But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.
Parallel translations
- WEB but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.
- KJV But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
- NKJV But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
- NASB but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
- NLT But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
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 one who sinned in ignorance receives fewer stripes, for to whom much is given, much is required. God judges justly, in proportion to what each was given.
Overview
Jesus affirms that judgment is measured according to the light and trust one has received. Those given greater knowledge, gifts, or opportunity bear greater accountability for their use. This establishes a principle of just, proportionate judgment and calls every believer to faithful stewardship of all God has entrusted to them.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Jas 3:1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
- Lev 5:17If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
- Luke 16:10–12Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
- Matt 25:14–29For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.
- Matt 13:12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
- John 15:22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
- 1 Tim 1:13I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- Rom 2:12–16All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
- 1 Tim 1:11that agrees with the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
- Acts 17:30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
- 1 Tim 6:20O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,”
- Luke 16:2So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’
- Num 15:29–30You shall have the same law for the one who acts in error, whether he is a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.
- Gen 39:8–23But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care.
- Titus 1:3In His own time He has made His word evident in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.
- 1 Cor 9:17–18If my preaching is voluntary, I have a reward. But if it is not voluntary, I am still entrusted with a responsibility.
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 12:48 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.