Luke 9 60

Luke 9:60 kjv

Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:60 nkjv

Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."

Luke 9:60 niv

Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Luke 9:60 esv

And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Luke 9:60 nlt

But Jesus told him, "Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God."

Luke 9 verses

Luke 9 60 Meaning

Luke 9:60 communicates Jesus' radical demand for absolute priority to His mission and the Kingdom of God above all earthly obligations, even sacred family duties. Jesus prioritizes spiritual urgency and eternal life over cultural expectations and the temporal responsibilities of those who are spiritually inert, indicating that those spiritually dead can attend to the affairs of the physically dead, while the spiritually alive are called to urgent proclamation of the Kingdom.

Luke 9 60 Context

Luke 9:60 is part of a larger section (Luke 9:57-62) illustrating the cost and absolute nature of discipleship. In these verses, Jesus confronts various would-be followers with radical demands, demonstrating that commitment to the Kingdom of God transcends all earthly ties and responsibilities. The request to "bury my father first" (Luke 9:59) represented a profound cultural and filial duty in ancient Jewish society, often involving an extended period of mourning or even living in a parent's house until their eventual death. Jewish law mandated the deepest respect for parents (Exo 20:12, Deut 5:16). Jesus’ statement thus directly challenges a deeply ingrained societal value and a seemingly righteous obligation, asserting the supremacy of His immediate call to ministry. This direct confrontation serves as a stark contrast between temporary human obligations and the eternal, urgent mandate of God's Kingdom.

Luke 9 60 Word analysis

• Jesus said to him: Highlights the divine authority and the personal nature of the call, directly addressing a specific individual.
• 'Let': (Greek: Aphēs, ἀφες) – An imperative verb meaning "permit," "allow," or "leave." It is not a command for the disciple to disrespect but rather an authorization for "the dead" to carry out the act. It grants permission to others, not the disciple himself, to manage earthly affairs.
• the dead: (Greek: tous nekrous, τοὺς νεκροὺς) – This crucial term refers to the spiritually dead. These are individuals who, while physically alive, are spiritually separated from God, unresponsive to His divine call, and immersed in worldly priorities. This highlights the urgent distinction between those who follow Christ and those who do not.
• bury: (Greek: thapsai, θάψαι) – To inter or perform burial rites. A standard cultural and religious duty.
• their own dead: (Greek: tous heautōn nekrous, τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς) – The second use of "dead" refers to the physically deceased. This means that the spiritually dead are perfectly capable of, and should, attend to the mundane, temporary matters of this physical life, including funerals.
• but as for you: (Greek: sy de, σὺ δὲ) – This emphatic pronoun "you" creates a strong, direct contrast. It isolates the disciple from "the dead" and stresses his unique, urgent calling from Jesus. This phrase highlights a divine separation and special assignment.
• go: (Greek: apelthōn, ἀπελθὼν) – A command to depart or proceed. It signifies action, movement, and a direct response to the call.
• and proclaim: (Greek: dianggelle, διάγγελλε) – An urgent imperative meaning "to proclaim thoroughly," "to publish abroad," or "to declare universally." The prefix dia- (throughout) indicates a widespread and pervasive declaration, emphasizing the urgency and comprehensiveness of the mission.
• the kingdom of God: (Greek: tēn basileian tou theou, τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ) – The central message of Jesus' ministry. It refers to God's sovereign reign and redemptive work, inaugurated by Jesus. This is the ultimate priority and calling for His true disciples.

Words-group analysis:

• 'Let the dead bury their own dead': This paradoxical statement serves as a polemic against the ultimate prioritization of cultural duties above God's call. It asserts that those who are spiritually unawakened can concern themselves with earthly, transient matters, whereas Christ's disciples have a higher, eternal purpose. It redefines what constitutes true "life" and urgency.
• 'but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God': This distinct contrast underscores the singular and supreme nature of discipleship. It reveals that the follower's immediate, personal commission is to participate in God's eternal purposes, which must supersede any familial or cultural obligation, however important it may seem. The call demands urgency, complete devotion, and unwavering focus on the expansion of God's reign.

Luke 9 60 Bonus section

• The traditional Jewish concept of burial and mourning: Fulfilling funerary rites was considered a sacred command and an act of extreme piety (e.g., chesed shel emet, "true kindness" or kindness performed with no expectation of return). For a son to ask to bury his father meant he was performing a central religious duty, making Jesus' command even more counter-cultural and shocking.
• "Bury my father first" could mean an already deceased parent needing burial, or it could mean waiting until his father passed away to assume the inheritance and fulfill post-mortem duties, which could imply a delay of many years. In either case, it represented a potential deferral of discipleship.
• The severity of Jesus' response emphasizes that the "now" of the Kingdom of God and its proclamation outweighs any worldly "later." The opportunity for eternal impact demands immediate action from those spiritually awakened.
• The passage sets a precedent for understanding that certain divine callings might require a separation from conventional expectations, as seen in other biblical figures like Abraham leaving Ur or Moses leading Israel.
• It teaches that genuine spiritual priorities often diverge sharply from human, even pious, ones. A follower of Christ is part of a new, divine family, with a new set of primary allegiances and responsibilities.

Luke 9 60 Commentary

Luke 9:60 is one of the most stark statements of radical discipleship in the Gospels. It is not a blanket condemnation of familial duties or a rejection of compassion for the deceased, but a piercing challenge to absolute prioritization. Jesus is not asking this disciple to abandon an already-deceased father (though the cultural request could imply this or waiting for an elderly parent to die). Instead, he exposes where the man's ultimate priority lies. The Kingdom of God is a matter of such profound eternal consequence and immediate urgency that it demands complete dedication, even to the exclusion of deeply ingrained cultural norms and obligations, no matter how sacred. The mission of proclaiming the Kingdom is paramount; it supersedes temporal responsibilities that can be managed by others who do not share the disciple's specific, divine calling and spiritual aliveness. It implies that true life is found in serving God, and true purpose is in sharing His saving message, not in the conventions of a spiritually inert world. This verse exemplifies the revolutionary nature of Jesus' call, demanding total allegiance and a radical reordering of priorities, where the eternal spiritual harvest takes precedence over the temporal needs of this world.