The Meaning of Luke 13:23 Explained

Luke 13:23

KJV: Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

YLT: and a certain one said to him, 'Sir, are those saved few?' and he said unto them,

Darby: And one said to him, Sir, are such as are to be saved few in number? But he said unto them,

ASV: And one said unto him, Lord, are they few that are saved? And he said unto them,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  said  one  unto  him,  Lord,  are there few  that be saved?  And  he said  unto them, 

What does Luke 13:23 Mean?

Study Notes

saved
.
salvation
The Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία , safety, preservation, healing, and soundness). Salvation is the great inclusive word of the Gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive acts and processes: as justification, redemption, grace, propitiation, imputation, forgiveness, sanctification, and glorification. Salvation is in three tenses:
(1) The believer has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin Luke 7:50 ; 1 Corinthians 1:18 ; 2 Corinthians 2:15 ; Ephesians 2:5 ; Ephesians 2:8 ; 2 Timothy 1:9 and is safe.
(2) the believer is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin Romans 6:14 ; Philippians 1:19 ; Philippians 2:12 ; Philippians 2:13 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:13 ; Romans 8:2 ; Galatians 2:19 ; Galatians 2:20 ; 2 Corinthians 3:18 .
(3) The believer is to be saved in the sense of entire conformity to Christ. Romans 13:11 ; Hebrews 10:36 ; 1 Peter 1:5 ; 1 John 3:2 . Salvation is by grace through faith, is a free gift, and wholly without works; Romans 3:27 ; Romans 3:28 ; Romans 4:1-8 ; Romans 6:23 ; Ephesians 2:8 . The divine order is: first salvation, then works; Ephesians 2:9 ; Ephesians 2:10 ; Titus 3:5-8 .

Verse Meaning

Luke did not identify the questioner who could have been a disciple or a member of the ubiquitous crowd. The questioner evidently wanted to know if he or she was correct in concluding from Jesus" previous teaching (e.g, Mark 10:23-26) that only a few people would experience salvation. For the Jews, and probably for the questioner, salvation meant entering the kingdom as well as entering heaven. The identity of the people to whom Jesus responded is indefinite and unimportant.

Context Summary

Luke 13:18-30 - The Penalty Of Neglected Opportunity
Notice here the inward movement and the outward effect of the gospel whether in the heart or in the world of men. The garden and the kitchen, the lives of men and women, respectively yield the same lesson. Though the seed of the divine nature is sown in secret, it cannot remain secret, but works its way into manifestation. Man's method is from without inward; God's, from within outward. You cannot estimate the results when a little child receives the incorruptible seed, 1 Peter 1:23.
But the entrance into the full power and blessedness of Christ is by a narrow way. The strait gate is open to all, but it means that we have to deny and leave behind all that is carnal, whether good or bad in the estimate of men, so that the divine life may have the entire field. Merely to eat and drink in Christ's presence betrays a self-indulgence which is foreign to His Spirit. You may sit at the Lord's table and yet be a worker of iniquity! We may be first in privilege, but last in grace. Luke 13:29-30 remind us of Acts 10:34-35 and Romans 2:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 13

1  Jesus preaches repentance upon the punishment of the Galilaeans and others
6  The fruitless fig tree may not stand
10  He heals the crooked woman;
18  shows the powerful working of the word, by the parable of the grain of mustard seed,
20  and of leaven;
22  exhorts to enter in at the strait gate;
31  and reproves Herod and Jerusalem

Greek Commentary for Luke 13:23

Are they few that be saved? [ει ολιγοι οι σωζομενοι]
Note use of ει — ei as an interrogative which can be explained as ellipsis or as ειη — ei =ē (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1024). This was an academic theological problem with the rabbis, the number of the elect. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 13:23

Acts 1:6 Asked [ηρωτων]
Imperfect active, repeatedly asked before Jesus answered. Lord (κυριε — kurie). Here not in the sense of “sir” (Matthew 21:30), but to Jesus as Lord and Master as often in Acts (Acts 19:5, Acts 19:10, etc.) and in prayer to Jesus (Acts 7:59). Dost thou restore The use of ει — ei in an indirect question is common. We have already seen its use in direct questions (Matthew 12:10; Luke 13:23 which see note for discussion), possibly in imitation of the Hebrew (frequent in the lxx) or as a partial condition without conclusion. See also Acts 7:1; Acts 19:2; Acts 21:37; Acts 22:25. The form of the verb αποκατιστανω — apokathistanō is late (also αποκατισταω — apokathistaō) omega form for the old and common αποκατιστημι — apokathistēmi double compound, to restore to its former state. As a matter of fact the Messianic kingdom for which they are asking is a political kingdom that would throw off the hated Roman yoke. It is a futuristic present and they are uneasy that Jesus may yet fail to fulfil their hopes. Surely here is proof that the eleven apostles needed the promise of the Father before they began to spread the message of the Risen Christ. They still yearn for a political kingdom for Israel even after faith and hope have come back. They need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (John 14-16) and the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4.). [source]
Acts 1:6 Dost thou restore [ει αποκατιστανεις]
The use of ει — ei in an indirect question is common. We have already seen its use in direct questions (Matthew 12:10; Luke 13:23 which see note for discussion), possibly in imitation of the Hebrew (frequent in the lxx) or as a partial condition without conclusion. See also Acts 7:1; Acts 19:2; Acts 21:37; Acts 22:25. The form of the verb αποκατιστανω — apokathistanō is late (also αποκατισταω — apokathistaō) omega form for the old and common αποκατιστημι — apokathistēmi double compound, to restore to its former state. As a matter of fact the Messianic kingdom for which they are asking is a political kingdom that would throw off the hated Roman yoke. It is a futuristic present and they are uneasy that Jesus may yet fail to fulfil their hopes. Surely here is proof that the eleven apostles needed the promise of the Father before they began to spread the message of the Risen Christ. They still yearn for a political kingdom for Israel even after faith and hope have come back. They need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (John 14-16) and the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4.). [source]
Acts 19:2 Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? [ει πνευμα αγιον ελαβετε πιστευσαντεσ]
This use of Πι — Pi in a direct question occurs in Acts 1:6, is not according to the old Greek idiom, but is common in the lxx and the N.T. as in Luke 13:23 which see (Robertson, Grammar, p. 916). Apparently Paul was suspicious of the looks or conduct of these professed disciples. The first aorist active participle πιστευσαντες — pisteusantes is simultaneous with the second aorist active indicative ελαβετε — elabete and refers to the same event. [source]
Acts 5:8 For so much [τοσουτου]
Genitive of price. Perhaps Peter pointed to the pile of money at the feet of the apostles (Acts 5:2). The use of ει — ei in direct questions appears in Luke (Luke 13:23; Luke 22:49) as in the lxx like the Hebrew im and in Acts 1:6; Acts 19:2, etc. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 13:23 mean?

Said then one to Him Lord if [are] few those being saved - And He said to them
Εἶπεν δέ τις αὐτῷ Κύριε εἰ ὀλίγοι οἱ σῳζόμενοι δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς

Εἶπεν  Said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
τις  one 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: τὶς  
Sense: a certain, a certain one.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Κύριε  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ὀλίγοι  [are]  few 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ὀλίγος  
Sense: little, small, few.
οἱ  those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
σῳζόμενοι  being  saved 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐκσῴζω 
Sense: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἶπεν  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.