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He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
Luke 5:34 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
  • BSB Jesus replied, “Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them?
  • NKJV And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
  • NASB And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the groom fast while the groom is with them, can you?
  • NLT Jesus responded, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not.

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.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • John 3:29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.
  • Eph 5:25–27Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;
  • Song 3:10–11He made its pillars of silver, its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.
  • Song 2:6–7His left hand is under my head. His right hand embraces me.
  • Zeph 3:17Yahweh, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
  • Ps 45:10–16Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father’s house.
  • Song 5:8I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am faint with love.
  • Isa 62:5For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons will marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
  • Matt 25:1–10“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.
  • 2 Cor 11:2For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
  • Song 6:1Where has your beloved gone, you fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?
  • Isa 54:5For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.
  • Rev 19:7–9Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.”
  • Judg 14:10–11His father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men used to do so.
  • Matt 22:2“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

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 5:34YouTube · 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 5:34 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.