Luke 13:18

Luke 13:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
• New International Version (NIV)Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?
• English Standard Version (ESV)He said therefore, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

Context of Luke 13:18

16Now look at this woman. She belongs to the family of Abraham. But a bad spirit from the Devil has made her ill for 18 years. It is like he has tied her up. So it must be right to make her free on our day of rest.’ 17These words made the leaders of the meeting place feel ashamed. But the other people there were very happy. They were happy because they had seen Jesus do many good and powerful things. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I will tell you a story about the kingdom of God and what it is like. 19It is like a very small seed of the plant called mustard. A man took this seed and he planted it in his garden. The seed grew and it became a tree. It was so big that birds came and made their nests among its branches.’ 20Jesus then said, ‘Here is another example of what the kingdom of God is like.

Luke 13:18 word by word

Ἔλεγεν οὖν· τίνι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τίνι ὁμοιώσω αὐτήν;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenδέde · thenG1161
• said heλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Unto whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the kingdomὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the kingdomβασιλείαbasileia · kingdomG932
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• likeὅμοιοςhomoios · likeG3664
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• shall I resembleὁμοιόωhomoioō · to likenG3666
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Luke 13:18

• Luke 13:20Jesus then said, ‘Here is another example of what the kingdom of God is like.
• Luke 7:31Jesus continued to teach. He said, ‘I will talk to you about the people that are alive today. I will tell you what they are like.
• Lamentations 2:13I want to help you people of Jerusalem, but there is nothing that I can say to you. I do not know about anything like what has happened to you. God has destroyed Zion completely! I do not know anyone who can make you people better.
• Matthew 13:31Jesus told the people another story. He said, ‘I will tell you again what the kingdom of heaven is like. It is like a very small seed of the plant called mustard. A man took this seed and he planted it in his field.
• Luke 17:21Nobody will say, “Look everyone! God is ruling here,” or “Look! God is ruling over there.” No, it is not like that. God is already ruling in the lives of his people.’
• Mark 4:26Then Jesus said, ‘I will tell you a story about the kingdom of God. It is like this: A man throws seeds in his field.

Commentaries on Luke 13:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18The kingdom - is like a grain of mustard seed - See on Matthew 13:31; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 See these parables explained in the notes at Matthew 13:31-32.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Mt 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the little one becomes a thousand.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-21The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast reveal the nature of the kingdom of God. Like a mustard seed, it grows from a tiny size until it becomes large. Like yeast (leaven) in dough, it spreads through everything.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-3018-21. mustard seed ... leaven--(See on Mr 4:30-32). The parable of "the Leaven" sets forth, perhaps, rather the inward growth of the kingdom, while "the Mustard Seed" seems to point chiefly to the outward. It being a woman's work to knead, it seems a refinement to say that "the woman" here represents the Church, as the instrument of depositing the leaven. Nor does it yield much satisfaction to understand the "three measures of meal" of that threefold…Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 13:18

• Gospel
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Kingdom of Heaven

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Kingdom of God
• Bind
• Mustard
• Nay
• Repent
• Jesus Christ
• Luke, the Gospel of
• Mark, the Gospel According to

Commentaries on Luke 13

• 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