Luke 12:15

Luke 12:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
• New International Version (NIV)Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Context of Luke 12:15

13Now someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14But He said to him, “You there--who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?” But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” 16And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’

Luke 12:15 word by word

Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς· ὁρᾶτε καὶ φυλάσσεσθε ἀπὸ πάσης πλεονεξίας, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν τινὶ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ.¶Read the interlinear

• But He saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Bewareὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• and be on your guardφυλάσσωphulassō · to keep/guard: protectG5442
• againstἀπόapo · away fromG575
• everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• of greedπλεονεξίαpleonexia · greedinessG4124
• whenἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• oneτιςtis · oneG5100
• isπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052
• does his lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
• consistεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• of his possessionsὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225

Cross-references for Luke 12:15

• Luke 8:14And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity.
• Luke 16:14Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were ridiculing Him.
• Luke 21:34“But be on your guard, so that your hearts will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that this day will not come on you suddenly, like a trap;
• Joshua 7:21when I saw among the spoils a beautiful robe from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I wanted them and took them; and behold, they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
• Job 31:24“If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust,
• Psalms 10:3For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire, And the greedy person curses and shows disrespect to the Lord.
• Psalms 62:10Do not trust in oppression, And do not vainly rely on robbery; If wealth increases, do not set your heart on it.
• Psalms 119:36Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to dishonest gain.
• Proverbs 23:4Do not weary yourself to gain wealth; Stop dwelling on it.
• Proverbs 28:16A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, But a person who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
• Jeremiah 6:13“For from the least of them to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet to the priest Everyone deals falsely.
• Jeremiah 22:17“But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood, And on practicing oppression and extortion.”
• Micah 2:2They covet fields, so they seize them; And houses, so they take them. They exploit a man and his house, A person and his inheritance.
• Habakkuk 2:9“Woe to him who makes evil profit for his household, To put his nest on high, To be saved from the hand of catastrophe!
• Mark 7:22deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
• 1 Corinthians 5:10I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world.

Commentaries on Luke 12:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Beware of covetousness - Or rather, Beware of all inordinate desires. I add , all, on the authority of ABDKLM-Q, twenty-three others, both the Syriac, all the Persic, all the Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, all the Itala, and several of the primitive fathers. Inordinate desires. , from , more, and , to have; the desire to have more and more, let a person possess whatever he may. Such a disposition of mind is never satisfied; for, as soon as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Beware of covetousness - One of these brothers, no doubt, was guilty of this sin; and our Saviour, as was his custom, took occasion to warn his disciples of its danger. Covetousness - An unlawful desire of the property of another; also a desire of gain or riches beyond what is necessary for our wants. It is a violation of the tenth commandment Exodus 20:17, and is expressly called idolatry Colossians 3:5. Compare, also, Ephesians 5:3, and Hebrews 13:5. A…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-21Verses 13-21 Christ's kingdom is spiritual, and not of this world. Christianity does not meddle with politics; it obliges all to do justly, but wordly dominion is not founded in grace. It does not encourage expectations of worldly advantages by religion. The rewards of Christ's disciples are of another nature. Covetousness is a sin we need constantly to be warned against; for happiness and comfort do not depend on the wealth of this world. The things of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15Guard yourselves against every form of greed: See Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21; Job 31:24–25; Psalm 49; Ecclesiastes 2:1–11.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. unto them--the multitude around Him (Lu 12:1). of covetousness--The best copies have "all," that is, "every kind of covetousness"; because as this was one of the more plausible forms of it, so He would strike at once at the root of the evil. a man's life, &c.--a singularly weighty maxim, and not less so because its meaning and its truth are equally evident.Read the comment

Topics related to Luke 12:15

• Commandments
• Covetousness
• Jesus, the Christ
• Rich, the
• Riches
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• Ask
• Beat
• Divide
• Divider
• Forewarn
• Hell
• Hypocrisy
• Teach
• Visit
• Watch

Commentaries on Luke 12

• 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
• 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