The Meaning of Luke 13:28 Explained

Luke 13:28

KJV: There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

YLT: 'There shall be there the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth, when ye may see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the reign of God, and yourselves being cast out without;

Darby: There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves cast out.

ASV: There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves cast forth without.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

There  shall be  weeping  and  gnashing  of teeth,  when  ye shall see  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  all  the prophets,  in  the kingdom  of God,  and  you  [yourselves] thrust  out. 

What does Luke 13:28 Mean?

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 13:28

There [εκει]
Out there, outside the house whence they are driven. [source]
When ye shall see [οταν οπσηστε]
First aorist middle subjunctive (of a late aorist ωπσαμην — ōpsamēn) of οραω — horaō though οπσεστε — opsesthe (future middle) in margin of Westcott and Hort, unless we admit here a “future” subjunctive like Byzantine Greek (after Latin).And yourselves cast forth without (υμας δε εκβαλλομενους εχω — humās de ekballomenous exō). Present passive participle, continuous action, “you being cast out” with the door shut. See notes on Matthew 8:11. for this same picture. [source]
And yourselves cast forth without [υμας δε εκβαλλομενους εχω]
Present passive participle, continuous action, “you being cast out” with the door shut. See notes on Matthew 8:11. for this same picture. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 13:28

John 10:16 Other sheep [αλλα προβατα]
Sheep, not goats, but “not of this fold” See John 10:1 for αυλη — aulē Clearly “his flock is not confined to those enclosed in the Jewish fold, whether in Palestine or elsewhere” (Westcott). Christ‘s horizon takes in all men of all races and times (John 11:52; John 12:32). The world mission of Christ for all nations is no new idea with him (Matthew 8:11; Luke 13:28). God loved the world and gave his Son for the race (John 3:16). Them also I must bring Second aorist active infinitive of κακεινα δει με αγαγειν — agō with αγω — dei expressing the moral urgency of Christ‘s passion for God‘s people in all lands and ages. Missions in Christ‘s mind takes in the whole world. This is according to prophecy (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 56:8) for the Messiah is to be a Light also to the Gentiles. It was typified by the brazen serpent (John 3:14). Christ died for every man. The Pharisees doubtless listened in amazement and even the disciples with slow comprehension. And they shall hear my voice Future middle indicative of και της πωνης μου ακουσονται — akouō with the genitive ακουω — phōnēs These words read like a transcript from the Acts and the Epistles of Paul (Rom 9-11 in particular). See especially Paul‘s words in Acts 28:28. Present-day Christianity is here foretold. Only do we really listen to the voice of the Shepherd as we should? Jesus means that the Gentiles will hearken if the Jews turn away from him. And they shall become one flock, one shepherd Future middle indicative of γινομαι — ginomai plural, not singular γενησεται — genēsetai as some MSS. have it. All (Jews and Gentiles) will form one flock under one Shepherd. Note the distinction here by Jesus between ποιμνη — poimnē (old word, contraction of ποιμενη — poimenē from ποιμην — poimēn shepherd), as in Matthew 26:31, and αυλη — aulē (fold) just before. There may be many folds of the one flock. Jerome in his Vulgate confused this distinction, but he is wrong. His use of ovile for both αυλη — aulē and πομνιον — pomnion has helped Roman Catholic assumptions. Christ‘s use of “flock” (ποιμνη — poimnē) here is just another metaphor for kingdom (βασιλεια — basileia) in Matthew 8:11 where the children of the kingdom come from all climes and nations. See also the various metaphors in Ephesians 2 for this same idea. There is only the one Great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20), Jesus Christ our Lord. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 13:28 mean?

There will be the weeping and gnashing of the teeth when you see Abraham Isaac Jacob all the prophets in the kingdom - of God you however are being cast out
Ἐκεῖ ἔσται κλαυθμὸς καὶ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων ὅταν ὄψησθε Ἀβραὰμ Ἰσαὰκ Ἰακὼβ πάντας τοὺς προφήτας ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμᾶς δὲ ἐκβαλλομένους ἔξω

ἔσται  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
κλαυθμὸς  weeping 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κλαυθμός  
Sense: weeping, lamentation.
βρυγμὸς  gnashing 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: βρυγμός  
Sense: a gnashing of teeth.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ὀδόντων  teeth 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ὀδούς  
Sense: a tooth.
ὄψησθε  you  see 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 2nd Person Plural
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
Ἀβραὰμ  Abraham 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἀβραάμ  
Sense: the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation.
Ἰσαὰκ  Isaac 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰσαάκ  
Sense: the son of Abraham and Sarah.
Ἰακὼβ  Jacob 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰακώβ  
Sense: was the second son of Isaac.
προφήτας  prophets 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: προφήτης  
Sense: in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things.
βασιλείᾳ  kingdom 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: βασιλεία  
Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἐκβαλλομένους  are  being  cast 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐκβάλλω  
Sense: to cast out, drive out, to send out.
ἔξω  out 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἔξω  
Sense: without, out of doors.