Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it.
- KJV Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
- NKJV Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
- NASB Whoever strives to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep it.
- NLT If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.
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
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses it for Christ's sake preserves it. The way to life is surrender.
Overview
This kingdom paradox reverses worldly logic: grasping to secure one's own life ends in loss, while releasing it in faithful discipleship secures true and lasting life. It echoes Jesus' repeated call to take up the cross. The promise rests on Christ, who himself lost his life to give life to his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Mark 8:35–37For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.
- Matt 10:39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- John 12:25Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
- Luke 9:24–25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
- Matt 16:25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- Rev 2:10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 17:33 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.