Commentary
Old Testament : Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
The Song of Songs
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
![](images/minus.gif)
Text -- Luke 12:12-59 (NET)
![](images/arrow_open.gif)
Strongs On/Off
Context
12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you must say .”
The Parable of the Rich Landowner
12:13 Then someone from the crowd said to him , “Teacher , tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me .”
12:14 But Jesus said to him , “Man , who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?”
12:15 Then he said to them , “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed , because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions .”
12:16 He then told them a parable : “The land of a certain rich man produced an abundant crop ,
12:17 so he thought to himself , ‘What should I do , for I have nowhere to store my crops ?’
12:18 Then he said , ‘I will do this : I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones , and there I will store all my grain and my goods .
12:19 And I will say to myself , “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years ; relax , eat , drink , celebrate !”’
12:20 But God said to him , ‘You fool ! This very night your life will be demanded back from you , but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
12:21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself , but is not rich toward God .”
Exhortation Not to Worry
12:22 Then Jesus said to his disciples , “Therefore I tell you , do not worry about your life , what you will eat , or about your body , what you will wear .
12:23 For there is more to life than food , and more to the body than clothing .
12:24 Consider the ravens : They do not sow or reap , they have no storeroom or barn , yet God feeds them . How much more valuable are you than the birds !
12:25 And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life ?
12:26 So if you cannot cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about the rest ?
12:27 Consider how the flowers grow ; they do not work or spin . Yet I tell you , not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these !
12:28 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass , which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven , how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith !
12:29 So do not be overly concerned about what you will eat and what you will drink , and do not worry about such things.
12:30 For all the nations of the world pursue these things , and your Father knows that you need them .
12:31 Instead , pursue his kingdom , and these things will be given to you as well.
12:32 “Do not be afraid , little flock , for your Father is well pleased to give you the kingdom .
12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor . Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven that never decreases , where no thief approaches and no moth destroys .
12:34 For where your treasure is , there your heart will be also .
Call to Faithful Stewardship
12:35 “Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning ;
12:36 be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration , so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him .
12:37 Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns ! I tell you the truth , he will dress himself to serve , have them take their place at the table , and will come and wait on them !
12:38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves !
12:39 But understand this : If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming , he would not have let his house be broken into .
12:40 You also must be ready , because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
12:41 Then Peter said , “Lord , are you telling this parable for us or for everyone ?”
12:42 The Lord replied , “Who then is the faithful and wise manager , whom the master puts in charge of his household servants , to give them their allowance of food at the proper time ?
12:43 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns .
12:44 I tell you the truth , the master will put him in charge of all his possessions .
12:45 But if that slave should say to himself , ‘My master is delayed in returning ,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves , both men and women , and to eat , drink , and get drunk ,
12:46 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee , and will cut him in two , and assign him a place with the unfaithful .
12:47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating .
12:48 But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating . From everyone who has been given much , much will be required , and from the one who has been entrusted with much , even more will be asked .
Not Peace, but Division
12:49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth – and how I wish it were already kindled !
12:50 I have a baptism to undergo , and how distressed I am until it is finished !
12:51 Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth ? No , I tell you , but rather division !
12:52 For from now on there will be five in one household divided , three against two and two against three .
12:53 They will be divided , father against son and son against father , mother against daughter and daughter against mother , mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law .”
Reading the Signs
12:54 Jesus also said to the crowds , “When you see a cloud rising in the west , you say at once , ‘A rainstorm is coming ,’ and it does .
12:55 And when you see the south wind blowing , you say , ‘There will be scorching heat ,’ and there is .
12:56 You hypocrites ! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky , but how can you not know how to interpret the present time ?
Clear the Debts
12:57 “And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right ?
12:58 As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate , make an effort to settle with him on the way , so that he will not drag you before the judge , and the judge hand you over to the officer , and the officer throw you into prison .
12:59 I tell you , you will never get out of there until you have paid the very last cent !”
![](images/advanced.gif)
![](images/advanced.gif)
![](images/advanced.gif)
Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
![](images/arrow_open.gif)
Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
LUKE, THE GOSPEL OF |
Jesus, The Christ |
WEALTH, WEALTHY |
Commandments |
Servant |
Faith |
Anxiety |
Blessing |
JESUS CHRIST, 4D |
Greed |
Rich, The |
SONS OF GOD (NEW TESTAMENT) |
Watchfulness |
Steward |
Adoni-zedec |
LAZARUS |
Minister |
Strife |
Happiness |
Self-indulgence |
more
![](images/cmt_minus_head.gif)
expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Luk 12:12; Luk 12:12; Luk 12:13; Luk 12:13; Luk 12:14; Luk 12:14; Luk 12:14; Luk 12:15; Luk 12:15; Luk 12:15; Luk 12:16; Luk 12:16; Luk 12:16; Luk 12:17; Luk 12:17; Luk 12:17; Luk 12:18; Luk 12:18; Luk 12:19; Luk 12:20; Luk 12:20; Luk 12:20; Luk 12:21; Luk 12:22; Luk 12:22; Luk 12:22; Luk 12:22; Luk 12:22; Luk 12:22; Luk 12:24; Luk 12:24; Luk 12:25; Luk 12:25; Luk 12:26; Luk 12:26; Luk 12:27; Luk 12:27; Luk 12:28; Luk 12:28; Luk 12:28; Luk 12:28; Luk 12:28; Luk 12:28; Luk 12:29; Luk 12:29; Luk 12:29; Luk 12:30; Luk 12:31; Luk 12:31; Luk 12:31; Luk 12:32; Luk 12:33; Luk 12:33; Luk 12:33; Luk 12:33; Luk 12:33; Luk 12:34; Luk 12:35; Luk 12:35; Luk 12:36; Luk 12:36; Luk 12:37; Luk 12:37; Luk 12:37; Luk 12:37; Luk 12:37; Luk 12:37; Luk 12:37; Luk 12:38; Luk 12:38; Luk 12:38; Luk 12:39; Luk 12:39; Luk 12:40; Luk 12:41; Luk 12:41; Luk 12:42; Luk 12:42; Luk 12:42; Luk 12:43; Luk 12:43; Luk 12:44; Luk 12:44; Luk 12:45; Luk 12:45; Luk 12:45; Luk 12:45; Luk 12:45; Luk 12:45; Luk 12:45; Luk 12:46; Luk 12:46; Luk 12:47; Luk 12:47; Luk 12:48; Luk 12:48; Luk 12:48; Luk 12:48; Luk 12:48; Luk 12:48; Luk 12:49; Luk 12:49; Luk 12:50; Luk 12:50; Luk 12:51; Luk 12:52; Luk 12:53; Luk 12:54; Luk 12:54; Luk 12:54; Luk 12:55; Luk 12:56; Luk 12:56; Luk 12:57; Luk 12:58; Luk 12:58; Luk 12:59; Luk 12:59
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:13 Tell my brother. In 1st century Jewish culture, a figure like a rabbi was often asked to mediate disputes, except that here mediation was not requeste...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:14 The pronoun ὑμᾶς (Jumas) is plural, referring to both the man and his brother; thus the translation “you two.”
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:15 Or “avarice,” “covetousness.” Note the warning covers more than money and gets at the root attitude – the strong desire ...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:17 I have nowhere to store my crops. The thinking here is prudent in terms of recognizing the problem. The issue in the parable will be the rich man̵...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:18 Note how often the first person pronoun is present in these verses. The farmer is totally self absorbed.
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:19 Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:20 Grk “the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The words “for yourself” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:21 It is selfishness that is rebuked here, in the accumulation of riches for himself. Recall the emphasis on the first person pronouns throughout the par...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:22 Some mss (B 070 Ë13 33 1424 al) supply the pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here, although the witnesses for the om...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:24 Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:25 Or “a cubit to his height.” A cubit (πῆχυς, phcu") can measure length (normally about 45 cm or 18 inches) o...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:27 Traditionally, “toil.” Although it might be argued that “work hard” would be a more precise translation of κοπ&...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:28 The phrase how much more is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater. If God cares for the little things, surely he wi...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:29 The words “about such things” have been supplied to qualify the meaning; the phrase relates to obtaining food and drink mentioned in the p...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:31 His (that is, God’s) kingdom is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:2...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:33 The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&a...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:34 Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so; see Luke 6:35-36.
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:37 He…will come and wait on them is a reversal of expectation, but shows that what Jesus asks for he is willing to do as well; see John 13:5 and 15...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:38 Grk “blessed are they”; the referent (the watchful slaves, v. 37) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:39 Most mss (א1 A B L Q W Θ Ψ 070 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat syp,h sams bo) read “he would have watched and not let” here, but ...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:40 Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it might take some time – so long, in fact, that some would not be looking fo...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:41 Is the parable only for disciples (us) or for all humanity (everyone)? Or does Peter mean for disciples (us) or for the crowd (everyone)? The fact tha...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:42 This term, θεραπεία (qerapeia), describes the group of servants working in a particular household (L&N 46....
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:44 Grk “he”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity. See also Luke 19:11-27.
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:45 Grk “the menservants and the maidservants.” The term here, used in both masculine and feminine grammatical forms, is παῖ...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:46 Or “unbelieving.” Here the translation employs the slightly more ambiguous “unfaithful,” which creates a link with the point o...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:47 Grk “or do according to his will”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This example deals with th...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:49 Grk “cast.” For βάλλω (ballw) in the sense of causing a state or condition, see L&N 13.14.
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:51 Or “hostility.” This term pictures dissension and hostility (BDAG 234 s.v. διαμερισμό ...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:53 There is dispute whether this phrase belongs to the end of v. 52 or begins v. 53. Given the shift of object, a connection to v. 53 is slightly preferr...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:54 The term ὄμβρος (ombro") refers to heavy rain, such as in a thunderstorm (L&N 14.12).
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:56 Most mss (Ì45 A W Ψ Ë1,13 Ï lat) have a syntax here that reflects a slightly different rhetorical question: “but how do you ...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:57 Jesus calls for some personal reflection. However, this unit probably does connect to the previous one – thus the translation of δέ (d...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)
NET Notes: Luk 12:58 The officer (πράκτωρ, praktwr) was a civil official who functioned like a bailiff and was in charge of debtor’...
![](images/cmt_minus.gif)