And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
- BSB So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors.
- NKJV And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
- NASB And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles domineer over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’
- NLT Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’
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
Jesus describes how the rulers of the nations dominate others and are flattered as benefactors. He contrasts worldly power with Kingdom values.
Overview
Jesus points to the way earthly authorities lord it over people and seek titles of honor. This pattern of domination represents the world's understanding of greatness. He uses it as a foil to teach that His Kingdom operates by a wholly different, servant-shaped principle.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Matt 20:25–28But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
- Mark 10:41–45And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
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 22:25 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.