Devine Scripture

Luke 12:45

What does Luke 12:45 mean?

A plain-English look at Luke 12:45 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Luke 12:45 means

Jesus portrays the unfaithful servant who says in his heart that the master delays, then beats male and female servants and gives himself to eating, drinking, and drunkenness. The root is unbelief about the master’s return, leading to cruelty and self-indulgence. Delay becomes a pretext for domination and dissipation. This warns that what we believe about the Lord’s coming shapes how we treat people now. Neglect morphs into abuse when accountability is forgotten. Such behavior betrays a heart that has ceased to live under the master’s eye.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

KJV

King James Version · 1611

But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

But if that servant says to himself, My lord is a long time coming; and goes about giving blows to the men-servants and the women-servants, feasting and taking overmuch wine;

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

`And if that servant may say in his heart, My lord doth delay to come, and may begin to beat the men-servants and the maid-servants, to eat also, and to drink, and to be drunken;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

But if that servant shall say in his heart: My Lord is long a coming; and shall begin to strike the men-servants and maid-servants, and to eat and to drink and be drunk:

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

But if that bondman should say in his heart, My lord delays to come, and begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and to drink and to be drunken,

Context

In contrast to the faithful steward, this figure reveals the dangers of presumption and power. The inward calculation about delay unlocks outward sin against others. The next verse will announce a shock: the master’s sudden arrival, severe judgment, and assignment with the unfaithful. The warning intensifies the call to vigilant, compassionate leadership.

v.44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.

v.45This passage

v.46the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful.

Cross references

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

  • Jeremiah 20:2

    Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the house of Jehovah.

  • Ezekiel 34:3

    Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep.

  • 2 Peter 2:19

    promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.

  • Revelation 18:24

    And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.

  • Revelation 13:15

    And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

  • Ezekiel 12:27

    Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of times that are far off.

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