New Living Translation
Luke 12:15
15Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
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
13Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” 14Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” 16Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’
Read all of Luke 12Luke 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Take heedὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- bewareφυλάσσωphulassō · to keep/guard: protectG5442
- ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
- covetousnessπλεονεξίαpleonexia · greedinessG4124
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- a man’sτιςtis · oneG5100
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- consistethεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the abundanceπερισσεύωperisseuō · to exceedG4052
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the things whichὑπάρχωhuparchō · be alreadyG5225
Cross-references for Luke 12:15
- Luke 8:14The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.
- Luke 16:14The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him.
- Luke 21:34“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,
- Joshua 7:21Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”
- Job 31:24“Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold?
- Psalms 10:3For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.
- Psalms 62:10Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life.
- Psalms 119:36Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money!
- Proverbs 23:4Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.
- Proverbs 28:16A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people, but one who hates corruption will have a long life.
- Jeremiah 6:13“From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds.
- Jeremiah 22:17“But you! You have eyes only for greed and dishonesty! You murder the innocent, oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly.”
- Micah 2:2When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house, you take it by fraud and violence. You cheat a man of his property, stealing his family’s inheritance.
- Habakkuk 2:9“What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger.
- Mark 7:22adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
- 1 Corinthians 5:10But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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