God’s Word Translation
Luke 15:7
7I can guarantee that there will be more happiness in heaven over one person who turns to God and changes the way he thinks and acts than over 99 people who already have turned to God and have his approval.”
Luke 15:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
- New International Version (NIV)I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
Context of Luke 15:7
5When he finds it, he’s happy. He puts that sheep on his shoulders and 6goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says to them, ‘Let’s celebrate! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ I can guarantee that there will be more happiness in heaven over one person who turns to God and changes the way he thinks and acts than over 99 people who already have turned to God and have his approval.” 8“Suppose a woman has ten coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house, and look for the coin carefully until she finds it? 9When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Let’s celebrate! I’ve found the coin that I lost.’
Read all of Luke 15Luke 15:7 word by word
Λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὕτως χαρὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἔσται ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι ἢ ἐπὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα δικαίοις οἵτινες οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν μετανοίας.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- likewiseοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- joyχαράchara · joyG5479
- shall beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- heavenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- overἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- sinnerἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268
- that repentethμετανοέωmetanoeō · to repentG3340
- more thanἤē · orG2228
- ninety and nineἐνενήκονταennenēkontaennea · ninetyG1768
- just personsδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
- whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- ·ἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- noοὐou · noG3756
- repentanceμετάνοιαmetanoia · repentanceG3341
Cross-references for Luke 15:7
- Luke 15:32But we have something to celebrate, something to be happy about. This brother of yours was dead but has come back to life. He was lost but has been found.’ ”
- Luke 5:32I’ve come to call sinners to change the way they think and act, not to call people who think they have God’s approval.”
- Matthew 18:13I can guarantee this truth: If he finds it, he is happier about it than about the 99 that have not strayed.
- Luke 15:29But he answered his father, ‘All these years I’ve worked like a slave for you. I’ve never disobeyed one of your commands. Yet, you’ve never given me so much as a little goat for a celebration with my friends.
- Luke 16:15So Jesus said to them, “You try to justify your actions in front of people. But God knows what’s in your hearts. What is important to humans is disgusting to God.
- Luke 18:9Jesus also used this illustration with some who were sure that God approved of them while they looked down on everyone else.
- Proverbs 30:12A certain kind of person thinks he is pure but is not washed from his own feces.
- Romans 7:9At one time I was alive without any laws. But when this commandment came, sin became alive
- Philippians 3:6When it comes to being enthusiastic, I was a persecutor of the church. When it comes to winning God’s approval by obeying Jewish laws, I was perfect.
Commentaries on Luke 15:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Just persons, which need no repentance - Who do not require such a change of mind and purpose as these do - who are not so profligate, and cannot repent of sins they have never committed. Distinctions of this kind frequently occur in the Jewish writings. There are many persons who have been brought up in a sober and regular course of life, attending the ordinances of God, and being true and just in all their dealings; these most materially differ from the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Likewise joy - It is a principle of human nature that the “recovery” of an object in danger of being lost, affords much more intense joy than the quiet “possession” of many that are safe. This our Saviour illustrated by the case of the lost sheep and of the piece of silver. It might also be illustrated by many other things. Thus we rejoice most in our health when we recover from a dangerous disease; we rejoice over a child rescued from danger or disease…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-32Chapter 15 contains three related parables of things lost and found: a sheep (15:1–7), a coin (15:8–10), and a son (15:11–32). The loss of something loved causes deep sorrow, whereas finding it brings great joy. There is great rejoicing in heaven when lost sinners return to their heavenly Father.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 15:7
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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