Luke 9:62

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
Jesus	Ἰησοῦς· Iēsous	G2424	Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
said	εἶπεν eipen	G2036	to speak or say (by word or writing) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
unto	πρὸς pros	G4314	a preposition of direction · preposition
him	αὐτὸν auton	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
No man	οὐδεὶς oudeis	G3762	not even one (man · adjective — nominative singular masculine
having put	ἐπιβαλὼν epibalōn	G1911	to throw upon (literal or figurative · verb — second aorist active participle, nominative singular masculine
his	αὐτός autós	G846	the reflexive pronoun self
hand	χεῖρα cheira	G5495	the hand (literally or figuratively (power) · noun — accusative singular feminine
to	ἐπ᾽ ep᾽	G1909	properly · preposition
the plough	ἄροτρον arotron	G723	a plow · noun — accusative singular neuter
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
looking	βλέπων blepōn	G991	to look at (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
back	ὀπίσω opisō	G3694	to the back · adverb
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
fit	εὔθετός euthetos	G2111	well placed · adjective — nominative singular masculine
for	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
the kingdom	βασιλείᾳ basileia	G932	properly · noun — dative singular feminine
of God	θεοῦ.¶ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title

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

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto…
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entang…
Luke 17:31-32 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the f…
James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Psalms 78:8-9 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was…
Acts 15:37-38 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 9:57–end

We have here an account of three several persons that offered themselves to follow Christ, and the answers that Christ gave to each of them. The two former we had an account of in Mat 19:21. I. Here is one that is extremely forward to follow Christ immediately, but seems to have been too rash, hasty, and inconsiderate, and not to have set down and counted the cost. 1. He makes Christ a very large promise (Luk 9:57): As they went in the way, going up to Jerusalem, where it was expected Christ would first appear in his glory, one said to him, Lord, I will follow thee withersoever thou goest. This must be the resolution of all that will be found Christ's disciples indeed; they follow the Lamb w…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 9:62

No man, &c.--As ploughing requires an eye intent on the furrow to be made, and is marred the instant one turns about, so will they come short of salvation who prosecute the work of God with a distracted attention, a divided heart. Though the reference seems chiefly to ministers, the application is general. The expression "looking back" has a manifest reference to "Lot's wife" (Gen 19:26; and see on Luk 17:32). It is not actual return to the world, but a reluctance to break with it. (Also see on Mat 8:21.) Next: Luke Chapter 10

Adam Clarke on Luke 9:62

Put his hand to the plough - Can any person properly discharge the work of the ministry who is engaged in secular employments? A farmer and a minister of the Gospel are incompatible characters. As a person who holds the plough cannot keep on a straight furrow if he look behind him; so he who is employed in the work of the ministry cannot do the work of an evangelist, if he turn his desires to worldly profits. A good man has said: "He who thinks it necessary to cultivate the favor of the world is not far from betraying the interests of God and his Church." Such a person is not fit, ευθετος, properly disposed, has not his mind properly directed towards the heavenly inheritance, and is not fit…

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The Church Fathers

"But provision must be made for children and posterity." "None, putting his hand on the plough, and looking back, is fit" for work. "But I was under contract.
— Tertullian, On Idolatry

Yet I must necessarily prescribe you a law, not to stretch out your hand after the old things, not to look backwards: for "the old things are passed away," according to Isaiah; and "a renewing hath been renewed," according to Jeremiah; and "forgetful of former things, we are reaching forward," according to the apostle; and "the law and the prophets (were) until John," according to the Lord.
— Tertullian, On Modesty

(Nilus Monac.) For the frequent looking upon the things which we have forsaken, through the force of habit draws us back to our past way of life. For practice has great power to retain to itself. Is not habit generated of use, and nature of habit? But to get rid of or change nature is difficult; for although when compelled it for a while turns aside, it very rapidly returns to itself.
— Ancient Greek Expositor ((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

Agriculture — Tilling the ground (Gen. 2:15; 4:2, 3, 12) and rearing cattle were the chief employments in ancient times. The Egyptians excelled in agriculture. And after the Israelites entered into the possession…
Apostle — A person sent by another; a messenger; envoy. This word is once used as a descriptive designation of Jesus Christ, the Sent of the Father (Heb. 3:1; John 20:21). It is, however, generally used as…
Elisha — God his salvation, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, who became the attendant and disciple of Elijah (1 Kings 19:16-19). His name first occurs in the command given to Elijah to anoint him as his…
Backsliders · 8:22; — 8:22;
Backsliding · Guilt and consequences of — Guilt and consequences of
Care · .Certain per — .Certain per
Decision · EXHORTATION TO — EXHORTATION TO
Devotedness To God · Should be: Persevering — Should be: Persevering
Excuses · 8:21; — 8:21;
Instability · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Missionary Work By Ministers · Worldly concerns should not delay — Worldly concerns should not delay
Ploughing · Performed: By a plough — Performed: By a plough
Procrastination

Luke 9:62

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 9:57–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 9:62

Adam Clarke on Luke 9:62

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Luke 9:62

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Luke 9:57–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 9:62

Adam Clarke on Luke 9:62

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Luke 9:62

John Calvin on Luke 9:57–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Luke 9:61-62