He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Parallel translations
- WEB ‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.
- KJV For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
- NKJV ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
- NASB ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
- NLT “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
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
To everyone who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken. Faithful use of grace leads to increase; neglect leads to loss.
Overview
This Kingdom principle, repeated elsewhere in the Gospels, concerns the use of spiritual privilege and trust. Those who respond to God's gifts with faithfulness are given more, while those who do nothing forfeit even what they were given. It is a sobering call to active, fruitful discipleship.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Matt 21:43Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
- 2 Jn 1:8Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded.
- 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.
- Luke 8:18Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
- Mark 4:25For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
- Matt 25:28–29Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
- 1 Sam 2:30Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
- Rev 2:3Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name.
- 1 Sam 15:28So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
- Rev 3:11I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
- 2 Sam 7:15But My loving devotion will never be removed from him as I removed it from Saul, whom I moved out of your way.
- Luke 16:3The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.
- Acts 1:20“For it is written in the book of Psalms: ‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘May another take his position.’
- Ps 109:8May his days be few; may another take his position.
- Ezek 44:12–16Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord GOD.
- John 5:1–3Some time later there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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 19:26 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.