That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.
Parallel translations
- WEB That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,
- KJV And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
- NKJV And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
- NASB And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows,
- NLT “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.
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
The servant who knew his master's will but did not prepare or obey will be beaten with many stripes. Greater knowledge brings greater accountability.
Overview
Jesus teaches that knowing God's will and yet refusing to do it incurs severer judgment. Privilege and knowledge increase responsibility before God. This warns those who have heard the truth clearly, especially within the church, that disobedience is more culpable when one knows better.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Jas 4:17Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
- John 9:41“If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
- John 15:22–24If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
- John 12:48There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
- Deut 25:2–3If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime warrants.
- Acts 17:30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
- Num 15:30–31But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from among his people.
- 2 Cor 2:15–16For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
- John 19:11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
- Luke 10:12–15I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
- Matt 11:22–24But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 12:47 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.