Devine Scripture

Luke 12:17

What does Luke 12:17 mean?

A plain-English look at Luke 12:17 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Luke 12:17 means

The rich man’s inner reasoning centers on himself: What shall I do? I have no room for my crops. His problem, as he frames it, is storage, not stewardship. He acknowledges no claim of God or neighbor upon his abundance. The repeated “I” signals a closed loop of self-concern. Rather than ask, “What does God desire?” he calculates how to secure his ease. This reveals how wealth can shrink vision instead of enlarging it, trapping a person in self-sufficiency. The heart’s counsel to itself becomes the arena where wisdom or folly takes shape.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And he said to himself, What is to be done? for I have no place in which to put all my fruit.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and he was reasoning within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where I shall gather together my fruits?

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And he reasoned within himself saying, What shall I do? for I have not [a place] where I shall lay up my fruits.

Context

The parable moves from circumstance to the man’s dialogue with himself, exposing motives. His question introduces his plan in the next verse: build bigger barns. The narrative invites listeners to evaluate his reasoning before God speaks. By following his thought process, Jesus makes clear that folly starts long before the final outcome; it grows in unexamined assumptions about ownership, security, and purpose.

v.16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

v.17This passage

v.18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • 2 Corinthians 9:6

    But thisI say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

  • Luke 12:29

    And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

  • Luke 12:33

    Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth.

  • Luke 16:3

    And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed.

  • Acts 2:37

    Now when they heardthis, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?

  • 1 Timothy 6:17

    Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

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