For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Parallel translations
- WEB For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?
- BSB What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
- NKJV For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
- NASB For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself?
- NLT And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
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 asks what it profits to gain the whole world yet lose oneself. No earthly gain can compensate for the loss of one's soul.
Overview
This rhetorical question exposes the folly of pursuing worldly gain at the cost of eternal ruin. Every possession and achievement is worthless if a person forfeits his own self before God. It calls the hearer to weigh the eternal value of the soul against the fleeting riches of the world.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Matt 16:26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
- Mark 8:36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
- Ps 49:6–8They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
- Luke 12:19–21And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
- Luke 4:5–7And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
- 2 Pet 2:15–17Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
- 1 Cor 9:27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
- Acts 1:25That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
- Matt 13:50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
- Mark 9:43–48And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
- Rev 18:7–8How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
- Acts 1:18Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
- Luke 16:24–25And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
- Matt 13:48Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 9:25 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.