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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 11:33 mean?

Explanation

The verse Luke 11:33 speaks about the appropriate and intended use of light.

It illustrates the logical behavior of someone who has lit a candle: they don't hide it but rather place it where it can fulfill its purpose, to give light to everyone who enters the room.

At a deeper level, the verse metaphorically suggests that spiritual or personal enlightenment, symbolized by the lit candle, is not to be concealed but shared.

It implies that those who have received knowledge or truth have an obligation to make it visible so that others may benefit from it.

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

The Gospel of Luke is one of the four canonical gospels and is believed to have been written around 70-90 AD.

The gospel's authorship is traditionally attributed to Luke the Evangelist.

This passage is part of a larger section where Jesus is teaching and addressing the crowd about the Kingdom of God.

During this time, the use of candles or lamps was common for lighting homes after dark.

The high cost and practical value of light would have made it something people were careful to utilize fully.

The analogy Jesus employs would be easily understood by his audience.

Theological Insights

From a theological standpoint, this verse can be interpreted in several ways:

Light as truth: Some theologians view the lighted candle as the truth of the gospel message.

As such, the verse is an admonition to believers to openly share the message of Jesus Christ with others.

Light as personal witness and testimony: Others suggest that this refers to how followers of Jesus should live their lives transparently, letting their faith be evident to all, so that they might draw others to God.

Light as divine knowledge or revelation: The verse could also be seen as emphasizing God’s desire for His divine revelation, once given, to be accessible to all people.

Practical Applications

In practical terms, this verse encourages individuals to be open about their faith and beliefs, not hiding their spiritual 'light.' It could be a call for transparency in actions and words, or an encouragement to use one's abilities and wisdom to enlighten and help those around them.

This concept can be applied to sharing knowledge, offering guidance, or simply being an example of good and ethical behavior in one's community.

Cross-References

Matthew 5:15-16: "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."
Mark 4:21: "And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?"
John 8:12: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text include:

"candle" (λύχνος, lychnos): Often referring to a portable oil lamp rather than a wax candle.
"secret place" (κρυπτόν, krupton): Hidden or concealed; suggests a deliberate hiding.
"bushel" (μόδιος, modios): A bowl or vessel, likely representing inhibitions that prevent the light from being seen.
"candlestick" (λυχνία, luchnia): A lampstand or place where a lamp would be set for maximum light dissemination.

These words reflect the importance of visibility, purposeful placement, and the negation of concealment for the light to fulfill its function.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient cultures and religions, light is symbolic of knowledge, truth, and purity.

In ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire (a source of light) from the gods to give to humanity, symbolizing the spread of knowledge.

Similarly, in Buddhism, light is associated with wisdom and enlightenment, and the Diwali festival in Hinduism celebrates the victory of light over darkness.

These cultural and religious themes resonate with the use of light as a metaphor for truth in Luke 11:33.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific perspective, light is essential for life and visibility.

In terms of human psychology, people often feel safer and more comfortable in well-lit environments.

This might reflect the human tendency to share beneficial discoveries with the community, paralleling the biblical encouragement to share spiritual enlightenment for the benefit of all.

Commentaries

Commentators on the Bible have varying interpretations of Luke 11:33.

Some, such as Matthew Henry, emphasize the duty of Christians to let their spiritual light shine before others, reflecting Jesus' demand for an open proclamation of the message of salvation. Others focus on the imperative to live one's faith authentically and visibly, without hypocrisy.

Scholars such as I. Howard Marshall and Joel B. Green highlight the contrast between those who have received enlightenment and therefore should not hide it, and those who have yet to receive it but need to.

Luke 11

Luke 11

What does Luke 11:33 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 11:33 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?