And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Parallel translations
- WEB “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say?
- BSB Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I say?
- NKJV “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
- NASB “Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
- NLT “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?
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 confronts those who profess Him as Lord yet do not obey Him. True discipleship unites confession with obedience.
Overview
This pointed question exposes empty profession that lacks corresponding action. Calling Jesus 'Lord' demands genuine submission to His word, not mere words. While salvation is by grace, true faith is never idle; it bears the fruit of obedience to the Lord it confesses, as the following parable illustrates.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Gal 6:7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
- Matt 7:21–23Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
- Mal 1:6A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
- Luke 13:25–27When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
- Matt 25:44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
- John 13:13–17Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
- Matt 25:24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
- Matt 25:11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
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 6:46 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.