Luke 11 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Teach us to pray — the Lord's Prayer, Luke's form 11:1–4

v. 1 — the request: teach us, as John taught

And it happened that, while he was in a certain place praying,independent — the Lukan καὶ ἐγένετο with ἐν τῷ + infinitive (a Septuagintalism) — Jesus' own praying prompts the request

when he ceased,conditional — temporal ὡς (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans forward on εἶπέν

one of his disciples said to him:independent — the catechetical request-frame — a master gives his circle a prayer

'Lord, teach us to pray,content — the request — προσεύχεσθαι, the keyword of vv. 1–13

as John also taught his disciples.'comparative — the Baptist's precedent — a circle marked by its master's prayer

vv. 2–4 — the prayer: the Father's name and kingdom, then bread, sins, testing

And he said to them:independent — the answer-frame — the whole prayer hangs from λέγετε below

Whenever you pray,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans forward on λέγετε

say:content — present imperative — the prayer given for repeated use

'Father,content — the bare vocative — Luke's short address: no 'our … in the heavens' (the Matthean fullness the Byzantine text restores)

hallowed be your name;content — first σου-petition — divine-passive third imperative: God cause his own name to be hallowed

your kingdom come;content — second petition — the critical text omits 'your will be done' (assimilation to Matthew); some witnesses read a Holy-Spirit petition here, not printed

give us each day our daily bread;content — present δίδου with the distinctive τὸ καθ’ ἡμέραν — 'keep giving, day by day', against Matthew's aorist δὸς … σήμερον; ἐπιούσιος left open ('needful' / 'for the coming day')

and forgive us our sins,content — ἁμαρτίας — 'sins', where Matthew keeps the debt-idiom

for we ourselves also forgive everyone indebted to us;cause — καὶ γάρ with present ἀφίομεν — ongoing practice as the plea's ground; ὀφείλοντι keeps the debt-metaphor Luke dropped from the petition itself

and do not lead us into temptation.'content — the testing petition — the critical text ends here: no 'deliver us from the evil one', no doxology (harmonizations to Matthew)

The friend at midnight, and ask, seek, knock 11:5–13

vv. 5–8 — the friend at midnight: the shameless request

And he said to them:independent — the parable-frame — the speech runs to v. 13

'Which of you will have a friendcontent — the Τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν parable-question — 'can you imagine…?': the expected answer is 'no one'

and will go to him at midnightcontent — coordinate future in the question — μεσονυκτίου: the worst possible hour

and say to him:content — the question slips into the aorist subjunctive (εἴπῃ) — colloquial anacoluthon as the scene unfolds

'Friend, lend me three loaves,content — the request — χρῆσον, 'lend': bread for hospitality's emergency

since a friend of mine has come to me from a journey,cause — ἐπειδή — the first ground: the unannounced midnight guest

and I have nothingcause — the second ground, coordinate — the empty cupboard

that I might set before him';relative — headless relative with deliberative future — nothing to serve the guest

and the one inside answering will say:content — the imagined refusal — still inside the long question; κἀκεῖνος ἔσωθεν, the voice through the shut door

'Do not cause me trouble;content — present prohibition — 'stop bothering me'

the door is already shut,content — perfect κέκλεισται — barred for the night

and my children are with me in bed;content — the one-room house — the family packed into the one bed

I cannot get up and give you anything.'content — 'cannot' meaning 'will not' — the comic refusal the parable overturns

I tell you,content — the application-frame — the parable's verdict

even if he will not get up and give to him because he is his friend,conditional — concessive εἰ καί — leans forward: friendship granted as insufficient motive; διὰ τό + infinitive inside the protasis

yet because of his shameless persistence he will rise and give himcontent — διά γε τὴν ἀναίδειαν — the crux: the asker's shameless importunity (or the sleeper's avoidance of shame); either way the door opens

whatever he needs.relative — correlative relative in the genitive — ὅσων: more than the three loaves asked

vv. 9–10 — ask, seek, knock

And I tell you,content — κἀγώ — the inference drawn from the parable

ask, and it will be given to you;content — present imperative — keep asking; divine passive δοθήσεται

seek, and you will find;content — the second pair — imperative plus promise

knock, and it will be opened to you.content — the third pair — the midnight door still in view

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.cause — the γάρ-ground of all three imperatives — universal πᾶς; anchored on the last of the triad

vv. 11–13 — the evil fathers and the Father from heaven

And which father among you will his son ask for a fish —content — the shorter critical text — fish/serpent only, without Matthew's bread/stone pair; τὸν πατέρα proleptic, caught up into the question

and instead of a fish will he give him a serpent?content — ἀντί — the monstrous swap: like shape, deadly substance

Or if he asks for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?content — the second pair — egg and curled scorpion; the question kept whole

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,conditional — the a fortiori protasis — leans forward; πονηροὶ ὑπάρχοντες conceded in passing

how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!'content — πόσῳ μᾶλλον — the how-much-more argument; Luke's gift is πνεῦμα ἅγιον where Matthew has 'good things'

The Beelzebul controversy — the finger of God, the strong man, the returning spirit 11:14–26

vv. 14–16 — the exorcism and the two verdicts

And he was casting out a demon,independent — periphrastic imperfect — the exorcism in progress as the scene opens

and it was mute;independent — the demon itself called mute — the affliction transferred to its cause

and it happened that, when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke.independent — ἐγένετο-frame with genitive absolute and asyndetic ἐλάλησεν — the sign is speech restored

And the crowds marveled.independent — the neutral response — about to divide three ways

But some of them said:independent — the first verdict-frame

'By Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, he casts out the demons.'content — the Beelzebul charge — the power conceded, its source damned

And others, testing him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.independent — iterative imperfect with πειράζοντες — the σημεῖον demand, answered at v. 29

vv. 17–20 — the divided kingdom and the finger of God

But he, knowing their thoughts,participial — preposed causal participle — διανοήματα: he answers the thought behind the charge; leans on εἶπεν

said to them:independent — one εἶπεν — the whole continuous reply of vv. 17–26 hangs from this verb

'Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste,content — the axiom — διαμερισθεῖσα: division is desolation

and house falls against house.content — οἶκος ἐπὶ οἶκον — the ruin domesticated: house collapsing on house

But if Satan also is divided against himself,conditional — first εἰ-protasis, leaning forward — their charge granted for argument's sake

how will his kingdom stand?content — the rhetorical collapse — Satan has a βασιλεία to lose

— because you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebul.cause — ὅτι of the reason for speaking — 'I ask because you say…': the charge quoted back in indirect form

And if I cast out the demons by Beelzebul,conditional — second εἰ-protasis — the charge now in the first person

by whom do your sons cast them out?content — the ad hominem — 'your sons', their own exorcists, caught by the same logic

Therefore they themselves will be your judges.content — the verdict handed to their own — the accusers accused

But if by the finger of God I cast out the demons,conditional — third εἰ-protasis — ἐν δακτύλῳ θεοῦ, the firm Lukan reading (Matthew: 'Spirit'): Exod 8:19, the magicians' confession

then the kingdom of God has come upon you.content — ἄρα ἔφθασεν — arrived, not merely drawn near: the exorcisms as the kingdom present

vv. 21–23 — the strong man disarmed

When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own courtyard,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans forward; Satan's tenure pictured

his possessions are in peace;content — ἐν εἰρήνῃ — an armed peace, unbroken until now

but when one stronger than he comes upon him and conquers him,conditional — ἐπάν-protasis, leaning forward — ὁ ἰσχυρότερος: the Baptist's title for the Coming One (3:16)

he takes away his armorcontent — the πανοπλία stripped — the exorcisms as disarmament

in which he had trusted,relative — pluperfect ἐπεποίθει — the confidence that had stood, now past

and distributes his spoils.content — τὰ σκῦλα διαδίδωσιν — the victor's spoil shared out (cf. Isa 53:12)

Whoever is not with me is against me,content — no neutrality — μετ’ ἐμοῦ or κατ’ ἐμοῦ: the middle ground abolished

and whoever does not gather with me scatters.content — gathering or scattering — the shepherd's image; the inverse stands at 9:50

vv. 24–26 — the returning spirit: the swept house

When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd) — leans forward; the exorcism theme turned cautionary parable

it passes through waterless placescontent — narrative present — ἄνυδροι τόποι, the demons' desert haunts

seeking rest,participial — purpose-tinged participle — the restless search

and finding none,participial — preposed participle — leans on λέγει below

it says:content — the demon's soliloquy framed — speech within the speech

'I will return to my housecontent — τὸν οἶκόν μου — the spirit still calls the man its property

from which I came out';relative — ὅθεν — the eviction remembered, not accepted

and coming,participial — preposed aorist participle — leans on εὑρίσκει

it finds it swept and put in order.content — swept and ordered — cleansed but unoccupied; Luke lacks Matthew's σχολάζοντα, the emptiness implied

Then it goescontent — narrative present — the counter-move

and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself,content — ἑπτά — fullness of evil; πονηρότερα, the chapter's πονηρός-thread

and entering,participial — preposed aorist participle, neuter plural — leans on κατοικεῖ

they settle there;content — neuter plural subject with singular κατοικεῖ — permanent residence now

and the last state of that person becomes worse than the first.'content — the proverb of the worse end — reform without filling invites the sevenfold relapse; the reply's last word

The blessing redirected 11:27–28

vv. 27–28 — the beatitude corrected: hearing and keeping

And it happened, as he was saying these things,independent — the ἐγένετο-frame with ἐν τῷ + infinitive — the interruption timed mid-speech

that a woman from the crowd, raising her voice,participial — preposed participle — ἐπάρασα φωνήν; leans on εἶπεν

said to him:independent — the cry framed

'Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!'content — verbless beatitude on the mother — the womb and the breasts (cf. 1:42, 48): kinship-blessing

But he said:independent — the reply-frame — αὐτὸς δέ, the correction coming

'Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!'content — Μενοῦν read as corrective 'rather', not mere assent — blessedness relocated from biology to obedience (cf. 8:21)

The sign of Jonah 11:29–32

vv. 29–30 — the sign refused, the sign given

As the crowds were thronging together,participial — genitive absolute — ἐπαθροίζομαι, the crowds massing; leans forward on ἤρξατο

he began to say:independent — the speech-frame — the sign-demand of v. 16 now answered

'This generation is an evil generation;content — the verdict first — γενεὰ πονηρά, the chapter's πονηρός again

it seeks a sign,content — the demand named — ζητεῖ echoes ἐζήτουν (v. 16)

and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.content — divine passive δοθήσεται with the one exception — the sign of Jonah

For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,comparative — the καθώς half of the correlation — leaning forward on the οὕτως clause

so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.content — in Luke the sign is Jonah himself, the preacher of repentance — no three-days decoding (that is Matthew's)

vv. 31–32 — two witnesses for the prosecution

The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generationcontent — 1 Kgs 10:1–10 — the queen of Sheba rises ἐν τῇ κρίσει

and will condemn them,content — condemnation by comparison — a Gentile woman against 'the men of this generation'

because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon —cause — the ground — she crossed the earth for wisdom; this generation will not hear the wisdom in front of it

and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.content — verbless ἰδού-line — πλεῖον neuter: the refrain of surpassing presence

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generationcontent — the second witness — pagan Nineveh stands up in court; ἀναστήσονται pairs with ἐγερθήσεται

and will condemn it,content — the parallel verdict

because they repented at the preaching of Jonah —cause — Jon 3:5 — Nineveh repented at one sermon from a reluctant prophet

and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.'content — the refrain doubled — greater than king and than prophet, and unheeded

The lamp of the body 11:33–36

v. 33 — the lamp on the stand

No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under the basket, but on the lampstand,independent — unframed discourse, flush-left — εἰς κρύπτην, Luke's cellar; οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον absent from some witnesses

so that those who come in may see the light.purpose — the lamp's purpose — light is lit to be seen; φῶς opens the catchword cluster of vv. 33–36

vv. 34–36 — the eye, the body, the light within

Your eye is the lamp of the body.independent — the metaphor turned inward — the eye as the body's lamp

When your eye is sound,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd) — leans forward; ἁπλοῦς: single, sound, generous

your whole body also is full of light;independent — apodotic καί — the whole body lit from the one aperture

but when it is bad,conditional — the dark obverse — ἐπάν; πονηρός, the evil eye

your body also is dark.independent — verbless apodosis — the darkness needs no verb

Watch out, then,independent — the warning drawn — σκόπει οὖν, the imperative of self-inspection

lest the light in you be darkness.content — μή with the indicative after a verb of caution — the danger treated as real: the inner light itself darkness

If then your whole body is full of light,conditional — verbless protasis — leans forward; the condition of total light

having no part dark,participial — participial rider inside the protasis — no dark corner left

it will be wholly bright,independent — the promise — φωτεινὸν ὅλον answering ὅλον φωτεινόν: the tautology is the point

as when the lamp with its beam gives you light.comparative — ὡς ὅταν — the lamp's ἀστραπή, its flash: the closing image returns to v. 33

At the Pharisee's table — the cup, and three woes on the Pharisees 11:37–44

vv. 37–38 — the unwashed guest

Now as he was speaking, a Pharisee asks himindependent — historic present ἐρωτᾷ inside the ἐν τῷ + infinitive frame — the dinner invitation

to dine with him;purpose — ὅπως of the request's content — τὸ ἄριστον, the midday meal

and going in,participial — preposed aorist participle — leans on ἀνέπεσεν

he reclined at table.independent — ἀνέπεσεν — straight to the couch: no washing narrated

But the Pharisee, seeing it,participial — preposed participle — the host watching; leans on ἐθαύμασεν

was astonishedindependent — the astonishment — θαυμάζω, silent but read (v. 39 answers it)

that he did not first wash before the meal.content — ὅτι after the emotion-verb — ἐβαπτίσθη: the customary ritual dipping omitted

vv. 39–41 — the cup: outside and inside

But the Lord said to him:independent — ὁ κύριος — the narrator's title; the speech runs to v. 44

'Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,content — the outside scoured — vessel-purity as emblem of the whole piety

but your inside is full of greed and wickedness.content — γέμει — the actual contents: ἁρπαγή, what was seized; the vessel becomes the person

Fools!content — the rebuke, verbless — ἄφρων, 'senseless'

Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?cause — the ground of the rebuke — the one Maker made both sides: inside-neglect insults the Creator

But give as alms the things that are within,content — πλήν — the positive turn: τὰ ἐνόντα, the contents themselves given away in mercy

and behold, everything is clean for you.content — Luke's answer to vessel-purity — almsgiving from within cleanses the whole

vv. 42–44 — three woes on the Pharisees

But woe to you Pharisees!content — the first woe — verbless οὐαί-cry, the prophetic form

because you tithe mint and rue and every herb,cause — the ground — garden herbs tithed beyond the letter: scrupulosity at its smallest

and pass over justice and the love of God;cause — the weightier matters passed by — κρίσις and the ἀγάπη of God (objective or subjective genitive, left open)

but these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.content — the balance — both/and, not either/or: the tithe stands, the triad rules

Woe to you Pharisees!content — the second woe

because you love the best seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.cause — ἀγαπᾶτε — the love misdirected: honor in synagogue and market, against the ἀγάπη of God just named

Woe to you!content — the third woe — the refrain shortened

because you are like unmarked graves,cause — τὰ μνημεῖα τὰ ἄδηλα — Matthew's whitewashed tombs inverted: not gleaming but invisible

and the people who walk over them do not know it.'cause — coordinate inside the ground — defilement contracted unknowing (Num 19:16)

The lawyers' turn — three more woes, and the ambush 11:45–54

v. 45 — the lawyer's protest

And one of the lawyers, answering,participial — preposed participle — leans on λέγει; the νομικοί, Luke's word for the Torah-experts

says to him:independent — historic present — the protest lands mid-speech

'Teacher, in saying these things you insult us too.'content — ὑβρίζεις — 'you insult us too': the objection that draws the next three woes onto the objectors

vv. 46–52 — three woes on the lawyers

And he said:independent — the reply-frame — the speech runs to v. 52

'Woe to you lawyers also!content — the fourth woe — the first on the lawyers: the insult accepted and doubled

because you load people with burdens hard to bear,cause — φορτία δυσβάστακτα — the halakhic load piled on

and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.cause — not one finger — the loaders exempt themselves

Woe to you!content — the fifth woe

because you build the tombs of the prophets,cause — the builders' piety — monuments for the murdered

and your fathers killed them.cause — the δέ-arm inside the ground — the fathers killed the men the sons memorialize

So you are witnesses, and you consent to the deeds of your fathers,content — ἄρα — the inference: the tomb-building reread as consent; the editions vary between μάρτυρές ἐστε and μαρτυρεῖτε

because they killed them, and you build.cause — the grim division of labor — μέν/δέ: they killed, you build

Therefore also the Wisdom of God said:content — ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ — Wisdom's own oracle (untraced); Matthew 23:34 puts the words on Jesus' lips

'I will send to them prophets and apostles,content — prophets and apostles — Luke's pair spanning both halves of his story

and some of them they will kill and persecute',content — partitive ἐξ αὐτῶν — the sendings foreknown as slayings

so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation,purpose — ἵνα of purpose shading into destined result — ἐκζητέω, blood 'sought out' (Gen 9:5); the αἷμα-motif binds vv. 50–51

from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.phrase modifier — Gen 4 to 2 Chr 24 — the first and last murders in the Hebrew canon's order; ὁ οἶκος, the sanctuary itself

Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.content — the asseveration — Jesus resumes in his own voice, sealing Wisdom's oracle

Woe to you lawyers!content — the sixth woe

because you have taken away the key of knowledge;cause — ἡ κλεὶς τῆς γνώσεως — the key confiscated, not lost (Matthew: the kingdom locked in men's faces)

you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.'content — asyndeton unpacking the ground — shut out themselves, and shutting the door on others

vv. 53–54 — the ambush

And when he had gone out from there,participial — genitive absolute — leans forward on ἤρξαντο; the table left behind

the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things,independent — δεινῶς ἐνέχειν — to hold a fierce grudge, press with hostility; ἀποστοματίζειν, to quiz for quotable answers

lying in wait for him,participial — the hunters' posture — ἐνεδρεύω, to set an ambush

to catch something from his mouth.purpose — purpose infinitive — θηρεύω, the hunting word: his speech the prey; the chapter ends mid-stalk

Analysis. Luke 11 is built of speech-frames and the teaching hung beneath them: again and again a purple εἶπεν or λέγει stands at the margin and a blue cnt-column drops from it — the Lord's Prayer in its short Lukan form under λέγετε (the bare Πάτερ with no 'our … in the heavens', no third petition, present δίδου with τὸ καθ’ ἡμέραν against Matthew's aorist, ἁμαρτίας for Matthew's debts, and no 'deliver us' clause or doxology, following the critical text), the midnight parable-question with the friend's request and the sleeper's refusal nested under their own εἴπῃ-frames, and the whole Beelzebul reply of vv. 17–26 held at one constant depth under the single εἶπεν of v. 17, its forward-leaning protases (εἰ δὲ καί … εἰ δὲ ἐγώ … εἰ δὲ ἐν δακτύλῳ θεοῦ … ὅταν … ἐπάν) stepping down onto coordinate answers. The lamp sayings (vv. 33–36) are printed flush-left as unframed continuous discourse, on the matthew6 convention. At the Pharisee's table the shape is the matthew23 one: each verbless οὐαί-cry a coordinate blue line with its ὅτι-grounds one step deeper — three woes on the Pharisees (herbs against justice, the first seats, the unmarked graves), three on the lawyers (the burdens, the prophets' tombs, the key of knowledge), with the Wisdom-saying's ἵνα-chain running Abel-to-Zechariah at the section's deepest point. Cruxes taken or flagged: ἀναίδεια in v. 8 is glossed as shameless persistence, with the rival reading (the sleeper's avoidance of shame) named in the tag; v. 11 prints the shorter fish/serpent text without Matthew's bread/stone pair; ἐν δακτύλῳ θεοῦ (v. 20) is kept against Matthew's 'Spirit', with the Exod 8:19 echo named; the ὅτι of v. 18b is read as the reason for speaking, not a ground of the kingdom's fall; Μενοῦν (v. 28) is read as corrective 'rather', not mere assent; in v. 30 the sign is Jonah the preacher himself, Luke lacking Matthew's three-days decoding; and ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ (v. 49) is left as Wisdom's own oracle, where Matthew 23:34 puts the words on Jesus' lips.