The Meaning of Luke 12:17 Explained

Luke 12:17

KJV: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

YLT: and he was reasoning within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where I shall gather together my fruits?

Darby: And he reasoned within himself saying, What shall I do? for I have not a place where I shall lay up my fruits.

ASV: and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he thought  within  himself,  saying,  What  shall I do,  because  I have  no  room where  to bestow  my  fruits? 

What does Luke 12:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 12:13-21 - The Doom Of The Money Lover
Our Lord did not come into our world as an earthly judge, adjusting differences between man and man. He lays down great principles, obedience to which will bring heaven into human lives. One of the greatest of these is here enunciated in Luke 12:15. Covetousness is as much a temptation of the poor man who is wronged as of his rich oppressor; and love for money will inevitably, in poor and rich, becloud the vision and disturb the inner peace. The worth of a man cannot be computed by the amount that stands to his credit. Not what you have but what you are! That is your value in the eyes of God. Some men live to get; see to it that you live to be.
It is absurd to suppose that the soul can take its ease, just because its barns are bursting with goods. Goods are not good! The soul cannot live on corn! Merriment cannot come to a heart that is smitten by remorse and shadowed by the remonstrances of an evil conscience! Besides, we cannot take with us our possessions when we cross the river. We can only take our character-our things pass into other hands. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 12

1  Jesus preaches to his apostles to avoid hypocrisy
13  and warns against covetousness, by the parable of the man who set up greater barns
22  We must not worry about earthly things,
31  but seek the kingdom of God;
33  give alms;
35  be ready at a knock to open to our Lord whensoever he comes
41  Jesus' disciples are to see to their charges,
49  and look for persecution
54  The people must take this time of grace;
57  because it is a fearful thing to die without reconciliation

Greek Commentary for Luke 12:17

Reasoned within himself [διελογιζετο εν αυτωι]
Imperfect middle, picturing his continued cogitations over his perplexity. [source]
Where to bestow [που συναχω]
Future indicative deliberative, where I shall gather together.My fruits (τους καρπους μου — tous karpous mou). So it is with the rich fool: my fruits, my barns, my corn, my goods, just like Nabal whose very name means fool (1 Samuel 25:11), whether a direct reference to him or not. [source]
My fruits [τους καρπους μου]
So it is with the rich fool: my fruits, my barns, my corn, my goods, just like Nabal whose very name means fool (1 Samuel 25:11), whether a direct reference to him or not. [source]
Bestow [συνάξω]
Lit., gather together. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 12:17

Philippians 2:14 Disputings [διαλογισμῶν]
See on Mark 7:21. It is doubtful whether disputings is a legitimate meaning. The kindred verb διαλογίζομαι is invariably used in the sense of to reason or discuss, either with another or in one's own mind, Matthew 16:7; Matthew 21:25; Mark 2:6; Luke 12:17. The noun is sometimes rendered thoughts, as Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:21; but with the same idea underlying it, of a suspicion or doubt, causing inward discussion. See 1 Timothy 2:8. Better here questionings or doubtings. See on Romans 14:1. The murmuring is the moral, the doubting the intellectual rebellion against God. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 12:17 mean?

And he was reasoning within himself saying What shall I do for not I have where I will store up the fruits of me
καὶ διελογίζετο ἐν ἑαυτῷ λέγων Τί ποιήσω ὅτι οὐκ ἔχω ποῦ συνάξω τοὺς καρπούς μου

διελογίζετο  he  was  reasoning 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διαλογίζομαι  
Sense: to bring together different reasons, to reckon up the reasons, to reason, revolve in one’s mind, deliberate.
ἐν  within 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐν 
Sense: in, by, with etc.
ἑαυτῷ  himself 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
ποιήσω  shall  I  do 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
ἔχω  I  have 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἔχω  
Sense: to have, i.e. to hold.
ποῦ  where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ποῦ  
Sense: somewhere.
συνάξω  I  will  store  up 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: συνάγω  
Sense: to gather together, to gather.
καρπούς  fruits 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: καρπός  
Sense: fruit.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.