The Meaning of Luke 12:45 Explained

Luke 12:45

KJV: But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

YLT: 'And if that servant may say in his heart, My lord doth delay to come, and may begin to beat the men-servants and the maid-servants, to eat also, and to drink, and to be drunken;

Darby: But if that bondman should say in his heart, My lord delays to come, and begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and to drink and to be drunken,

ASV: But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But and  if  that  servant  say  in  his  heart,  My  lord  delayeth  his coming;  and  shall begin  to beat  the menservants  and  maidens,  and  to eat  and  drink,  and  to be drunken; 

What does Luke 12:45 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 12:35-48 - Ever On The Watch
The Lord leads our thoughts on to His advent, when He will call His servants to account. The day may pass into the evening, the evening into the night, and the night may even begin to wear away to the morning, but the faithful servants keep their watch. Their loins are girt to serve, and the house is radiant with their trimmed lights. Presently He comes, and He raises His slaves to sit at His table! They are henceforth His friends-and His highly honored friends-whom He serves with His own hands. The grandeur of the reward seems to have been too much for Peter to grasp, Luke 12:41. Surely it couldn't be for all. Yes, said our Lord in effect, to all who are faithful to their possibilities and use their position and gifts for others.
How abrupt and awful the contrast in Luke 12:45-48! The greater our responsibility, the greater our condemnation, if we fail. Retribution is the inevitable penalty of infidelity to trust; but it will be precisely proportioned to our knowledge of the Lord's will. There are degrees or grades in retribution as in glory. [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 12:45

Shall say [ειπηι]
Second aorist subjunctive, with εαν — ean condition of the third class, undetermined, but with prospect of being determined. [source]
Delayeth [χρονιζει]
From χρονος — chronos time, spends time, lingers. Shall begin (αρχηται — arxētai). First aorist middle subjunctive with εαν — ean and the same condition as ειπηι — eipēi above. The menservants Παιδισκη — Paidiskē is a diminutive of παις — pais for a young female slave and occurs in the papyri, orginally just a damsel. Here παις — pais can mean slave also though strictly just a boy. [source]
Shall begin [αρχηται]
First aorist middle subjunctive with εαν — ean and the same condition as ειπηι — eipēi above. [source]
The menservants [τους παιδας]
Παιδισκη — Paidiskē is a diminutive of παις — pais for a young female slave and occurs in the papyri, orginally just a damsel. Here παις — pais can mean slave also though strictly just a boy. [source]
and the maidservants [και τας παιδισκας]
Παιδισκη — Paidiskē is a diminutive of παις — pais for a young female slave and occurs in the papyri, orginally just a damsel. Here παις — pais can mean slave also though strictly just a boy. [source]
Delayeth []
The emphatic word, since the thought of the lord's delay and of the postponement of the reckoning is uppermost in the servant's thought. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 12:45

Acts 23:2 Them that stood by him [τοις παρεστωσιν αυτωι]
Dative case of second perfect participle of παριστημι — paristēmi to place, and intransitive. See the same form in Acts 23:4 To smite him on the mouth (τυπτειν αυτου το στομα — tuptein autou to stoma). See Luke 12:45 and Luke 18:13. Cf. the treatment of Jesus (John 18:22). Ananias was provoked by Paul‘s self-assertion while on trial before his judges. “The act was illegal and peculiarly offensive to a Jew at the hands of a Jew” (Knowling). More self-control might have served Paul better. Smiting the mouth or cheek is a peculiarly irritating offence and one not uncommon among the Jews and this fact gives point to the command of Jesus to turn the other check (Luke 6:29 where τυπτω — tuptō is also used). [source]
Acts 23:2 To smite him on the mouth [τυπτειν αυτου το στομα]
See Luke 12:45 and Luke 18:13. Cf. the treatment of Jesus (John 18:22). Ananias was provoked by Paul‘s self-assertion while on trial before his judges. “The act was illegal and peculiarly offensive to a Jew at the hands of a Jew” (Knowling). More self-control might have served Paul better. Smiting the mouth or cheek is a peculiarly irritating offence and one not uncommon among the Jews and this fact gives point to the command of Jesus to turn the other check (Luke 6:29 where τυπτω — tuptō is also used). [source]
Galatians 4:22 By the handmaid [εκ της παιδισκης]
From Genesis 16:1. Feminine diminutive of παις — pais boy or slave. Common word for damsel which came to be used for female slave or maidservant (Luke 12:45) or doorkeeper like Matthew 26:29. So in the papyri. [source]
Revelation 17:2 Committed fornication [επορνευσαν]
First aorist active indicative of πορνευω — porneuō “In purchasing the favour of Rome by accepting her suzerainty and with it her vices and idolatries” (Swete).Were made drunken (εμετυστησαν — emethusthēsan). First aorist passive indicative of μετυσκω — methuskō old verb (from μετυ — methu), as in Luke 12:45, here only in the Apocalypse. Cf. Isaiah 51:7 and πεποτικεν — pepotiken in Revelation 14:8. See Revelation 18:3. [source]
Revelation 17:2 Were made drunken [εμετυστησαν]
First aorist passive indicative of μετυσκω — methuskō old verb (from μετυ — methu), as in Luke 12:45, here only in the Apocalypse. Cf. Isaiah 51:7 and πεποτικεν — pepotiken in Revelation 14:8. See Revelation 18:3. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 12:45 mean?

If however should say the servant that in the heart of him Delays master of Me to come and should begin to beat the men-servants the maid-servants to eat also to drink to get drunk
Ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ Χρονίζει κύριός μου ἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἄρξηται τύπτειν τοὺς παῖδας τὰς παιδίσκας ἐσθίειν τε πίνειν μεθύσκεσθαι

δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
εἴπῃ  should  say 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
δοῦλος  servant 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: δοῦλοσ1 
Sense: a slave, bondman, man of servile condition.
ἐκεῖνος  that 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐκεῖνος  
Sense: he, she it, etc.
καρδίᾳ  heart 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: καρδία  
Sense: the heart.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Χρονίζει  Delays 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: χρονίζω  
Sense: to linger, delay, tarry.
κύριός  master 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
μου  of  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἔρχεσθαι  to  come 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ἄρξηται  should  begin 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἄρχω  
Sense: to be the first to do (anything), to begin.
τύπτειν  to  beat 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: τύπτω  
Sense: to strike, beat, smite.
παῖδας  men-servants 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: παῖς  
Sense: a child, boy or girl.
παιδίσκας  maid-servants 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: παιδίσκη  
Sense: a young girl, damsel.
ἐσθίειν  to  eat 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: ἐσθίω 
Sense: to eat.
τε  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: τέ  
Sense: not only … but also.
πίνειν  to  drink 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: πίνω  
Sense: to drink.
μεθύσκεσθαι  to  get  drunk 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Root: μεθύσκω  
Sense: to intoxicate, make drunk.