Devine Scripture

Luke 22:19

What does Luke 22:19 mean?

A plain-English look at Luke 22:19 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Luke 22:19 means

Taking bread, Jesus gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to the disciples with the declaration that it represents His body given for them, commanding, “this do in remembrance of me.” The broken bread signifies His impending sacrificial death—voluntary, vicarious, and personal (“for you”). He establishes a memorial act to keep His self-giving central in the church’s life. The command to remember is not mere mental recall but a faith-filled participation in the benefits of His once-for-all offering. The simplicity of bread bears profound meaning: nourishment through His brokenness. Here the Passover is reinterpreted around the person of Jesus. The verse institutes what Christians call the Lord’s Supper, centering worship on Christ crucified and risen.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And he took bread and, having given praise, he gave it to them when it had been broken, saying, This is my body, which is given for you: do this in memory of me.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And having taken bread, having given thanks, he brake and gave to them, saying, `This is my body, that for you is being given, this do ye--to remembrance of me.'

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And taking bread, he gave thanks and brake and gave to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And having taken a loaf, when he had given thanks, he broke [it], and gave [it] to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Context

Following His vow of abstinence, Jesus now assigns new meaning to the bread. This precedes His identification of the cup after supper as the new covenant in His blood. Together they transform the Passover into a lasting ordinance for His followers. Immediately after instituting the elements, Jesus will reveal that a betrayer’s hand is with Him at the table, showing that even at the moment of covenant grace, treachery is present, and yet God’s determined plan will stand.

v.18for I say unto you, I shall not drink from henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

v.19This passage

v.20And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, even that which is poured out for you.

Cross references

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

  • Psalms 111:4

    He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: Jehovah is gracious and merciful.

  • 1 Corinthians 11:23

    For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread;

  • Mark 14:22

    And as they were eating, he took bread, and when he had blessed, he brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take ye: this is my body.

  • Daniel 4:22

    it is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:16

    The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ?

  • Titus 2:14

    who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.

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