The Meaning of Luke 6:23 Explained

Luke 6:23

KJV: Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

YLT: rejoice in that day, and leap, for lo, your reward is great in the heaven, for according to these things were their fathers doing to the prophets.

Darby: rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in the heaven, for after this manner did their fathers act toward the prophets.

ASV: Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy : for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

What is the context of Luke 6:23?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Rejoice ye  in  that  day,  and  leap for joy:  for,  behold,  your  reward  [is] great  in  heaven:  for  in  the like manner  did  their  fathers  unto the prophets. 

What does Luke 6:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 6:12-26 - New Leaders And New Principles
There are three circles here: First, Christ and His Apostles-the men who were to be sent into all the world to preach the gospel and to lay the foundations of the Church. How little did these single men imagine that one day their names would become inscribed on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem!
The next circle is that of the disciples, Luke 6:17. You must be a disciple before you can be an apostle. You must learn, if you are to teach. You must sit at the feet of Jesus, till some day He calls you out from the class and commissions you to the world. The sheep becomes a shepherd.
The third great outer rim is the poor, needy world. What a gathering of sick folk! But if only people knew the distempers of their soul-life they would gather with equal eagerness to Jesus. How wonderful that secret touch! Luke 6:19. But many still touch Him in the press! [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 6

1  Jesus reproves the Pharisees;
12  chooses apostles;
17  heals the diseased;
20  preaches to his disciples before the people: the beattitudes;
27  Love your Enemy
37  Do not Judge
43  A Tree and Its Fruit
46  The House on the Rock

Greek Commentary for Luke 6:23

Leap for joy [σκιρτησατε]
Old verb and in lxx, but only in Luke in the N.T. (here and Luke 1:41, Luke 1:44). It answers to Matthew‘s (Matthew 5:12) “be exceeding glad.” [source]
Did [εποιουν]
Imperfect active, the habit of “their fathers” (peculiar to both here). Matthew 5:12 has “persecuted.” Thus they will receive a prophet‘s reward (Matthew 10:41). [source]
Leap for joy [σκιρτήσατε]
See Luke 1:41, Luke 1:44. Compare Matthew, be exceeding glad ( ἀγαλλιἄσθε : see on 1 Peter 1:6). [source]
Their fathers []
Peculiar to Luke. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 6:23

1 John 4:17 The day of judgment [τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως]
Lit., the day of judgment. The exact phrase occurs here only. Ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως dayof judgment, without the articles, is found Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:22, Matthew 11:24; Matthew 12:36; 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 3:7. The day is called the great day of their wrath (Revelation 6:17); the day of wrath and of revelation of the righteous judgement of God (Romans 2:5); the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:12); the last day (John 6:39, John 6:40, John 6:44, John 6:54); that day (Matthew 7:22; Luke 6:23; Luke 10:12). The judgment is found Matthew 12:41, Matthew 12:42; Luke 10:14; Luke 11:31, Luke 11:32. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 6:23 mean?

Rejoice in that - day and leap for joy behold for the reward of you [is] great - heaven According to these things of them used to treat the prophets the fathers likewise
χάρητε ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ σκιρτήσατε ἰδοὺ γὰρ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς τῷ οὐρανῷ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ ἐποίουν τοῖς προφήταις οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν

χάρητε  Rejoice 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: χαίρω  
Sense: to rejoice, be glad.
ἐκείνῃ  that 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐκεῖνος  
Sense: he, she it, etc.
τῇ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἡμέρᾳ  day 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
σκιρτήσατε  leap  for  joy 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: σκιρτάω  
Sense: to leap.
ἰδοὺ  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
μισθὸς  reward 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μισθός  
Sense: dues paid for work.
ὑμῶν  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
πολὺς  [is]  great 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
οὐρανῷ  heaven 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: οὐρανός  
Sense: the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it.
κατὰ  According  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
τὰ  these  things 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
αὐτὰ  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἐποίουν  used  to  treat 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
προφήταις  prophets 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: προφήτης  
Sense: in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things.
πατέρες  fathers 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
αὐτῶν  likewise 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.