The Meaning of Luke 5:14 Explained

Luke 5:14

KJV: And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

YLT: And he charged him to tell no one, 'But, having gone away, shew thyself to the priest, and bring near for thy cleansing according as Moses directed, for a testimony to them;'

Darby: And he enjoined him to tell no one; but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing as Moses ordained, for a testimony to them.

ASV: And he charged him to tell no man: but go thy way, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he  charged  him  to tell  no man:  but  go,  and shew  thyself  to the priest,  and  offer  for  thy  cleansing,  according as  Moses  commanded,  for  a testimony  unto them. 

What does Luke 5:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The healing of lepers was a messianic act (cf. Luke 7:22). Therefore the man"s "testimony" to his cleansing amounted to an announcement of Messiah"s arrival. Jesus did not want this man to fail to go to Jerusalem and present the required offering for the healing of leprosy ( Leviticus 14:1-32). If the man had broadcast his healing, he may never have reached the priests there and the crowds may have mobbed Him even worse than they were already doing.

Context Summary

Luke 5:12-26 - Cleansing, Power And Pardon
Jesus did not hesitate to touch the leper, because He could no more be polluted by uncleanness than could a ray of light by passing through a fetid atmosphere. The question is never in can or will, as applied to Christ, but whether we will trust Him and can believe.
The Mosaic offering was a pair of birds, one of which was killed over running water; while the other, having been dipped into this mingled blood and water, was freed to fly away in its native air. Is not this the meet emblem of the forgiven and cleansed soul? See Leviticus 14:2-32.
At first the bed bore the paralytic, but after the power of Jesus had entered into him, he bore the bed. So Jesus pours His energy into our anemic natures, and we master what had mastered us. The miracle in the physical sphere, which men could test, approved His power in the realm of the spiritual, where only the forgiven one could actually know.
Do not forget to withdraw from the crowd, however eager it is, that you may pray, Luke 5:16. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 5

1  Jesus teaches the people out of Peter's ship;
4  shows how he will make them fishers of men;
12  cleanses the leper;
16  prays in the desert;
17  heals a paralytic;
27  calls Matthew the tax collector;
29  eats with sinners, as being the physician of souls;
33  foretells the fasting and afflictions of the apostles after his ascension;
36  and illustrates the matter by the parable of patches

Greek Commentary for Luke 5:14

To tell no man [μηδενι ειπειν]
This is an indirect command after the verb “charged” But Luke changes (constructio variata) to the direct quotation, a common idiom in Greek and often in Luke (Acts 1:4.). Here in the direct form he follows Mark 1:43; Matthew 8:4. See discussion there about the direction to go to the priest to receive a certificate showing his cleansing, like our release from quarantine (Leviticus 13:39; 14:2-32). [source]
For a testimony unto them [εις μαρτυριον αυτοις]
The use of αυτοις — autois (them) here is “according to sense,” as we say, for it has no antecedent in the context, just to people in general. But this identical phrase with absence of direct reference occurs in Mark and Matthew, pretty good proof of the use of one by the other. Both Matthew 8:4; Luke 5:14 follow Mark 1:44. [source]
He charged [παρήγγειλεν]
A strong word, often of military orders. Aristotle uses it of a physician: to prescribe. Mark has ἐμβριμησάμενος , strictly or sternly charged. See on Mark 1:43. [source]
No one [μηδενὶ]
The conditional negative: no one that he might chance to meet. [source]
Go, shew thyself []
A lively change from the narrative to direct address. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 5:14

Mark 1:43 Strictly charged [εμβριμησαμενος]
Only in Mark. Luke 5:14 has παρηγγειλεν — parēggeilen (commanded). Mark‘s word occurs also in Mark 14:5 and in Matthew 9:30 and John 11:38. See note on Matthew 9:30. It is a strong word for the snorting of a horse and expresses powerful emotion as Jesus stood here face to face with leprosy, itself a symbol of sin and all its train of evils. The command to report to the priests was in accord with the Mosaic regulations and the prohibition against talking about it was to allay excitement and to avoid needless opposition to Christ. [source]
Luke 5:14 For a testimony unto them [εις μαρτυριον αυτοις]
The use of αυτοις — autois (them) here is “according to sense,” as we say, for it has no antecedent in the context, just to people in general. But this identical phrase with absence of direct reference occurs in Mark and Matthew, pretty good proof of the use of one by the other. Both Matthew 8:4; Luke 5:14 follow Mark 1:44. [source]
1 Corinthians 11:17 I declare [παραγγέλλω]
Wrong. It means in the New Testament only command. See on Luke 5:14; see on Acts 1:4. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 5:14 mean?

And He ordered him no one to tell But having gone show yourself to the priest offer for the cleansing of you as commanded Moses for a testimony to them
Καὶ αὐτὸς παρήγγειλεν αὐτῷ μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν Ἀλλὰ ἀπελθὼν δεῖξον σεαυτὸν τῷ ἱερεῖ προσένεγκε περὶ τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ σου καθὼς προσέταξεν Μωϋσῆς εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς

παρήγγειλεν  ordered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παραγγέλλω  
Sense: to transmit a message along from one to another, to declare, announce.
μηδενὶ  no  one 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: μηδείς 
Sense: nobody, no one, nothing.
εἰπεῖν  to  tell 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
ἀπελθὼν  having  gone 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀπέρχομαι  
Sense: to go away, depart.
δεῖξον  show 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: δείκνυμι 
Sense: to show, expose to the eyes.
σεαυτὸν  yourself 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 2nd Person Singular
Root: σεαυτοῦ  
Sense: thyself, thee.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἱερεῖ  priest 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἱερεύς  
Sense: a priest, one who offers sacrifices and in general in busied with sacred rites.
προσένεγκε  offer 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: προσφέρω  
Sense: to bring to, lead to.
καθαρισμοῦ  cleansing 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: καθαρισμός  
Sense: a cleansing, purification, a ritual purgation or washing.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
προσέταξεν  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: προστάσσω  
Sense: to assign or ascribe to, join to.
Μωϋσῆς  Moses 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Μωσεύς 
Sense: the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion.
μαρτύριον  a  testimony 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: μαρτύριον  
Sense: testimony.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.