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And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Luke 18:7 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them?
  • BSB Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?
  • NKJV And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
  • NASB now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them?
  • NLT Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

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

Will not God surely bring justice to his chosen ones who cry out day and night? God is far more responsive than any earthly judge.

Overview

Jesus applies the parable: if even an unjust judge yields, the just God will certainly vindicate his elect who persist in prayer. The reference to his "chosen ones" assures believers of God's covenant commitment to them. God's seeming delay is patience, not indifference, and his justice is certain.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 24

  • Heb 10:35–37Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
  • 2 Pet 3:9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
  • Luke 11:13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
  • 1 Tim 5:5Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
  • Jer 20:11–13But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
  • 2 Th 1:6Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
  • Rev 6:10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
  • Luke 2:37And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
  • Hab 2:3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
  • Matt 7:11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
  • Ps 88:1O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
  • Ps 13:1–2How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
  • Ps 54:1–7Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.
  • 1 Sam 26:10–11David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
  • Rev 18:20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
  • Rom 8:33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
  • 1 Sam 24:12–15The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
  • Ps 10:15–18Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
  • Ps 9:8And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
  • Col 3:12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
  • 1 Th 3:10Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?
  • 2 Tim 1:3I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
  • Rev 7:15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
  • Titus 1:1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 18:7YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 18:7 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.