Luke 16 17

Luke 16:17 kjv

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Luke 16:17 nkjv

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

Luke 16:17 niv

It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

Luke 16:17 esv

But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

Luke 16:17 nlt

But that doesn't mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God's law to be overturned.

Luke 16 verses

Luke 16 17 Meaning

Luke 16:17 affirms the eternal, unyielding validity and divine origin of God's Law. It declares that the complete dissolution of the heavens and the earth is more conceivable than the slightest, most minuscule detail of God's Law becoming ineffective or losing its authority. This emphasizes the Law's absolute permanence, standing immutable even as the created order will one day change.

Luke 16 17 Context

Luke 16:17 appears amidst a significant discourse of Jesus following the parable of the unjust steward (Lk 16:1-13). After emphasizing prudent stewardship of material wealth and the incompatibility of serving both God and money, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees. Verse 14 states they were "lovers of money" and "scoffed at him." In response, Jesus critiques their self-righteousness and external validation in contrast to God's view of the heart (Lk 16:15). Then, in verse 16, Jesus declares, "The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it." This statement could be misconstrued to imply that the Law and Prophets were now entirely superseded and without relevance. Luke 16:17 serves as a crucial clarification to prevent such a misunderstanding, ensuring His audience, particularly the Law-revering Pharisees, understood that the arrival of the Kingdom and the new era inaugurated by John did not nullify the Law itself. It emphatically states that while a new phase of God's redemptive plan has begun, the divine principles of the Law remain eternally firm and binding.

Luke 16 17 Word analysis

• But: (δὲ - de) An adversative particle, indicating a strong contrast or shift in emphasis from the preceding verse (Lk 16:16). It signifies that despite the advent of the Kingdom of God and the change inaugurated by John, the foundational truth regarding the Law's enduring nature stands firm.
• it is easier: (εὐκοπώτερον - eukopotēron) This is a comparative adjective, literally meaning "more easy" or "less laborious." It's used here hyperbolically to express an absolute impossibility. What follows is so extraordinarily difficult that even the dissolution of creation pales in comparison.
• for heaven and earth: (οὐρανὸν καὶ γῆν - ouranon kai gēn) Refers to the entire created universe as we know it. This phrase is a common biblical expression for permanence and immutability (Ps 148:6) but is here used to describe that which, though seemingly eternal, is nevertheless finite and temporary in the eschatological sense.
• to pass away: (παρελθεῖν - parelthein) From parerchomai, meaning to pass by, come to an end, disappear, or be done away with. It speaks of a complete cessation or obsolescence. This points to the eschatological reality where the current physical universe will undergo a radical transformation or be replaced (Rev 21:1, 2 Pet 3:10-13).
• than: (ἢ - ē) A conjunction introducing the second part of the comparison, highlighting the extreme contrast.
• one dot: (μίαν κεραίαν - mian keraian)
  • One: (μίαν - mian) Emphasizes singularity and the absolute minimal unit.
  • dot: (κεραίαν - keraian) Refers to the smallest stroke or embellishment of a letter in Hebrew script, akin to a tittle, a serif, or a distinguishing horn-like projection (e.g., differentiating between similar Hebrew letters like daleth and resh). It could also refer to the yod, the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Its inclusion underscores the meticulous precision and enduring authority of every single detail of the Law, down to its smallest written form. This word indicates divine inspiration extending to the very letters and strokes.
• of the Law: (τοῦ νόμου - tou nomou) Refers to the Torah, God's divine instruction given through Moses. This encompasses the commandments, statutes, and principles intended to guide God's people in righteousness and relationship with Him. It denotes the whole body of God's revealed will.
• to become void: (πεσεῖν - pesein) From piptō, meaning to fall, fail, cease to be in force, or become ineffective. It indicates a loss of authority, relevance, or binding power. The Law's fundamental validity is declared unyielding.

Words-group analysis

• "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away": This hyperbolic statement sets up an extreme contrast. It asserts that the ultimate demise and transformation of the cosmos, though monumental, is comparatively less impossible than the Law's abrogation. It illustrates the supreme permanence of God's revealed word over even the material creation.
• "than for one dot of the Law to become void": This emphasizes the absolute immutability, divine preservation, and inherent authority of the Law, down to its most minute details. It teaches that no part of the Law—even the smallest mark—can lose its validity or cease to hold divine weight. This signifies that the moral and eternal principles of God's Law endure eternally, though their application might be fulfilled or modified within the framework of the New Covenant.

Luke 16 17 Bonus section

The seemingly paradoxical statements in Luke 16:16 and 16:17 highlight the nuanced relationship between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ. While the Law served as a preparatory, guiding covenant (Gal 3:24), leading humanity to Christ and revealing sin, its inherent moral principles are an eternal expression of God's nature and righteousness. Jesus fulfilled the Law, meaning He perfectly embodied its demands, atoned for its brokenness, and, in doing so, brought it to its divinely intended purpose and culmination (Matt 5:17). The verse reinforces the integrity and coherence of God's entire redemptive plan, ensuring His previous revelation (the Law) is not seen as discarded, but transformed in its function and embraced within a greater, Spirit-enabled covenant of grace.

Luke 16 17 Commentary

Luke 16:17 is a profound affirmation of the enduring validity and divine permanence of God's Law. Following Jesus' statement about the transition from "the Law and the Prophets until John" (Lk 16:16), this verse clarifies that the coming of the Kingdom of God does not abolish the Law itself. Instead, it underscores the Law's unbreakable nature, comparing its stability to something even more formidable than the seemingly eternal heavens and earth.

The use of "keraia" (dot or tittle) signifies that not even the smallest written detail or distinction of the Law is expendable or without divine authority. This speaks to the meticulous inspiration and preservation of God's revealed will. While Christ fulfilled the Law, particularly its ceremonial aspects that pointed to Him, and brought about a New Covenant, the verse adamantly upholds the eternal, moral core of God's commandments. It counters any antinomian (anti-law) interpretation, stressing that the foundational ethical and righteous standards rooted in God's character remain eternally binding, forming the bedrock of a life lived in accordance with His will, now empowered by the Spirit. It also challenges superficial obedience, insisting that the Law's integrity touches every aspect, from the greatest to the least, echoing Jesus' call for genuine inner transformation beyond external adherence.