Luke 13:5 kjv

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 13:5 nkjv

I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

Luke 13:5 niv

I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Luke 13:5 esv

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Luke 13:5 nlt

No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too."

Luke 13 verses

Luke 13 5 Meaning

Luke 13:5 delivers an urgent and uncompromising call for universal repentance. Jesus vehemently refutes the common misbelief that those who suffer tragedy are inherently more sinful than others. He asserts that, regardless of how or when physical death occurs, anyone who fails to genuinely turn from their sin to God will face the ultimate spiritual consequence of perishing, which is eternal ruin and separation from God. This verse underscores God's just judgment on sin while extending His mercy through the offer of repentance.

Luke 13 5 Context

Luke 13:5 is the second occurrence of Jesus' potent warning within a brief exchange (Lk 13:1-5). Prior to this, Jesus is informed about two contemporary tragedies: Pilate's brutal massacre of Galileans whose blood was mingled with their sacrifices, and the unexpected collapse of the Tower in Siloam, which killed eighteen people. In both instances, the popular assumption was that the victims must have been exceptional sinners, deserving such a grim fate. Jesus forcefully refutes this prevailing theological error, asserting in Lk 13:2 and Lk 13:4 that the victims were no "worse sinners" than others. Instead of engaging in speculative theology about their specific guilt, Jesus abruptly shifts the focus from "them" to "you," twice delivering the piercing caution of verse 5, redirecting their scrutiny from others' misfortunes to their own urgent need for repentance. Historically and culturally, the Jewish people frequently linked calamity with specific divine punishment for sin, a viewpoint exemplified by Job's friends and the disciples' question in Jn 9:2. Jesus directly challenges this reductionist view, underscoring that both human cruelty and accidental tragedy can bring physical death, but spiritual perishing is the universal consequence reserved for the unrepentant.

Luke 13 5 Word analysis

• I tell you (λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν - legō de hymin): This phrase underscores Jesus' authoritative declaration. "I" is emphatic, highlighting His divine prerogative to speak definitive truth and correct deeply entrenched beliefs. He is not offering an opinion, but a binding truth to His listeners.
• no (οὐχί - ouchi): This is a strong, absolute negation, more forceful than a simple "not." Jesus unequivocally rejects the idea that the victims of tragedy were necessarily "worse sinners" than others. It's a definitive dismissal of a common misconception.
• but (ἀλλά - alla): A crucial conjunction denoting a sharp contrast or turning point. It pivots from negating a false belief to introducing the profound truth that Jesus wants His listeners to grasp, setting up a direct alternative.
• unless (ἐὰν μὴ - ean mē): A conditional phrase indicating a necessary prerequisite. It implies "if not," making clear that the action which follows is the sole condition for escaping the stated negative consequence. It highlights a critical choice.
• you repent (μετανοήσητε - metanoēsēte): From the Greek metanoia, signifying a fundamental "change of mind." This involves much more than mere sorrow or regret; it is a complete reorientation of one's will, actions, and inner being away from sin and toward God. It includes an intellectual understanding of sinfulness, an emotional sorrow for it, and volitional turning towards a new life lived in obedience to God.
• you will all (πάντες - pantes): The emphatic "all" emphasizes the universal applicability of the warning. It shifts the focus directly onto every single listener, making it personal and excluding no one from this urgent command.
• likewise (ὁμοίως - homoiōs): This adverb means "in the same manner" or "similarly." Critically, it refers to the spiritual outcome (perishing) that awaits the unrepentant, not the physical manner of death (by Pilate's sword or falling tower). The diverse physical means of death serve as an analogy for the uniform spiritual end.
• perish (ἀπολεῖσθε - apoleisthe from ἀπόλλυμι - apollymi): In this context, it signifies spiritual ruin, eternal destruction, or separation from God. It's not annihilation or ceasing to exist, but rather to be utterly lost, ruined, and brought under divine judgment, perpetually cut off from God's life-giving presence. It stands in direct opposition to "eternal life."

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I tell you, no": This brief, impactful phrase embodies Jesus' direct challenge to prevailing human interpretations of suffering. He assumes divine authority to correct fundamental misunderstandings, unequivocally stating what is not true before revealing what is.
• "but unless you repent": This establishes the non-negotiable condition for avoiding spiritual catastrophe. It functions as the critical hinge point for one's eternal destiny, placing the burden of responsibility squarely on the individual to turn from sin and seek God's mercy.
• "you will all likewise perish": This forms the dire and universal warning. "All" underscores the inclusiveness of this consequence for humanity, while "likewise" connects to the preceding examples not through physical death, but through the shared spiritual fate of ruin and separation from God that awaits every unrepentant soul.

Luke 13 5 Bonus section

• The striking repetition of "I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (in Lk 13:3 and again in 13:5) highlights Jesus' insistence on the critical nature of this warning. The double emphasis underscores its paramount importance for the salvation of every individual listener.
• This passage functions as a stark warning that while God's judgments in the temporal realm are often mysterious and not always tied to individual culpability as humans might simplisticly perceive, His ultimate judgment concerning eternal destiny is based squarely on a person's response (or lack thereof) to the call to repentance.
• Jesus bypasses intellectual arguments about the justice of specific incidents of suffering and goes straight to the existential spiritual state of the listener, prompting an immediate personal reckoning.

Luke 13 5 Commentary

Luke 13:5 serves as Jesus' trenchant re-evaluation of human suffering, directly confronting the cultural tendency to equate misfortune with specific divine punishment for personal sin. By using dramatic examples of Pilate's violence and an accidental tragedy, Jesus masterfully demonstrates that physical death, in its various forms, is an inevitable aspect of human existence that can befall anyone. However, His primary concern shifts immediately from physical death to eternal perishing. He forcefully states that no individual, regardless of their circumstances or supposed level of sinfulness compared to others, is exempt from the need for repentance. "Likewise perish" does not imply dying by a similar physical means, but rather facing the same eternal spiritual ruin. The message is not "those who die tragically were great sinners," but "all people are sinners, and all need to repent lest they face eternal separation from God." It is a profound call for introspection, self-examination, and a decisive turning toward God before it is eternally too late. It is both a sober warning of divine justice and a gracious invitation to God's mercy through repentance.

• Practical usage: This verse encourages us to examine our own hearts rather than speculate about others' spiritual standing when tragedy strikes. It is a powerful reminder that mortality is universal, and thus the urgency for personal repentance applies to everyone.