New Living Translation
Luke 3:9
9Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
Luke 3:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
- New International Version (NIV)The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Context of Luke 3:9
7When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.” 10The crowds asked, “What should we do?” 11John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
Read all of Luke 3Luke 3:9 word by word
ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- nowἤδηēdē · alreadyG2235
- alsoκαίkai · andG2532
- the axeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the axeἀξίνηaxinē · axeG513
- is laidκεῖμαιkeimai · to lay/be appointedG2749
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- the rootῥίζαrhiza · rootG4491
- of the treesδένδρονdendron · treeG1186
- everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- which bringethποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- notμήmē · notG3361
- goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
- fruitκαρπόςkarpos · fruitG2590
- is hewn downἐκκόπτωekkoptō · to preventG1581
- castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
- intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
Cross-references for Luke 3:9
- Luke 13:7Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
- Luke 23:29For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’
- Isaiah 10:33But look! The Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will chop down the mighty tree of Assyria with great power! He will cut down the proud. That lofty tree will be brought down.
- Ezekiel 15:2“Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree?
- Ezekiel 31:18“O Egypt, to which of the trees of Eden will you compare your strength and glory? You, too, will be brought down to the depths with all these other nations. You will lie there among the outcasts who have died by the sword. This will be the fate of Pharaoh and all his hordes. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
- Daniel 4:14The messenger shouted, “Cut down the tree and lop off its branches! Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit! Chase the wild animals from its shade and the birds from its branches.
- Matthew 3:10Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
- Matthew 7:19So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
- John 15:6Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.
- Hebrews 10:28For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
- Hebrews 12:29For our God is a devouring fire.
Commentaries on Luke 3:9
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-9Verses 3-9 On the baptism of John - see the notes at Matthew 3.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9every tree that does not produce good fruit: If Israel did not repent and produce good works, God would judge them to be as worthless as a vineyard without grapes (see Isaiah 5:1–7; compare Luke 13:7–9; 20:9–19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-20(See on Mt 3:1-12; Mr 6:17, &c.). 1-2. Here the curtain of the New Testament is, as it were, drawn up, and the greatest of all epochs of the Church commences. Even our Lord's own age (Lu 3:23) is determined by it [Bengel]. No such elaborate chronological precision is to be found elsewhere in the New Testament, and it comes fitly from him who claims it as the peculiar recommendation of his Gospel, that he had "accurately traced down all things from the…Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 3:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 3
- 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries