Luke 12:48

Luke 12:48 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
• New International Version (NIV)But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Context of Luke 12:48

46the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47And that servant who knew his master’s will, and yet did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will be beaten with many lashes [of the whip], but the one who did not know it and did things worthy of a beating, will receive only a few [lashes]. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. 49“I have come to cast fire (judgment) on the earth; and how I wish that it were already kindled! 50I have a baptism [of great suffering] with which to be baptized, and how [greatly] I am distressed until it is accomplished!

Luke 12:48 word by word

ὁ δὲ μὴ γνοὺς ποιήσας δὲ ἄξια πληγῶν δαρήσεται ὀλίγας. παντὶ δὲ ᾧ ἐδόθη πολύ, πολὺ ζητηθήσεται παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ᾧ παρέθεντο πολύ, περισσότερον αἰτήσουσιν αὐτόν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• he that knewγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• notμήmē · notG3361
• did commitποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• things worthyἄξιοςaxios · worthyG514
• of stripesπληγήplēgē · plague/blow/woundG4127
• shall be beatenδέρωderō · to beat upG1194
• with fewὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
• unto whomsoeverπᾶςpas · allG3956
• ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• muchπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• is givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• ofπαράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• shall beζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• men have committedπαρατίθημιparatithēmi · to set beforeG3908
• they will askαἰτέωaiteō · to askG154
• the moreπερισσόςperissos · excessiveG4053

Cross-references for Luke 12:48

• Leviticus 5:17“Now if anyone sins and does any of the things which the Lord has forbidden, though he was not aware of it, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
• Acts 17:30Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives],
• Romans 2:12For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without [regard to] the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged and condemned by the Law.
• 1 Timothy 1:13even though I was formerly a blasphemer [of our Lord] and a persecutor [of His church] and a shameful and outrageous and violent aggressor [toward believers]. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief.
• Luke 16:2So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management [of my affairs], for you can no longer be [my] manager.’
• Genesis 39:8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me in the house, my master does not concern himself with anything; he has put everything that he owns in my charge.
• Matthew 25:14“For it is just like a man who was about to take a journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his possessions.
• John 15:22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have [the guilt of their] sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
• 1 Corinthians 9:17For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have a reward; but if it is not of my will [but by God’s choosing], I have been entrusted with a [sacred] stewardship.
• 1 Timothy 1:11according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
• 1 Timothy 6:20O Timothy, guard and keep safe the deposit [of godly truth] entrusted to you, turn away from worldly and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], and the contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
• James 3:1Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly].

Commentaries on Luke 12:48

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 48Shall be beaten with few - For petty offenses the Jews in many cases inflicted so few as four, five, and six stripes. See examples in Lightfoot. From this and the preceding verse we find that it is a crime to be ignorant of God's will; because to every one God has given less or more of the means of instruction. Those who have had much light, or the opportunity of receiving much, and have not improved it to their own salvation, and the good of others…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 48Few stripes - The Jews never inflicted more than forty stripes for one offence, Deuteronomy 25:3. For smaller offences they inflicted only four, five, six, etc., according to the nature of the crime. In allusion to this, our Lord says that he “that knew not” - that is, he who had comparatively little knowledge - would suffer a punishment proportionally light. He refers, doubtless, to those who have fewer opportunities, smaller gifts, or fewer teachers…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 41-53Verses 41-53 All are to take to themselves what Christ says in his word, and to inquire concerning it. No one is left so ignorant as not to know many things to be wrong which he does, and many things to be right which he neglects; therefore all are without excuse in their sin. The bringing in the gospel dispensation would occasion desolations. Not that this would be the tendency of Christ's religion, which is pure, peaceable, and loving; but the effect of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 47-48Who knows ... who unknowingly: Sins committed in ignorance receive less punishment than deliberate sins (Numbers 15:22–26; Psalm 19:13; compare Luke 23:34). From everyone who has been given much: Believers will be held responsible for the knowledge and resources they have been given (James 3:1). A sin in ignorance is still a sin.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 41-4841-48. unto us or even to all?--us the Twelve, or all this vast audience?Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 12:48

• Blindness
• Ignorance
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Judgment
• Punishment
• Servant
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Beat
• Divide
• Divider
• Forewarn
• Hell
• Hypocrisy
• Judgment, The final
• Teach
• Visit

Commentaries on Luke 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings