Luke 14:31

Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Or	ἢ ē	G2228	disjunctive · conjunction
what	τίς tis	G5101	an interrogative pronoun · interrogative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
king	βασιλεὺς basileus	G935	a sovereign (abstractly · noun — nominative singular masculine
going	πορευόμενος poreuomenos	G4198	to traverse · verb — present middle or passive deponent participle, nominative singular masculine
to make	συμβαλεῖν sumbalein	G4820	to combine · verb — second aorist active infinitive
war	πόλεμον polemon	G4171	warfare (literally or figuratively · noun — accusative singular masculine
against	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
another	ἑτέρῳ heterō	G2087	(an- · adjective — dative singular masculine
king	βασιλεῖ basilei	G935	a sovereign (abstractly · noun — dative singular masculine
sitteth	καθίσας kathisas	G2523	to seat down · verb — aorist active participle, nominative singular masculine
not	οὐχὶ ouchi	G3780	not indeed · particle — negative
down	καθίζω kathízō	G2523	to seat down
first	πρῶτον prōton	G4412	firstly (in time
and consulteth	βουλεύσεται bouleusetai	G1011	to advise · verb — future middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
whether	εἰ ei	G1487	if · conditional particle
he be	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
able	δυνατός dunatos	G1415	powerful or capable (literally or figuratively) · adjective — nominative singular masculine
with	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
ten	δέκα deka	G1176	ten · adjective — numeral, indeclinable
thousand	χιλιάσιν chiliasin	G5505	one thousand ("chiliad") · noun — dative plural feminine
to meet him	ἀπαντάω apantáō	G528	to meet away
that	τῷ tō	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — dative singular masculine
cometh	ἐρχομένῳ erchomenō	G2064	to come or go (in a great variety of applications · verb — present middle or passive deponent participle, dative singular masculine
against	ἐπ᾽ ep᾽	G1909	properly · preposition
him	αὐτόν; auton	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
with	μετὰ meta	G3326	properly · preposition
twenty	εἴκοσι eikosi	G1501	a score · adjective — numeral, indeclinable
thousand	χιλιάδων chiliadōn	G5505	one thousand ("chiliad") · noun — genitive plural feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Proverbs 20:18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
Proverbs 25:8 Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
1 Kings 20:11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
2 Kings 18:20-22 Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest agains…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 14:25–end

See how Christ in his doctrine suited himself to those to whom he spoke, and gave every one his portion of meat. To Pharisees he preached humility and charity. He is in these verses directing his discourse to the multitudes that crowded after him, and seemed zealous in following him; and his exhortation to them is to understand the terms of discipleship, before they undertook the profession of it, and to consider what they did. See here, I. How zealous people were in their attendance on Christ (Luk 14:25): There went great multitudes with him, many for love and more for company, for where there are many there will be more. Here was a mixed multitude, like that which went with Israel out of E…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 14:28

which of you, &c.--Common sense teaches men not to begin any costly work without first seeing that they have wherewithal to finish. And he who does otherwise exposes himself to general ridicule. Nor will any wise potentate enter on a war with any hostile power without first seeing to it that, despite formidable odds (two to one), he be able to stand his ground; and if he has no hope of this, he will feel that nothing remains for him but to make the best terms he can. Even so, says our Lord, "in the warfare you will each have to wage as My disciples, despise not your enemy's strength, for the odds are all against you; and you had better see to it that, despite every disadvantage, you still ha…

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Adam Clarke on Luke 14:28

To build a tower - Probably this means no more than a dwelling house, on the top of which, according to the Asiatic manner, battlements were built, both to take the fresh air on, and to serve for refuge from and defense against an enemy. It was also used for prayer and meditation. This parable represents the absurdity of those who undertook to be disciples of Christ, without considering what difficulties they were to meet with, and what strength they had to enable them to go through with the undertaking. He that will be a true disciple of Jesus Christ shall require no less than the mighty power of God to support him; as both hell and earth will unite to destroy him.

The Church Fathers

Or the ten thousand of him who is going to fight with the king who has twenty, signify the simplicity of the Christian about to contend with the subtlety of the devil.
— Augustine of Hippo ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

For we fight against spiritual wickedness in high places; (Eph. 6:12.) but there presses upon us a multitude also of other enemies, fleshly lust, the law of sin raging in our members, and various passions, that is, a dreadful multitude of enemies.
— Cyril of Alexandria ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(in Hom. ut sup.) Or else, in that awful trial we come not to the judgment a match for our king, for ten thousand are against twenty thousand, two against one. He comes with a double army against a single. For while we are scarcely prepared in deeds only, he sifts us at once both in thought and deed. While then he is yet afar off, who though still present in judgment, is not seen, let us send him an embassy, our tears, our works of mercy, the propitiatory victim. This is our message which appeases the coming king.
— Gregory the Dialogist ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Parables · King going to war — King going to war
Prudence · 5:25,26;7:6; — 5:25,26;7:6;
Seekers · 5:4-6,8,14;8:12; — 5:4-6,8,14;8:12;
Self-Denial · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
War · Preceded by: Consultation — Preceded by: Consultation

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Luke 14:31

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 14:25–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 14:28

Adam Clarke on Luke 14:28

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Luke 14:31

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 14:25–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 14:28

Adam Clarke on Luke 14:28

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Luke 14:31

John Calvin on Luke 14:25-33

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Luke 14:27