It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Parallel translations
- WEB It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
- BSB It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
- NKJV It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
- NASB It is useless either for the soil or the manure pile, so it is thrown out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
- NLT Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
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
Saltless salt is fit for nothing and is thrown out; let the one with ears hear. Worthless discipleship is discarded, so heed the warning.
Overview
Flavorless salt is useless even as fertilizer and is cast away, a sober picture of unfaithful discipleship. The closing call 'he who has ears, let him hear' demands earnest attention to Jesus' words. The whole passage summons hearers to wholehearted, persevering allegiance to Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 11:15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- Rev 2:7He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
- Rev 2:11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
- Luke 9:44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
- Matt 13:9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- Rev 2:29He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
- John 15:6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
- Luke 8:8And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- Rev 2:17He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
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 14:35 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.