But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”
Parallel translations
- WEB But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
- KJV And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
- ESV But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
- NKJV But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”
- NASB But He said to him, “You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?”
- NLT Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus declines to arbitrate the inheritance dispute, asking who appointed Him judge over such matters. He refuses to be reduced to a settler of property quarrels.
Overview
Jesus did not come primarily to adjudicate earthly disputes but to address the deeper issue of the human heart. His refusal redirects attention from the man's external complaint to the spiritual danger of covetousness beneath it. The greater inheritance Christ offers is the kingdom of God, not a portion of earthly goods.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rom 9:20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”
- Rom 2:3So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?
- Rom 2:1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
- John 6:15Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.
- Exod 2:14But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”
- John 18:35–36“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”
- John 8:11“No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”
- Luke 5:20When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
- Mic 6:8He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Luke 22:58A short time later, someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.”
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 12:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.