New International Version
Luke 15:7
7I 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
Context of Luke 15:7
5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 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. 8“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
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 had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
- Luke 5:32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
- Matthew 18:13And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.
- Luke 15:29But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
- Luke 16:15He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
- Luke 18:9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
- Proverbs 30:12those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
- Romans 7:9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
- Philippians 3:6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
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
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