“And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.
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.
- BSB That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.
- ESV And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.
- 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,
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
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 4:17To him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.
- John 9:41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
- John 15:22–24If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
- John 12:48He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.
- Deut 25:2–3It shall be, if the wicked man is worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his wickedness, by number.
- Acts 17:30The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
- Num 15:30–31“‘But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, the same blasphemes Yahweh. That soul shall be cut off from among his people.
- 2 Cor 2:15–16For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish;
- John 19:11Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above. Therefore he who delivered me to you has greater sin.”
- Luke 10:12–15I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.
- Matt 11:22–24But I tell you, it will be more tolerable 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.