Luke 14:12

Luke 14:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.

Context of Luke 14:12

10But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

Luke 14:12 word by word

Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ τῷ κεκληκότι αὐτόν· ὅταν ποιῇς ἄριστον ἢ δεῖπνον, μὴ φώνει τοὺς φίλους σου μηδὲ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου μηδὲ τοὺς συγγενεῖς σου μηδὲ γείτονας πλουσίους μήποτε καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀντικαλέσωσίν σε καὶ γένηται ἀνταπόδομά σοι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Thenδέde · thenG1161
• said heλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• to himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• bade himκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• Whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
• thou makestποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• a dinnerἄριστονariston · early mealG712
• orἤē · orG2228
• a supperδεῖπνονdeipnon · dinnerG1173
• callφωνέωphōneō · to callG5455
• notμήmē · notG3361
• thyσύsu · youG4771
• friendsφίλοςphilos · friendly/friendG5384
• norμηδέmēde · norG3366
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• kinsmenσυγγενήςsuggenēs · kindredG4773
• richπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
• neighboursγείτωνgeitōn · neighbourG1069
• lestμήποτεmēpote mē pote · lestG3379
• bidἀντικαλέωantikaleō · to invite in returnG479
• a recompenceἀνταπόδομαantapodoma · repaymentG468
• be madeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096

Cross-references for Luke 14:12

• Luke 1:53he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
• Proverbs 14:20The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.
• Proverbs 22:16Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
• James 2:1My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
• Luke 6:32"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
• Zechariah 7:5"Say to all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?
• Matthew 5:46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
• Matthew 6:1"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Commentaries on Luke 14:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Call not thy friends, etc. - Our Lord certainly does not mean that a man should not entertain at particular times, his friends, etc.; but what he inculcates here is charity to the poor; and what he condemns is those entertainments which are given to the rich, either to flatter them, or to procure a similar return; because the money that is thus criminally laid out properly belongs to the poor.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Call not thy friends … - This is not to be understood as commanding us not to entertain “at all” our relatives and friends; but we are to remember the “design” with which our Lord spoke. He intended, doubtless, to reprove those who sought the society of the wealthy, and particularly rich relatives, and those who claimed to be intimate with the great and honorable, and who, to show their intimacy, were in the habit of “seeking” their society, and making…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-14Verses 7-14 Even in the common actions of life, Christ marks what we do, not only in our religious assemblies, but at our tables. We see in many cases, that a man's pride will bring him low, and before honour is humility. Our Saviour here teaches, that works of charity are better than works of show. But our Lord did not mean that a proud and unbelieving liberality should be rewarded, but that his precept of doing good to the poor and afflicted should be…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-13do not invite your friends: Jesus challenged the common use of banquets to show and increase social status in the community. A host would invite friends of similar status and a few people of higher status. Those honored guests were then expected to invite the host back, which could improve the host’s reputation and position. Jesus turned this social order upside down by telling his followers to invite people who had no status and could not repay them. In…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1412-14. call not thy friends--Jesus certainly did not mean us to dispense with the duties of ordinary fellowship, but, remitting these to their proper place, inculcates what is better [Bengel]. lest ... a recompense be given thee--a fear the world is not afflicted with [Bengel]. The meaning, however, is that no exercise of principle is involved in it, as selfishness itself will suffice to prompt to it (Mt 5:46, 47).Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 14:12

• Hospitality
• Jesus, the Christ
• Poor

In the dictionaries

• Compel
• Condition
• Consent
• Consult
• Dine
• Eating
• Exalt
• Excuse
• Halt
• Hate

Commentaries on Luke 14

• 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