A.T. Robertson Commentary Luke 10:40

"But Martha was cumbered about much serving; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me." — Luke 10:40 (ASV)

Was cumbered (περιεσπατο). Imperfect passive of περισπαω, an old verb with vivid metaphor, to draw around. One has sometimes seen women whose faces are literally drawn round with anxiety, with a permanent twist, distracted in mind and in looks.

She came up to him (επιστασα). Second aorist active participle of εφιστημ, an old verb to place upon, but in the N.T. only in the middle voice or the intransitive tenses of the active (perfect and second aorist as here). It is the ingressive aorist here and really means. stepping up to or bursting in or upon Jesus. It is an explosive act as is the speech of Martha.

Dost thou not care (ου μελε σο). This was a reproach to Jesus for monopolizing Mary to Martha's hurt.

Did leave me (με κατελειπεν). Imperfect active, she kept on leaving me.

Bid her (ειπον αυτη). Late form instead of ειπε, second aorist active imperative, common in the papyri. Martha feels that Jesus is the key to Mary's help.

That she help me (ινα μο συναντιλαβητα). Sub-final use of ινα with second aorist middle subjunctive of συναντιλαμβανομα, a double compound verb (συν, with, αντ, at her end of the line, and λαμβανομα, middle voice of λαμβανω, to take hold), a late compound appearing in the LXX, Diodorus and Josephus. Deissmann (Light from the Ancient East, p. 87) finds it in many widely scattered inscriptions "throughout the whole extent of the Hellenistic world of the Mediterranean." It appears only twice in the N.T. . It is a beautiful word, to take hold oneself (middle voice) at his end of the task (αντ) together with (συν) one.