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Luke 11

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.

If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

What does Luke 11:32 mean?

Explanation

Luke 11:32 speaks to a moment when Jesus is addressing the people of His generation.

The verse captures Jesus making a comparison between the people of Nineveh in ancient times and His contemporaries.

He refers to the biblical story of Jonah, who was sent by God to the city of Nineveh to warn them of impending divine wrath if they did not repent from their wicked ways.

The people of Nineveh did repent, and God spared the city from destruction.

Jesus uses this story to critique the people around Him who have witnessed His works and teachings yet refuse to repent and believe in His message.

He indicates that the Ninevites will stand as a testimony against His generation since they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah (referring to Himself) is present but they do not repent.

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Historical Context

The Gospel of Luke is one of the four canonical Gospels in the New Testament that details the life, teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is traditionally believed to have been written by Luke, a companion of the Apostle Paul, around AD 80-110.

This verse reflects a common theme where Jesus compares the responses of people from the past with those of the people He encounters in His ministry.

Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city known for its strength and wickedness, and its repentance was an important example of a collective turning to God.

The Gospel of Luke was written in a time when the early Christian community was defining itself in relation to the broader Jewish tradition and the surrounding Greco-Roman culture.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse is significant in multiple ways:

Divine Patience and Mercy: It underscores the mercy and patience of God who sends prophets to warn and guide people towards repentance.
Judgment: It suggests there will be a final judgment where people's responses to God's messengers will be a criterion for judgment.
Authenticity of Jesus: By saying "a greater than Jonas is here," Jesus asserts His superiority and authenticity as a divine messenger, if not the Son of God.
Repentance: The necessity of repentance is highlighted and acts as a pivotal theme in the concept of salvation in Christian theology.

Practical Applications

The verse can apply to modern life in a number of ways:

Heed Warnings: When warnings come, whether in personal, spiritual, or communal contexts, they should be heeded.
Opportunities for Repentance: It encourages individuals to not take the opportunities for change and repentance for granted.
Reflection on Response to Divine: Reflect on how we respond to the messages that are believed to be from God, or the divine, within our lives.
Evaluation of Spiritual Leaders: Consider the authenticity and messages of spiritual leaders and whether their teaching leads to transformation and repentance.

Cross-References

Jonah’s Story: Jonah 3:5-10 - "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them."
Future Judgment: Matthew 12:41 - "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."
Importance of Repentance: Acts 17:30 - "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:"

Language Study

In the original Greek text, key words that stand out include:

"ἀναστήσονται" (anastēsontai) - shall rise up, indicating a resurrection or standing again.
"κατακρίνουσιν" (katakrinousin) - shall condemn, suggesting judgment against.
"μετενόησαν" (metenoēsan) - they repented, meaning they changed their mind or direction.
"Ιωνᾶ" (Iōna) or Jonas - referring to the prophet Jonah.
"πλεῖον" (pleion) - greater, meaning larger, more important, or of higher quality.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In other ancient cultures, the idea of prophetic warnings and the response of the people to these warnings is also a familiar theme. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, for example, divine warnings and the need for repentance appear.

However, the Jewish-Christian tradition uniquely emphasizes the mercy and patience of God paired with the responsibility of the people to respond to God's call through their prophets.

Scientific Perspectives

There is no direct link between scientific perspectives and the theological and moral lessons being offered in Luke 11:32. The warnings of judgment and calls to repentance are more in the realm of moral psychology, ethics, and spiritual beliefs rather than empirical scientific study.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians present their interpretation of this verse within the broader narrative of Luke’s Gospel:

John Calvin emphasizes God's leniency in giving people the chance to repent, shown by the example of the Ninevites.
William Barclay highlights the decisive moment of repentance and the indictment of those who hear the word of God but ignore it.
Matthew Henry interprets this as a rebuke to the impenitent, noticing the severity of the comparison Jesus makes between the Ninevites and His generation.
The Pulpit Commentary discusses the generational judgment, where the actions of a prior generation are used as a standard to highlight the unbelief and hardness of heart of Jesus' contemporaries.

Luke 11

Luke 11

What does Luke 11:32 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 11:32 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?