Luke 14:18

With one consent (apo mia). Some feminine substantive like gnwmh or psuch has to be supplied. This precise idiom occurs nowhere else. It looked like a conspiracy for each one in his turn did the same thing. To make excuse (paraiteisqai). This common Greek verb is used in various ways, to ask something from one ( Mark 15:6 ), to deprecate or ask to avert ( Hebrews 12:19 ), to refuse or decline ( Acts 25:11 ), to shun or to avoid ( 2 Timothy 2:23 ), to beg pardon or to make excuses for not doing or to beg ( Luke 14:18 ). All these ideas are variations of aitew, to ask in the middle voice with para in composition. The first (o prwto). In order of time. There are three of the "many" ("all"), whose excuses are given, each more flimsy than the other. I must needs (ecw anagkhn). I have necessity. The land would still be there, a strange "necessity." Have me excused (ece me parhthmenon). An unusual idiom somewhat like the English perfect with the auxiliary "have" and the modern Greek idiom with ecw, but certainly not here a Greek periphrasis for parhthso. This perfect passive participle is predicate and agrees with me. See a like idiom in Mark 3:1 ; Luke 12:19 (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 902f.). The Latin had a similar idiom, habe me excusatum. Same language in verse Luke 19 .