Luke 15:4

Luke 15:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
• New International Version (NIV)“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
• English Standard Version (ESV)"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

Context of Luke 15:4

2Both the Pharisees and the scribes began muttering and complaining, saying, “This man accepts and welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3So He told them this parable: “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost, [searching] until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he gets home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’

Luke 15:4 word by word

τίς ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ὑμῶν ἔχων ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ ἀπολέσας ἐξ αὐτῶν ἓν οὐ καταλείπει τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ πορεύεται ἐπὶ τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ἕως εὕρῃ αὐτό;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• youσύsu · youG4771
• havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• an hundredἑκατόνhekaton · hundredG1540
• sheepπρόβατονprobaton · sheepG4263
• ifκαίkai · andG2532
• he loseἀπολλύωapollumi · to destroyG622
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• dothκαταλείπωkataleipō · to leave behindG2641
• notοὐou · noG3756
• the ninety and nineἐνενήκονταennenēkontaennea · ninetyG1768
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the wildernessἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048
• goπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
• afterἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• untilἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• he findεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147

Cross-references for Luke 15:4

• Luke 13:15But the Lord replied to him, “You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it?
• Matthew 12:11But He said to them, “What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
• Matthew 18:12“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that is lost?
• Romans 2:1Therefore you have no excuse or justification, everyone of you who [hypocritically] judges and condemns others; for in passing judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, because you who judge [from a position of arrogance or self-righteousness] are habitually practicing the very same things [which you denounce].
• Psalms 119:176I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.
• Isaiah 53:6All of us like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, each one, to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] To fall on Him [instead of us].
• Jeremiah 50:6“My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside [to the seductive places of idolatry] on the mountains. They have gone along [from one sin to another] from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their [own] resting place.
• Ezekiel 34:8“As I live,” says the Lord God, “certainly because My flock has become prey, My flock has even become food for every predator of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock;
• John 10:15even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My [very own] life [sacrificing it] for the benefit of the sheep.
• 1 Peter 2:25For you were continually wandering like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

Commentaries on Luke 15:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4What man of you - Our Lord spoke this and the following parable to justify his conduct in receiving and conversing with sinners or heathens. A hundred sheep - Parables similar to this are frequent among the Jewish writers. The whole flock of mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, belongs unto this Divine Shepherd; and it is but reasonable to expect, that the gracious proprietor will look after those who have gone astray, and bring them back to the flock. The…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4-6Verses 4-6 See the notes at Matthew 18:12-13.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4A flock of a hundred sheep was of average size for a shepherd of modest means. God’s people are often identified as the Lord’s flock (Psalm 23; Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 13:17; Ezekiel 34; Zechariah 10:3). leave the ninety-nine: Other shepherds could watch the ninety-nine, so those left behind were not in danger. The shepherd would do anything to find the one that was lost.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-73-7. Occurring again (Mt 18:12-14); but there to show how precious one of His sheep is to the Good Shepherd; here, to show that the shepherd, though the sheep stray never so widely, will seek it out, and when he hath found, will rejoice over it.Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 15:4

• God Continued...
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Lost Sheep
• Penitent
• Pharisees
• Repentance
• Salvation
• Sheep

In the dictionaries

• Alive
• Compassion
• Desert
• Devour
• Divide
• Fain
• Heaven
• Living
• Meet
• Mighty

Commentaries on Luke 15

• 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
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• 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