Luke 17 32

Luke 17:32 kjv

Remember Lot's wife.

Luke 17:32 nkjv

Remember Lot's wife.

Luke 17:32 niv

Remember Lot's wife!

Luke 17:32 esv

Remember Lot's wife.

Luke 17:32 nlt

Remember what happened to Lot's wife!

Luke 17 verses

Luke 17 32 Meaning

Luke 17:32 serves as a stark, concise warning from Jesus, urging His disciples to remember the fate of Lot's wife. This command is primarily an admonition against looking back with longing or regret at the old life, possessions, or worldly comforts when God's appointed time of judgment or critical action arrives. It highlights the spiritual danger of divided loyalty and hesitant obedience, emphasizing the need for decisive and forward-looking commitment to God's will, especially in light of the coming kingdom and the return of the Son of Man.

Luke 17 32 Context

Luke 17:32 appears within Jesus’ extensive teaching to His disciples about the coming of the Son of Man, which spans verses 20-37 of chapter 17. The preceding verses emphasize that the Kingdom of God is already among them (v. 21) but that the definitive, public manifestation of the Son of Man will be sudden and unexpected, like lightning (v. 24), preceded by His suffering (v. 25). Jesus then likens the "days of the Son of Man" to the "days of Noah" (v. 26-27) and the "days of Lot" (v. 28-29), where people were living ordinary lives until sudden destruction came upon them. In this context of urgent eschatological warning, Jesus commands quick, decisive action without delay or hesitation, directly forbidding clinging to worldly possessions (vv. 30-31) and immediately follows with the stark reminder, "Remember Lot's wife." This narrative choice connects the impending future judgment directly to a past divine judgment, illustrating the peril of hesitation and misplaced affection during times of divine intervention. Historically and culturally, the Jewish audience was deeply familiar with the story of Lot and Sodom from Gen 19, viewing it as a primary example of God's swift and just judgment against sin and unholiness.

Luke 17 32 Word analysis

• Remember (μνημονεύετε, mnēmoneuete): This is a present imperative verb, indicating a continuous and active command to recall something to mind, to keep it in remembrance, and more importantly, to heed the warning implied. It's not merely an intellectual recollection but a call to let the historical example impact one's present and future behavior. The force of the imperative implies that there is a danger of forgetting this critical lesson. In Greek, "mnēmoneuō" carries the sense of not only recall but also to act in accordance with the memory.
• Lot's wife: Refers directly to the unnamed woman in Genesis 19:26. Her identity is defined solely by her relationship to Lot and, critically, by her singular act of disobedience. She is a negative archetype, a symbol of those who are physically rescued but whose hearts remain attached to what God is destroying.
  • Her action: Genesis 19:26 states she "looked back." This "looking back" (Hebrew: וַתַּבֵּט, wattabbēṭ, from נבט, nabat) is often interpreted not just as a casual glance but as a deliberate act implying lingering, hesitation, longing, or regret for what was left behind, contrasting with the urgent command to "flee for your life; do not look back" (Gen 19:17). This heart-attitude of reluctance to completely abandon the corrupt world of Sodom resulted in her judgment.
  • Her fate: She "became a pillar of salt." This imagery serves as a perpetual, stark monument and warning. It signifies both sudden divine judgment and complete desolation. Spiritually, it implies a rigid, lifeless state, unable to proceed with God.

Luke 17 32 Bonus section

The significance of Jesus' simple command to "remember Lot's wife" is amplified by several unique aspects:

• Negative Example: Unlike many of Jesus' teachings that point to positive exemplars of faith (e.g., Abraham, Moses, specific individuals in parables), this instruction highlights a negative example, making the warning starker. Her namelessness underscores that it is her action and its consequence that matter, not her identity.
• Urgency in Simplicity: The brevity of the verse belies its depth. It is not an invitation to theological debate about Lot's wife but an immediate, decisive, and universally applicable admonition to flee spiritual danger without looking back.
• Contrast to Deliverance: Lot's wife was in the process of being delivered from Sodom by God's grace. Her failure serves as a particular warning for those who have started the journey of salvation but fail to complete it due to an inner pull towards the very thing they are fleeing from. Her physical presence outside Sodom was not enough; her heart was still there.
• A "Pillar of Salt": This transformation can be interpreted metaphorically as becoming unproductive, barren, and ultimately dead in one's spiritual journey—a stark warning against spiritual stagnation caused by looking back.

Luke 17 32 Commentary

Luke 17:32 is a powerful, compressed instruction from Jesus, a proverbial statement embodying profound theological and practical lessons. By recalling Lot's wife, Jesus distills complex principles into a memorable warning. The essence is clear: when the moment of decisive spiritual choice or divine intervention arrives—be it a call to radical discipleship or the advent of Christ's return—there is no room for hesitation, compromise, or divided loyalties. Lot's wife was saved from Sodom but lost in Sodom due to her heart's attachment. Her tragic fate underscores that physical removal from sin's domain is insufficient; a full disengagement of the heart from the perishing world is paramount. This verse emphasizes unwavering forward momentum in faith, reminding believers that lingering affection for worldly things, once decisively judged by God, will lead to spiritual barrenness and loss. It urges disciples to prioritize the Kingdom of God above all temporal possessions or comforts, echoing other calls for costly and single-minded allegiance.

• Examples:
  • A believer clinging to a comfortable lifestyle, reluctant to embrace missionary service, fearing loss.
  • Someone turning back to a former sin or worldly pleasure after experiencing spiritual deliverance.
  • Hesitating to fully commit to Christ out of fear of what one might "lose" in the world.