ”

KJV 1900King James Version

And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Public Domain