So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
- KJV He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
- NKJV Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
- NASB So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then to return.
- NLT He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return.
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
A nobleman travels to a distant country to receive a kingdom and then return. The figure represents Christ, who ascends and will come again as King.
Overview
The picture of a nobleman going abroad to be granted royal authority would have been familiar to Jesus's hearers from Herodian history. In the parable it points to Christ's own departure through death, resurrection, and ascension, after which he receives his kingdom and will return. The long interval frames the responsibility of his servants in his absence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Matt 25:14–30For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.
- Luke 19:12–27So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return.
- 1 Pet 3:22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.
- John 18:37“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
- Luke 20:9Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time.
- Heb 9:28so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
- Rev 1:7Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
- Mark 12:1Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
- 1 Cor 15:25For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
- Acts 17:31For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
- Matt 21:38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’
- Eph 1:20–23which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms,
- Phil 2:9–11Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,
- Mark 16:19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
- Luke 24:51While He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven.
- Acts 1:9–11After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.
- Mark 13:34–37It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch.
- Matt 28:18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
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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 19:12 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.