Luke 14:34 kjv

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

Luke 14:34 nkjv

"Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?

Luke 14:34 niv

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

Luke 14:34 esv

"Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

Luke 14:34 nlt

"Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again?

Luke 14 verses

Luke 14 34 Meaning

Luke 14:34 declares that salt is good and serves a vital purpose; however, if salt loses its distinctive taste or savor, it becomes useless and has no way to regain its essential quality. In the broader context of Jesus' teaching on radical discipleship, this verse serves as an analogy. Disciples are called to be the "salt of the earth," agents of preservation and distinct moral influence in the world. If a disciple, having committed to following Christ, compromises or abandons the essential character and sacrificial commitment required, they lose their spiritual efficacy and usefulness to God's kingdom. Such a state renders them without a further purpose or means of restoration to their intended role.

Luke 14 34 Context

Luke 14:34 directly follows a demanding section of Jesus' teaching (Luke 14:25-33) on the high cost of discipleship. Large crowds were following Jesus, likely many for superficial reasons or expecting an earthly kingdom. Jesus turns to these crowds and presents stark prerequisites for truly being His disciple: prioritizing Him above all familial ties ("hate" father and mother), readiness for suffering and self-denial (bearing one's cross), and total relinquishment of all possessions. These illustrations (the man building a tower, the king going to war) underscore the need for careful calculation and full commitment before embarking on discipleship. The salt analogy then functions as a summary warning: if one pledges allegiance but fails to embody this radical commitment and distinction, they become spiritually useless and are akin to salt that has lost its flavor. Historically and culturally, salt was incredibly valuable for preservation, seasoning, and even medicinal purposes. Its loss of flavor was a known phenomenon with impurities, rendering it literally worthless as fertilizer or anything else valuable, thus it would be thrown out onto paths.

Luke 14 34 Word analysis

• Salt (ἅλας - halas): In ancient cultures, salt was a precious commodity. It served as a primary preservative for food (meat, fish), a seasoning, a purifier, and was used in ancient rituals. It symbolized durability, loyalty, permanence, and covenant. For Jesus' audience, "salt" instantly connoted preservation and distinctiveness. Spiritually, disciples are to preserve purity and prevent moral decay in the world, and to add the flavor of God's truth and love.
• is good (καλόν - kalon): Signifies that salt (and thus the disciple's true state) is inherently fitting, beautiful, noble, and morally excellent. It fulfills its intended purpose. This emphasizes that the disciple's identity is designed for an effective, virtuous, and beneficial role in the world.
• but if (ἐὰν δὲ - ean de): Introduces a condition, a crucial turning point. It highlights the potential for failure or compromise, which is the crux of the warning.
• it has lost its taste/savor (μωρανθῇ - mōranthē): From moraino, meaning "to become foolish," "to be tasteless," "to make dull," or "to become insipid." It points to a complete degradation of its essential quality. For a disciple, this means losing their spiritual distinctiveness, their moral influence, their commitment, or their witness – becoming spiritually foolish, worthless, or ineffective. This isn't merely a weakening but a fundamental alteration.
• how (ἐν τίνι - en tini): Expresses a rhetorical question of impossibility. It implies there is no known method or substance that can restore the lost quality.
• shall it be salted? (ἀρτυθήσεται - artythēsetai): To make salty, season, preserve. The question points to the irreversible nature of this specific kind of spiritual decay. Once salt has lost its saltiness, it cannot be made salty again by any external means. Its essence is gone. For a disciple, this suggests a critical, potentially irremediable loss of spiritual potency or calling due to radical compromise or turning away from their essential purpose.

• Salt is good, but if it has lost its taste/savor: This phrase establishes the purpose and then immediately introduces the danger of failing that purpose. The goodness of salt lies in its function. When that function is gone, its goodness ceases. This underscores that a disciple's value is intrinsically linked to maintaining their distinctive, preserving, and flavoring influence, rooted in Christ's teachings and their commitment.
• how shall it be salted?: This rhetorical question highlights the absolute futility of the "lost" salt. It implies a condition from which there is no recovery to its original useful state by external reapplication. It's a strong warning against apostasy, profound compromise, or falling away, where the foundational qualities of discipleship are utterly lost. The problem is internal, not merely superficial.

Luke 14 34 Bonus section

The irreversible nature implied in "how shall it be salted?" for the salt losing its savor does not mean that God cannot restore an individual, as repentance and God's grace are always available. Rather, it emphasizes that the quality itself, once compromised fundamentally (e.g., apostasy, radical turning away from Christ's core demands), cannot be "re-applied" from outside. The disciple, by their own failure, has become unfit for the Master's use in that specific, distinctive capacity. This passage underlines the serious implications of half-hearted commitment and the potential spiritual barrenness that follows from abandoning the high calling of Christ's true follower. It serves as a stark reminder for all believers to constantly guard their spiritual integrity, maintaining their distinctive witness and radical dedication to Christ so as to remain useful instruments in His hands (2 Tim 2:21). The worthlessness described is for outward societal contribution, akin to salt being "thrown out."

Luke 14 34 Commentary

Luke 14:34 acts as a potent conclusion to Jesus' teaching on the demanding nature of true discipleship. The disciple, much like salt, has a unique and vital role: to preserve truth and righteousness, to combat corruption, and to bring the distinct "flavor" of God's kingdom into a morally decaying world. This function demands radical commitment, self-denial, and an unwavering priority on Christ above all else. If a disciple, after claiming allegiance, fails to uphold these intrinsic qualities—if they lose their zeal, their distinction from the world, their commitment to the Cross—they become utterly useless for their intended spiritual purpose. The sobering warning is that once this essential "savor" or spiritual integrity is lost, it cannot easily be restored by external means, implying a tragic, potentially irreversible state of spiritual ineffectiveness and forfeiture of purpose. It’s not necessarily about loss of salvation but about the loss of spiritual utility and a true capacity for redemptive influence in the world, leading to their abandonment or rejection from their divinely appointed role.