I wouldn't consider this to be a particular difficult word. LSJ suggests to be longsuffering, persevere, bear patiently. It seems to include both an attitude of patience and perseverance through hard times and an attittude of forbearance and compassion towards the wrongdoings or shortcomings of others. BDAG has the main two senses:
① to remain tranquil while waiting, have patience, wait .... Hb 6:15; Js 5:8. μ. ἐπί τινι wait patiently for someth. Js 5:7b. μ. ἕως τ. παρουσίας τ. κυρίου have patience until the coming of the Lord vs. 7a.
② to bear up under provocation without complaint, be patient, forbearing.
Matt 18:26,29 suggest forbearing and compassion, showing mercy. The same for 1 Cor 13:4 and 1 Th 5:14 (the only two in Paul).
Heb 6:15 and James 5:7-8 suggest patient waiting. Maybe that is more of a Jewish thought.
In 2 Pet 3:9 it is God who is forbearing and compassionate with people wanting to be merciful and give them time to repent.
Now I come to the problem text in Luke 18:6-8
Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ κύριος, Ἀκούσατε τί ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀδικίας λέγει· 7 ὁ δὲ θεὸς οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν βοώντων αὐτῷ ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, καὶ μακροθυμεῖ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς; 8 λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ποιήσει τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῶν ἐν τάχει.
The δὲ after Εἶπεν suggests a change of speaker. The δὲ after ὁ θεὸς suggests a change in character from the judge to God. ἐκδίκησις is more than justice. It refers to avenging which includes justice for the aggrieved party and punishment for the offending party. God's elect are calling out to God for help day and night. They are being oppressed by enemies like the poor widow who was being oppressed by an adversary and the judge did not avenge her until he finally felt he had to. I assume that this may well refer to enemies of the disciples and even persecution. Help does not always seem to be forthcoming promptly, but I think the text says that God will eventually avenge his chosen ones.
If we take the normal sense of μακροθυμέω I suggest the rhetorical question becomes something like: Will not God avenge his chosen ones who cry to him for help day and night and does he not have compassion on them? (I take the οὐ μὴ to govern both coordinated clauses). Then in v. 8: I tell you that he will avenge them quickly (when the right time comes).
This is not how it is translated in any English version, so I may be wrong. However, it seems strange to me that both LSJ and BDAG had to create a special sense of "delay" for the sole purpose of having a place to put Luke 17:8. How can forbearance, patience and compassion become slow to help?
LSJ has: 2. to be slow to help, Ev.Luc.18.7.
BDAG has: ③ delay Lk 18:7 μακροθυμεῖ ... and difficult to interpret, ... may be transl.: will (God) delay long in helping them?
I cannot get this to fit the context, because there is clearly a delay (so BDAG added "long"), but the point seems to be that God has not forgotten them. He feels compassion for them but may also be longsuffering with the enemies, hoping that they will repent (taking the thought from 2 Peter).
Where I am wrong?
Iver Larsen
