The Meaning of Luke 5:27 Explained

Luke 5:27

KJV: And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

YLT: And after these things he went forth, and beheld a tax-gatherer, by name Levi, sitting at the tax-office, and said to him, 'Be following me;'

Darby: And after these things he went forth and saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the receipt of taxes, and said to him, Follow me.

ASV: And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said unto him, Follow me.

What is the context of Luke 5:27?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  after  these things  he went forth,  and  saw  a publican,  named  Levi,  sitting  at  the receipt of custom:  and  he said  unto him,  Follow  me. 

What does Luke 5:27 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 5:27-39 - Feasting And Fasting
Matthew in his Gospel says nothing of this great feast; the Spirit of God saw that it should not be forgotten. "When saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee?" Matthew 25:37. Advertise yourself and God will leave you unnoticed. You will have had your reward. Be content to do things, as Jesus appointed, and Matthew 6:4 will follow.
Let us not cling to the broken bottle-skins of the past, whether they be out-worn ceremonies, creeds or formulations of truth. Let the ferment of each great religious movement and new era express itself in its own way. We must not encourage the ill-judged speed of those who want to force the pace, and fling away the bottle-skins before they are done with. But if the bottle-skins have evidently served their purpose and lie discarded on the ground, that will not affect the vintage, which is reddening on the hills. Go and pick the fruit God is giving you, place it carefully in baskets and let it have new skins. [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 5:27

A publican named Levi [τελωνεν ονοματι Λευειν]
Mark 2:13 has also “The son of Alphaeus” while Matthew 9:9 calls him “Matthew.” He had, of course, both names. All three use the same words (επι το τελωνιον — epi to telōnion) for the place of toll. See note on publican (τελωνης — telōnēs) on Matthew 9:9. [source]
Follow me [ακολουτει]
(ακολουτει — akolouthei). [source]
He saw [ἐθεάσατο]
Better, as Rev., beheld, since the verb denotes looking attentively. See on Matthew 11:7. [source]
A publican []
See on Luke 3:12. [source]
Receipt of custom []
See on Matthew 9:9. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 5:27

Matthew 9:9 Called Matthew []
” (Ματταιον λεγομενον — Maththaion legomenon) and in Matthew 10:3 Matthew the publican is named as one of the Twelve Apostles. Mark (Mark 2:14) and Luke (Luke 5:27) call this man Levi. He had two names as was common, Matthew Levi. The publicans (τελωναι — telōnai) get their name in English from the Latin publicanus (a man who did public duty), not a very accurate designation. They were detested because they practised graft. Even Gabinius the proconsul of Syria was accused by Cicero of relieving Syrians and Jews of legitimate taxes for graft. He ordered some of the tax-officers removed. Already Jesus had spoken of the publican (Matthew 5:46) in a way that shows the public disfavour in which they were held. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 5:27 mean?

And after these things He went forth He saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth He said to him Follow Me
Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξῆλθεν ἐθεάσατο τελώνην ὀνόματι Λευὶν καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἀκολούθει μοι

μετὰ  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: μετά  
Sense: with, after, behind.
ταῦτα  these  things 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἐξῆλθεν  He  went  forth 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
ἐθεάσατο  He  saw 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: θεάομαι  
Sense: to behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate (often used of public shows).
τελώνην  a  tax  collector 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τελώνης  
Sense: a renter or farmer of taxes.
ὀνόματι  named 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ὄνομα  
Sense: name: univ.
Λευὶν  Levi 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Λευίς  
Sense: the son of Alphaeus, a collector of customs.
καθήμενον  sitting 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: κάθημαι  
Sense: to sit down, seat one’s self.
ἐπὶ  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
τελώνιον  tax  booth 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τελωνεῖον 
Sense: customs, toll.
εἶπεν  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἀκολούθει  Follow 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀκολουθέω  
Sense: to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him.
μοι  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.