Luke 6 25

Luke 6:25 kjv

Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

Luke 6:25 nkjv

Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep.

Luke 6:25 niv

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Luke 6:25 esv

"Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

Luke 6:25 nlt

What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.

Luke 6 verses

Luke 6 25 Meaning

Luke 6:25 pronounces a strong warning or lament against those who are presently filled and satisfied, implying a contentment based on worldly comforts, riches, or pleasures. It predicts a stark future reversal: their current satiety will transform into profound hunger, and their present laughter into deep mourning and weeping. This declaration by Jesus underscores the impermanence and deceptive nature of temporal enjoyments when divorced from eternal realities and righteous living, contrasting sharply with the blessings pronounced on the poor, hungry, and sorrowful in the preceding Beatitudes.

Luke 6 25 Context

Luke 6:25 is part of Jesus's "Sermon on the Plain" (Luke 6:20-49), which parallels Matthew's Sermon on the Mount. Specifically, this verse is one of four "woes" that immediately follow Jesus's four "beatitudes" (Luke 6:20-23). The structure of Luke's sermon presents a direct contrast: "Blessed are you..." followed by "Woe to you..." This dramatic juxtaposition highlights the stark spiritual inversion of societal values. The beatitudes bless the poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted, promising future comfort, satisfaction, laughter, and reward. The woes, conversely, are directed at those who are currently rich, full, laughing, and well-regarded, warning them of a future of hunger, mourning, and denigration.

Historically and culturally, Jesus challenged prevailing assumptions that outward prosperity or social esteem signified divine favor. Many religious leaders of the time, such as the Pharisees, were often associated with wealth and status. Jesus's pronouncement constitutes a direct polemic against the complacency of those whose current earthly comforts make them neglect their spiritual state or oppress others. It echoes Old Testament prophetic warnings against the corrupt rich and complacent, like those in Amos or Isaiah, reminding His listeners that true blessing is not found in transient worldly abundance but in spiritual hunger and reliance on God, often accompanied by suffering for righteousness' sake.

Luke 6 25 Word analysis

• Woe (οὐαί, ouai): This interjection expresses a strong lament, sorrow, and often a stern denunciation or threat of impending judgment. It's not merely pity but carries an ominous sense of misfortune or divine disapproval awaiting those addressed. In the Septuagint and New Testament, it frequently announces a catastrophic event or judgment.
• to you (ὑμῖν, hymin): A plural pronoun, indicating a general address to a group, not necessarily all individuals who are full or laugh, but those characterized by such states as their primary source of contentment, perhaps excluding God.
• who are full (οἱ ἐμπεπλησμένοι, hoi empeplēsménoi): "Empeplēsménoi" is a perfect passive participle, signifying a state of being completely filled or sated, often physically, but here implies a deep satisfaction from worldly possessions, pleasures, or even spiritual complacency. The perfect tense suggests a settled, enduring condition. This stands in contrast to spiritual hunger for God.
• now (νῦν, nyn): A crucial temporal adverb, emphasizing the present time. It sharply contrasts with the implied future time when their condition will reverse, highlighting the immediate yet temporary nature of their satisfaction.
• for you shall be hungry (ὅτι πεινάσετε, hoti peinasete): "Peinasete" is a future indicative, promising a certainty of future hunger. This is not just physical hunger but spiritual destitution and desperate need, an inability to find satisfaction when their earthly sources are removed or rendered meaningless. It reflects a complete reversal of their current state.
• Woe to you (οὐαί ὑμῖν, ouai hymin): Repeats the same strong lament and warning, reinforcing the severity and certainty of the future reversal.
• who laugh (οἱ γελῶντες, hoi gelōntes): "Gelōntes" is a present active participle, describing those actively engaged in laughter or levity. This refers to an enjoyment of life and amusement, perhaps careless revelry or mockery, that lacks a spiritual foundation or disregard for others' suffering or eternal realities. It could signify a superficial joy disconnected from true spiritual peace.
• now (νῦν, nyn): Again, the present tense is vital, underscoring the temporal nature of this laughter.
• for you shall mourn (ὅτι πενθήσετε, hoti penthēsete): "Penthēsete" is a future indicative, guaranteeing future mourning. This signifies deep, profound sorrow and grief, akin to mourning the dead or significant loss, replacing their present mirth.
• and weep (καὶ κλαύσετε, kai klaúsete): "Klaúsete" is also a future indicative, meaning to shed tears, to cry aloud. It denotes an outward expression of intense distress and lamentation, complementing "mourn" to emphasize the depth of their coming sorrow.

• "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry": This phrase condemns complacency derived from earthly sufficiency. It warns that those whose ultimate satisfaction comes from material wealth or worldly pleasures, neglecting their spiritual hunger for God and righteousness, will face an ultimate emptiness and deprivation. Their present satiation prevents them from seeking true spiritual nourishment.
• "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep": This warns against a superficial, possibly careless or even disdainful, joy that ignores spiritual realities, suffering, or future judgment. It foretells a profound reversal where such laughter will be replaced by bitter sorrow and tears. This often implies a joy rooted in temporary successes or frivolous pursuits, lacking eternal substance, contrasting with the blessed sorrow that leads to comfort.

Luke 6 25 Bonus section

This verse strongly reflects Jesus's eschatological teaching—the belief that the present spiritual state has profound implications for a future, ultimate judgment and reversal. The "woes" signify a prophetic announcement of consequences rather than merely an expression of sorrow; they serve as a stark warning to repent. The emphasis on "now" and "shall be" underscores the contrast between temporary earthly realities and permanent eternal ones. It suggests a spiritual principle: what we choose to pursue for fulfillment in this life dictates our eternal state. Those who find comfort in the world now without God are ultimately embracing discomfort. Those who find suffering for God's sake now are embracing comfort.

Luke 6 25 Commentary

Luke 6:25 serves as a solemn warning against misplaced satisfaction and superficial joy. Jesus is not condemning happiness or food itself, but rather the spiritual danger of finding one's ultimate contentment in fleeting earthly comforts and pleasures. The "full" here are those whose lives are characterized by material abundance or worldly success, leading to self-satisfaction and an unacknowledged spiritual deficit. Their "fullness" now ironically ensures a future of profound "hunger" – not necessarily physical, but a deep spiritual yearning and emptiness, for they will have nothing eternal to sustain them. Similarly, "those who laugh now" signify those whose present merriment and carefree existence derive from earthly pleasures or a lack of spiritual seriousness. This laughter is transient; it will inevitably turn to "mourning and weeping" when faced with eternal realities and the consequences of lives lived without God's kingdom as the primary pursuit. The verse is a powerful call to align one's values with divine, eternal perspectives rather than clinging to the ephemeral satisfaction of the world. It compels self-reflection on what truly fills and brings joy to one's life.