Luke 13:3 kjv
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luke 13:3 nkjv
I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
Luke 13:3 niv
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Luke 13:3 esv
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Luke 13:3 nlt
Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
Luke 13 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 13:5 | I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. | Direct parallel, immediately reiterated warning. |
| Acts 17:30 | The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, | Universal command for repentance from God. |
| Acts 2:38 | Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, | Repentance as prerequisite for sin's forgiveness. |
| Mk 1:15 | "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." | Jesus's foundational message of repentance and faith. |
| Mt 3:8 | Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. | Repentance requires genuine life change and evidence. |
| 2 Pet 3:9 | The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise... but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. | God's patience is for the purpose of leading to repentance. |
| Rom 2:4 | Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? | God's goodness designed to draw people to repentance. |
| Jn 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. | Contrasting perishing with eternal life through belief. |
| Jn 3:36 | Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. | Disobedience/non-belief leads to God's wrath/perishing. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Perishing (spiritual death) as the consequence of sin. |
| 2 Thess 1:8-9 | executing judgment on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel... They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction... | Eternal destruction for those who reject/disobey. |
| Rom 3:23 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, | Underlying truth: universal human sinfulness. |
| 1 Jn 1:8 | If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. | Confirmation of the universal reality of sin. |
| Eze 33:11 | "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die..." | God's desire for people to repent and live, rather than perish. |
| Isa 55:7 | Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. | Prophetic call to turn from sin to God for pardon. |
| Jer 25:5 | "turn now, every one of you, from your evil way and evil deeds..." | Old Testament call to turn from evil ways. |
| Jn 9:2-3 | "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." | Refutes direct correlation between specific misfortune and specific sin. |
| Mt 7:13-14 | "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many." | The path to spiritual destruction is broad, chosen by many. |
| Heb 3:7-8 | Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion," | Urgency of responding to God's call to avoid judgment. |
| Mt 24:37-39 | "For as were the days of Noah... they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." | Suddenness of judgment upon the unprepared/unrepentant. |
| Rev 9:20-21 | The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands... | Demonstrates stubborn refusal to repent even amidst judgment. |
| Rev 2:5 | Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. | Specific call to a church (Ephesus) for repentance. |
Luke 13 verses
Luke 13 3 Meaning
This verse serves as a direct, emphatic warning from Jesus, emphasizing that spiritual ruin and judgment await all individuals who do not undergo a change of heart, mind, and life direction (repentance). It refutes the popular notion that suffering or calamity is an automatic sign of worse sin, instead turning the focus to the universal human condition of sinfulness and the critical, personal need for every person to repent before divine judgment. The physical deaths mentioned just before the verse serve as a sober reminder of human mortality and the limited time available for repentance.
Luke 13 3 Context
Luke 13:3 is part of a brief but profound discourse where Jesus directly addresses contemporary Jewish beliefs about suffering and sin. The chapter begins with two scenarios: the massacre of Galileans by Pilate while they were offering sacrifices (Lk 13:1) and the sudden collapse of the Tower of Siloam, killing eighteen people (Lk 13:4). The common perception of the time, rooted in a simplified view of retributive justice (that disaster directly signifies greater sin), implied that those who suffered such fates must have been exceptionally wicked. Jesus unequivocally challenges this simplistic causality in verse 2, asking if the victims were "worse sinners." He then answers emphatically in verse 3 and reiterates the same warning after mentioning the Tower of Siloam incident in verse 5. His core message shifts the focus from judging the supposed sins of others to recognizing one's own universal need for repentance, using these physical tragedies as object lessons for an even graver spiritual peril. This entire interaction sets the stage for the parable of the barren fig tree (Lk 13:6-9), further emphasizing God's patient grace yet eventual judgment for those who do not repent and bear fruit.
Luke 13 3 Word analysis
- I tell you (Λέγω ὑμῖν - `Legō hymin`): "I say to you." This is an emphatic declaration, a characteristic opening of Jesus's significant statements. It demands the full attention of His listeners and underscores the authority and truthfulness of what is to follow.
- no (Οὐχί - `Ouchi`): A strong, emphatic negation. It unequivocally refutes the unspoken assumption that the victims of the tragedies were inherently worse sinners than others. It challenges a prevalent human tendency to assign fault and judge others' spiritual state based on misfortune.
- but (ἀλλ’ - `all’`): A strong adversative conjunction, signifying a sharp contrast. It signals a complete turning of the argument from speculation about others' sin to a direct, universal demand on all listeners.
- unless you repent (ἐὰν μὴ μετανοῆτε - `ean mē metanoēte`):
- `Ean mē`: "if not, unless." It forms a strong condition.
- `metanoēte` (from `metanoeō`): "to change one's mind, repent." More than just sorrow or remorse, `metanoeō` implies a fundamental change of direction—a turning away from sin and toward God. It involves a shift in perspective, purpose, and behavior. It is an active decision.
- you will all (πάντες - `pantes`): "all." This term makes the application universal. It includes every single person listening and by extension, all humanity. No one is exempt from the need for repentance.
- likewise perish (ὡσαύτως ἀπολεῖσθε - `hōsautōs apoleisthe`):
- `hōsautōs`: "in the same way, likewise." This links the fate of the unrepentant spiritually to the physical calamities. It doesn't necessarily mean dying in an identical physical manner but rather experiencing a similar ultimate destruction or ruin.
- `apoleisthe` (from `apollymi`): "to destroy, to ruin, to lose, to perish." In this context, given Jesus's consistent teachings on judgment and eternal life, it signifies spiritual ruin, separation from God, or eternal damnation, far more severe than physical death. Physical death serves as a solemn picture of the final spiritual judgment awaiting the unrepentant.