Luke 17:10

Luke 17:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
• New International Version (NIV)So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

Context of Luke 17:10

8No, you would not say that. You would say to your servant, “Prepare my meal for me. Dress yourself properly and bring the food to me. I will eat and drink first. You can eat when I have finished.” 9Servants should do what their masters tell them to do. When they do that, their masters do not need to thank them. It is the same with you. The Master tells you what you should do. So when you have done all of it, you should say, “We are not special servants. We have only done what we should do.” ’ 11On his journey to Jerusalem, Jesus was travelling along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12When he was going into a village, ten men came towards him. These men had a bad disease of the skin. They stopped and stood a long way away from Jesus.

Luke 17:10 word by word

οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὅταν ποιήσητε πάντα τὰ διαταχθέντα ὑμῖν, λέγετε ὅτι δοῦλοι ἀχρεῖοί ἐσμεν· ὃ ὠφείλομεν ποιῆσαι πεποιήκαμεν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• likewiseκαίkai · andG2532
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
• ye shall have doneποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• those things whichὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• are commandedδιατάσσωdiatassō · to directG1299
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• We areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• unprofitableἀχρεῖοςachreios · worthlessG888
• servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• that whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• was our dutyὀφείλωopheilō opheileō · to oweG3784

Cross-references for Luke 17:10

• 1 Chronicles 29:14But I and my people are like nothing. How are we able to give all these gifts to help your work? Everything that we have comes from you. So we are giving back to you things that already belong to you.
• Job 22:2‘Nothing that a man can do will help God. Even a wise man cannot help God.
• Job 35:6If you do something that is wrong, it does not hurt God. Even if you do many wrong things, it does nothing to him.
• Psalms 16:2I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord. All the good things that I have in my life are gifts from you.’
• Psalms 35:6Make their way dark and dangerous, as the angel of the Lord chases after them.
• Proverbs 16:2You may think that everything you do is right, but the Lord knows exactly why you are doing it.
• Isaiah 6:5Then I said, ‘It is bad for me! My life is at an end! I have lips that are unclean. I live among people with lips that are unclean. With my own eyes I have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’
• Isaiah 64:6Our sins have made us all like unclean people, who cannot worship you. Even the good things that we try to do are like dirty bits of cloth. Our sins will blow us all away, as the wind blows away dead leaves.
• Matthew 25:30This servant cannot work for me any longer. Take him outside and throw him into a dark place. There, people will cry and they will bite their teeth together.” ’
• Romans 3:12Everyone has turned away from God. All people have become completely bad. Nobody does what is good or kind. There is not even one person who is like that.
• Romans 11:35‘Nobody has ever given anything to God, so that God had a debt to pay back to them.’
• 1 Corinthians 9:16I tell God's good news to people. But I have no reason to be proud because of that. It is something that I have to do. If I did not tell the good news, it would bring me great trouble.
• 1 Corinthians 15:9Among all the apostles, I am the least important. I caused so much trouble for God's church that people should not really call me an apostle.
• Philippians 3:8Yes, now that I know Christ Jesus as my Lord, that is the most valuable thing. Nothing else is important at all. I have thrown everything else away, so that I can serve Christ. All those other things are like dirt to me. I think about them like that, so that I can have Christ.
• Philemon 1:11Before he trusted Jesus, Onesimus did not really help you. But now he can help both you and me.
• 1 Peter 5:5I want to say the same thing to you who are young men. You must respect the authority of the leaders. All of you who are believers must respect one another. Do not think that you are more important than other people. The Bible says: ‘God is against proud people. But he is kind to humble people.’

Commentaries on Luke 17:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10We are unprofitable servants - This text has often been produced to prove that no man can live without committing sin against God. But let it be observed, the text says unprofitable servants, not sinful servants. If this text could be fairly construed to countenance sinful imperfection, it would be easy to demonstrate that there is not one of the spirits of just men made perfect, in paradise, nor a ministering angel at the throne of God, but is sinfully…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10Are unprofitable servants - We have conferred no favor. We have “merited” nothing. We have not “benefited” God, or laid him under “obligation.” If he rewards us, it will be matter of unmerited favor. This is true in relation to Christians in the following respects: 1.Our services are not “profitable” to God Job 22:2; he “needs” not our aid, and his essential happiness will not be increased by our efforts. 2.The grace to do his will comes from him only…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-10In Greco-Roman culture, servants were expected to serve their masters faithfully. Faith (17:5–6) includes obeying Christ and submitting to his commands.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-107-10. say unto him by and by--The "by and by" (or rather "directly") should be joined not to the saying but the going: "Go directly." The connection here is: "But when your faith has been so increased as both to avoid and forgive offenses, and do things impossible to all but faith, be not puffed up as though you had laid the Lord under any obligations to you."Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 17:10

• Duty
• Humility
• Jesus, the Christ
• Supererogation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Duty
• Grace
• Justice
• Luke, the Gospel of
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Martha
• Salvation
• Year

Commentaries on Luke 17

• 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