Luke 19:11 kjv
And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
Luke 19:11 nkjv
Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
Luke 19:11 niv
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
Luke 19:11 esv
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
Luke 19:11 nlt
The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away.
Luke 19 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 19:12-27 | He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return..." | Immediate parable to clarify Kingdom timing. |
| Acts 1:6-7 | So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons..." | Disciples' ongoing misunderstanding of Kingdom timing. |
| Mt 25:14-30 | For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property..." | Parable of Talents; similar themes of stewardship and delayed return. |
| Dan 2:44 | And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed... | Old Testament prophecy of God's eternal kingdom. |
| Lk 17:20-21 | Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” | Nature of the Kingdom as already present spiritually. |
| Mk 4:26-29 | And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground... First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear." | Parable showing gradual, organic growth of the Kingdom. |
| Lk 9:51 | When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. | Jesus' purposeful journey towards Jerusalem for His passion. |
| Lk 13:33-34 | Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... | Jesus' foreknowledge of His death in Jerusalem. |
| Zech 9:9 | Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you... | Prophecy of Messiah's humble entry into Jerusalem. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. | Angelic prophecy of Christ's eternal kingly reign. |
| Rom 14:17 | For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. | Nature of the Kingdom as spiritual, not material. |
| 1 Cor 4:20 | For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. | The Kingdom is about divine power and reality. |
| Lk 16:16 | 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. | Proclamation of the Kingdom has begun with John the Baptist. |
| Mt 3:2, 4:17 | "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." | John and Jesus' initial proclamation of the Kingdom's nearness. |
| Jn 3:3-5 | Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God... | Entry into the Kingdom requires spiritual rebirth. |
| Mt 6:10 | Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. | Prayer for the future coming and current manifestation of God's rule. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... | Jesus' future cosmic kingship and reign. |
| 2 Tim 4:1 | I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom... | Reference to Christ's future appearing and Kingdom. |
| Rev 11:15 | Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” | Ultimate consummation of God's Kingdom at the end of time. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder... of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end... | Prophecy of the coming King and the eternal increase of His reign. |
Luke 19 verses
Luke 19 11 Meaning
Luke 19:11 explains the direct impetus for Jesus speaking the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:12-27). The disciples and those listening misunderstood the nature and timing of God's Kingdom. They believed that since Jesus was entering Jerusalem, the Messiah would immediately establish His glorious, earthly kingdom, overthrowing Roman rule, and revealing His reign in full power. This verse clarifies that Jesus told the parable precisely to correct this widespread misconception, teaching them about the delayed consummation of the Kingdom and the period of accountability that precedes it.
Luke 19 11 Context
Luke 19:11 is pivotal, linking the preceding narrative of Zacchaeus's salvation (19:1-10) with the subsequent Parable of the Minas (19:12-27). Jesus has just demonstrated His authority and the Kingdom's reality by bringing salvation to an outcast tax collector. He is also physically nearing Jerusalem, a fact fraught with Messianic expectations. For many Jews, particularly Jesus's followers, the entry into Jerusalem signified the immediate establishment of the Messiah's political kingdom, throwing off Roman oppression and ushering in an era of glory and earthly rule, as depicted in various apocalyptic expectations of the time. The narrative thus presents a tension between their nationalistic, earthly hopes and Jesus's spiritual, universal mission. Jesus's purpose in speaking the parable is to correct this widespread, eschatological misunderstanding among His disciples and the crowd. He uses a common, tangible scenario (a nobleman departing and returning) to illustrate a spiritual truth about His future absence, the interim period of discipleship and stewardship, and His eventual return for judgment and full Kingdom establishment. This addresses the prevalent idea that the kingdom would manifest 'immediately' without further delay or requirement for the hearers.
Luke 19 11 Word analysis
- As they heard these things (καὶ ἀκουόντων αὐτῶν ταῦτα - kai akouontōn autōn tauta): This phrase indicates the immediate trigger for the parable. "These things" refer specifically to Jesus's pronouncements following the Zacchaeus episode (Lk 19:9-10), particularly His declaration, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." The hearers witnessed a dramatic demonstration of salvation, a sign of the Kingdom's power.
- He added (προσθεὶς - prostheis): The verb prostithemi means "to add," "to put to," or "to continue." It suggests that Jesus did not merely speak another parable, but rather furthered His teaching directly in response to their observation and their misconceptions, indicating a continuity and direct causation. This was an immediate, essential teaching necessitated by the circumstances.
- and spoke (εἶπεν - eipen): Simple verb "said" or "spoke."
- a parable (παραβολὴν - parabolēn): A narrative teaching method used by Jesus, typically a short, fictional story designed to illustrate a spiritual or moral lesson. In this context, it specifically refers to the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:12-27), intended to challenge and correct their immediate expectations of the Kingdom.
- because He was near Jerusalem (διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι αὐτὸν Ἰερουσαλὴμ - dia to engys einai auton Ierousalem): "Near" (engys) emphasizes geographical proximity. Jesus's physical location amplified the fervent Jewish hopes for an immediate Messianic kingdom. Jerusalem was the seat of Davidic rule and the prophetic place for the Messiah's coronation.
- and because they thought (καὶ δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς - kai dokein autous): The verb dokeō means "to think," "to suppose," or "to imagine." This highlights their mistaken perception or erroneous belief. It was their internal conviction, not necessarily a voiced question, that Jesus addressed.
- that the kingdom of God (ὅτι ἀναφαίνεσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ - hoti anaphainesthai tēn basileian tou Theou): "Kingdom of God" (basileia tou Theou) is central to Jesus's preaching. It refers to God's reign and rule, already inaugurated in Jesus's ministry, but whose full consummation is yet future. Their thought concerned its "appearance."
- was going to appear immediately (παραχρῆμα - parachrēma): "Immediately" (parachrēma) signifies at once, without delay. This word strongly underscores their expectation of a sudden, instant manifestation of God's political and visible rule, perhaps even envisioning a miraculous divine intervention at Jesus's arrival in the city. The entire point of the parable is to contradict this "immediately" aspect.
Words-group analysis:
- As they heard these things, He added and spoke a parable: This entire clause functions as the purpose statement for the ensuing parable. It clearly shows Jesus's pedagogical method – teaching directly in response to specific, pressing needs and misunderstandings among His listeners.
- because He was near Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately: These two clauses provide the twin motivations for Jesus's parable. The physical proximity to Jerusalem fueled the fervent but misguided eschatological hope for a sudden, political kingdom. This specific misunderstanding necessitated immediate clarification.
Luke 19 11 Bonus section
The immediate and significant misinterpretation of "the Kingdom of God" held by the disciples and crowd highlights a persistent theme throughout the Gospels: the stark contrast between human, nationalistic aspirations for the Messiah and the true nature of Jesus's mission and the spiritual kingdom He initiated. This tension is further evident later when disciples still inquire about restoring the kingdom to Israel even after Jesus's resurrection (Acts 1:6). Jesus's correction here underscores the "already but not yet" dynamic of the Kingdom: it had commenced with His presence and work (the "already"), but its full, visible, and consummated glory was a future event (the "not yet"), demanding a period of faithful discipleship and activity in His absence. This verse implicitly sets up the theme of Christ's ascension and future return, emphasizing stewardship in the interim period, which is then explicitly detailed in the Parable of the Minas.
Luke 19 11 Commentary
Luke 19:11 serves as a critical interpretive bridge, elucidating why Jesus presented the Parable of the Minas. The setting is key: Jesus is approaching Jerusalem, a location steeped in prophetic significance regarding the Messiah's advent. This proximity ignited deeply held Jewish expectations of a conquering Messiah who would immediately establish a glorious, earthly kingdom, thereby ending Roman occupation and initiating an era of peace and prosperity.
However, Jesus recognized that their concept of the "Kingdom of God" was profoundly flawed in terms of both its nature and its timing. Their expectation was primarily political and immediate, while the Kingdom, as inaugurated by Jesus, was spiritual in essence ("righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" – Rom 14:17) and its full, visible manifestation was (and is) yet to come. The phrase "He added and spoke a parable" indicates that Jesus did not merely share another story; rather, He directly addressed their pressing misconception through a further, crucial teaching. The subsequent parable directly refutes the "immediately appear" notion, by illustrating a king's necessary departure and a period of stewardship before his return and reckoning. Thus, Luke 19:11 underscores Jesus's role as the Great Teacher who continuously corrected and reoriented His followers' understanding of divine realities, preparing them for a reality that transcended their temporal hopes.