The Meaning of Luke 12:33 Explained

Luke 12:33

KJV: Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

YLT: sell your goods, and give alms, make to yourselves bags that become not old, a treasure unfailing in the heavens, where thief doth not come near, nor moth destroy;

Darby: Sell what ye possess and give alms; make to yourselves purses which do not grow old, a treasure which does not fail in the heavens, where thief does not draw near nor moth destroy.

ASV: Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Sell  that ye  have,  and  give  alms;  provide  yourselves  bags  which wax  not  old,  a treasure  in  the heavens  that faileth not,  where  no  thief  approacheth,  neither  moth  corrupteth. 

What does Luke 12:33 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In view of this prospect Jesus" disciples should strip down and live simply so they could seek the kingdom without unnecessary materialistic distractions. By getting rid of their possessions they were in effect preparing to receive their reward. Jesus pictured this as making purses in anticipation of receiving something to put in them, namely, eternal rewards. Such purses would not wear out in contrast to the purses that hold material wealth. Furthermore their heavenly treasure would be secure rather than vulnerable to theft and destruction (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-4).
"The generosity this text calls for has often been questioned. Are we really called to sell all our possessions? Jesus" point is that we must give up viewing what we call ours, as if it were a private possession to be hoarded." [1]
"The command to "sell" and "give" (or "distribute") is not obsolete after Jesus" ascension, for the narrator portrays the life of the Jerusalem church in such a way as to indicate a particular kind of fulfillment of Jesus" command.... The descriptions of this arrangement feature the words "sell" and "distribute" (using piprasko and diamerizo in Acts 2:45, poleo and diadidomi in Luke 4:34-35), which correspond to the commands of Jesus in Luke 12:33 (poleo and didomi) and Luke 18:22 (poleo and diadidomi)." [2]

Context Summary

Luke 12:22-34 - The Cure For Anxious Care
Notice this contrast between two kinds of men: the one cares for himself, is anxious for this life, worries about food and clothes and standing a cubit higher in the estimate of his fellows; the other is content to fill the niche and do the work assigned him by the Father. And he performs his life-task, not for the remuneration it will bring, but for the "well-done" of God-sure that all which is needed, whether for his soul or body, will be provided by Him who gave him being. The Father knows thy varied need, trust Him!
Do not think of God as grudging! It is your Father's good pleasure to give. Nothing delights Him more than to be able to "give good things to them that ask Him." For Him also "it is more blessed to give than to receive." Remember that the best investments are those we store, not in banks, etc., but in the lives of others: for God Himself guarantees the interest. [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 12:33

Sell that ye have [Πωλησατε τα υπαρχοντα υμων]
Not in Matthew. Did Jesus mean this literally and always? Luke has been charged with Ebionism, but Jesus does not condemn property as inherently sinful. “The attempt to keep the letter of the rule here given (Acts 2:44, Acts 2:45) had disastrous effects on the church of Jerusalem, which speedily became a church of paupers, constantly in need of alms (Romans 15:25, Romans 15:26; 1 Corinthians 16:3; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 2 Corinthians 9:1)” (Plummer). [source]
Purses which wax not old [βαλλαντια μη παλαιουμενα]
So already βαλλαντιον — ballantion in Luke 10:4. Late verb παλαιοω — palaioō from παλαιος — palaios old, to make old, declare old as in Hebrews 8:13, is passive to become old as here and Hebrews 1:11.That faileth not (ανεκλειπτον — anekleipton). Verbal from α — a privative and εκλειπω — ekleipō to fail. Late word in Diodorus and Plutarch. Only here in the N.T. or lxx, but in papyri. “I prefer to believe that even Luke sees in the words not a mechanical rule, but a law for the spirit” (Bruce).Draweth near Instead of Matthew 6:19 “dig through and steal.”Destroyeth (διαπτειρει — diaphtheirei). Instead of “doth consume” in Matthew 6:19. [source]
That faileth not [ανεκλειπτον]
Verbal from α — a privative and εκλειπω — ekleipō to fail. Late word in Diodorus and Plutarch. Only here in the N.T. or lxx, but in papyri. “I prefer to believe that even Luke sees in the words not a mechanical rule, but a law for the spirit” (Bruce). [source]
Draweth near [εγγιζει]
Instead of Matthew 6:19 “dig through and steal.”Destroyeth (διαπτειρει — diaphtheirei). Instead of “doth consume” in Matthew 6:19. [source]
Destroyeth [διαπτειρει]
Instead of “doth consume” in Matthew 6:19. [source]
Bags [βαλλάντια]
From βάλλω , to throw. Something into which money and other things are cast. Rev.,purses. See on Luke 10:4:. Wyc., satchels. [source]
Moth []
Compare James 5:2. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 12:33

Luke 10:4 Purse [βαλλαντιον]
Old word for money-bag, sometimes a javelin as if from βαλλω — ballō Only in Luke in the N.T. (Luke 10:4; Luke 12:33; Luke 22:35). See note on Luke 9:3; notes on Mark 6:7.; and the notes on Matthew 10:9. for the other similar items. [source]
Luke 22:35 Without purse [ατερ βαλλαντιου]
Money bag or purse. Old word, but in the N.T. only in Luke (Luke 10:4; Luke 12:33; Luke 22:35). [source]
Hebrews 8:13 He hath made the first old [πεπαλαίωκεν τὴν πρώτην]
Παλαιοῦν tomake old, only in Hebrews and Luke 12:33. Comp. Hebrews 1:11. [source]
Hebrews 1:11 They [αυτοι]
The heavens Shall perish Future middle of απολλυμι — apollumi Modern scientists no longer postulate the eternal existence of the heavenly bodies. But thou continuest This is what matters most, the eternal existence of God‘s Son as Creator and Preserver of the universe (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:14.). Shall wax old First future passive indicative of παλαιοω — palaioō from παλαιος — palaios for which see Luke 12:33; Hebrews 8:13. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 12:33 mean?

Sell the possessions of you and give alms make to yourselves purses not growing old a treasure unfailing in the heavens where thief not does draw near nor moth destroy
Πωλήσατε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα ὑμῶν καὶ δότε ἐλεημοσύνην ποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς βαλλάντια μὴ παλαιούμενα θησαυρὸν ἀνέκλειπτον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ὅπου κλέπτης οὐκ ἐγγίζει οὐδὲ σὴς διαφθείρει

Πωλήσατε  Sell 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: πωλέω  
Sense: to barter, to sell.
ὑπάρχοντα  possessions 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ὑπάρχω  
Sense: to begin below, to make a beginning.
ὑμῶν  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
δότε  give 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
ἐλεημοσύνην  alms 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐλεημοσύνη  
Sense: mercy, pity.
ποιήσατε  make 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
ἑαυτοῖς  to  yourselves 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
βαλλάντια  purses 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: βαλλάντιον  
Sense: a money bag, purse.
παλαιούμενα  growing  old 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: παλαιόω  
Sense: to make ancient or old.
θησαυρὸν  a  treasure 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θησαυρός  
Sense: the place in which good and precious things are collected and laid up.
ἀνέκλειπτον  unfailing 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀνέκλειπτος  
Sense: unfailing.
οὐρανοῖς  heavens 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: οὐρανός  
Sense: the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it.
ὅπου  where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὅπου  
Sense: where, whereas.
κλέπτης  thief 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κλέπτης  
Sense: an embezzler, pilferer.
ἐγγίζει  does  draw  near 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐγγίζω  
Sense: to bring near, to join one thing to another.
οὐδὲ  nor 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὐδέ  
Sense: but not, neither, nor, not even.
σὴς  moth 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: σής  
Sense: a moth, the clothes moth.
διαφθείρει  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διαφθείρω  
Sense: to change for the worse, to corrupt.