Devine Scripture

Luke 7:33

What does Luke 7:33 mean?

A plain-English look at Luke 7:33 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Luke 7:33 means

Jesus applied His parable specifically to John the Baptist: 'For John the Baptist is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a demon.' John's austere, ascetic lifestyle, aligned with prophetic tradition, was met with cynical accusations of demonic possession. This demonstrates the spiritual blindness and judgmental spirit of 'this generation,' who completely misinterpreted John's self-denying commitment to God.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

For John the Baptist is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a demon.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

For John the Baptist is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a demon.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

For John the Baptist came, taking no food or drink, and you say, He has an evil spirit.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

`For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye say, He hath a demon;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine. And you say: He hath a devil.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

For John the baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye say, He has a demon.

Context

This verse applies the 'playing children' parable specifically to John the Baptist. It directly follows the parable, demonstrating how 'this generation' rejected John's severe lifestyle by falsely accusing him of demonic influence, setting up the contrast with their rejection of Jesus' different approach in the next verse.

v.32They are like unto children that sit in the marketplace, and call one to another; who say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not weep.

v.33This passage

v.34The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

Cross references

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

  • Acts 2:13

    But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine.

  • Luke 1:15

    For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

  • John 8:48

    The Jews answered and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon?

  • Matthew 3:4

    Now John himself had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

  • John 10:20

    And many of them said, He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him?

  • Mark 1:6

    And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and had a leathern girdle about his loins, and did eat locusts and wild honey.

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