The Meaning of Luke 6:35 Explained

Luke 6:35

KJV: But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

YLT: 'But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward will be great, and ye shall be sons of the Highest, because He is kind unto the ungracious and evil;

Darby: But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Highest; for he is good to the unthankful and wicked.

ASV: But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  love ye  your  enemies,  and  do good,  and  lend,  hoping  for nothing  again;  and  your  reward  shall be  great,  and  ye shall be  the children  of the Highest:  for  he  is  kind  unto  the unthankful  and  [to] the evil. 

What does Luke 6:35 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 6:27-38 - How To Treat Our Fellow-Men
Luke's version of the Sermon on the Mount differs from that of Matthew, only as each views the great discourse from his own standpoint. By one it is viewed as the manifesto of the King; by the other, as the proclamation of "the Man Christ Jesus" to man.
Notice the secret of blessedness! Here is the draught-sketch of a life of abounding blessing, overflowing with mercy and lovingkindness. With what measure we mete out our love to men, they will measure back their love to us, using our own measures for the purpose.
Each of these Beatitudes is a gateway into blessedness. It is not that blessedness is the reward of virtue, but it is the necessary and invariable result. Only we must be good, because it is right and God-pleasing to be so, and the blessedness will be as natural as the bloom on the peach. [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 6:35

But [πλην]
Plain adversative like πλην — plēn in Luke 6:24. Never despairing Μηδεν — Mēden is read by A B L Bohairic and is the reading of Westcott and Hort. The reading μηδενα — mēdena is translated “despairing of no man.” The Authorized Version has it “hoping for nothing again,” a meaning for απελπιζω — apelpizō with no parallel elsewhere. Field (Otium Nor.iii. 40) insists that all the same the context demands this meaning because of απελπιζειν — apelpizein in Luke 6:34, but the correct reading there is ελπιζειν — elpizein not απελπιζειν — apelpizein Here Field‘s argument falls to the ground. The word occurs in Polybius, Diodorus, lxx with the sense of despairing and that is the meaning here. D and Old Latin documents have nihil desperantes, but the Vulgate has nihil inde sperantes (hoping for nothing thence) and this false rendering has wrought great havoc in Europe. “On the strength of it Popes and councils have repeatedly condemned the taking of any interest whatever for loans. As loans could not be had without interest, and Christians were forbidden to take it, money lending passed into the hands of the Jews, and added greatly to the unnatural detestation in which Jews were held” (Plummer). By “never despairing” or “giving up nothing in despair” Jesus means that we are not to despair about getting the money back. We are to help the apparently hopeless cases. Medical writers use the word for desperate or hopeless cases. [source]
Sons of the Most High [υοι υπσιστου]
In Luke 1:32 Jesus is called “Son of the Highest” and here all real children or sons of God (Luke 20:36) are so termed. See also Luke 1:35, Luke 1:76 for the use of “the Highest” of God. He means the same thing that we see in Matthew 5:45, Matthew 5:48 by “your Father.”Toward the unthankful and evil (επι τους αχαριστους και πονηρους — epi tous acharistous kai ponērous). God the Father is kind towards the unkind and wicked. Note the one article with both adjectives. [source]
Toward the unthankful and evil [επι τους αχαριστους και πονηρους]
God the Father is kind towards the unkind and wicked. Note the one article with both adjectives. [source]
Hoping for nothing again [μηδὲν ἀπελπίζοντες]
A later Greek word, only here in New Testament, and meaning originally to give up in despair, a sense which is adopted by some high authorities, and by Rev., never despairing. Luke was familiar with this sense in the Septuagint. Thus Isaiah 29:19, “The poor among men ( οἱ ἀπηλπισμένοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ) shall rejoice.” So in Apocrypha, Matthew 5:45, Matthew 5:48. [source]
Kind [χρηστός]
See on Matthew 11:30. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 6:35

Luke 1:32 The Son of the Most High [υιος υπσιστου]
There is no article in the Greek, but the use of Most High in Luke 1:35 clearly of God as here. In Luke 6:35 we find “sons of the Most High” (υιοι υπσιστου — huioi Hupsistou) so that we cannot insist on deity here, though that is possible. The language of 2 Samuel 7:14; Isaiah 9:7 is combined here. [source]
Luke 8:28 The Most High God [του τεου του υπσιστου]
Uncertain whether του τεου — tou theou genuine or not. But “the Most High” clearly means God as already seen (Luke 1:32, Luke 1:35, Luke 1:36; Luke 6:35). The phrase is common among heathen (Numbers 24:16; Micah 6:6; Isaiah 14:14). The demoniac may have been a Gentile, but it is the demon here speaking. See note on Mark 5:7; note on Matthew 8:29 for the Greek idiom “What have I to do with thee?” See there also for “Torment me not.” [source]
1 Timothy 6:18 Do good [ἀγαθοεργεῖν]
In this uncontracted form, N.T.oolxx, oClass. Comp. Acts 14:17. The usual word is ἀγαθοποιεῖν , see Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9, Luke 6:33, Luke 6:35; 1 Peter 2:15. oP. who has ἐργάζεσθαι τὸ ἀγαθὸν towork that which is good, Romans 2:10; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 4:28. [source]
2 Timothy 3:2 Unthankful [ἀχάριστοι]
Only here and Luke 6:35. [source]
2 Timothy 3:2 Lovers of money [αλαζονες]
Old compound adjective, in N.T. only here and Luke 16:14. See note on 1 Timothy 6:10. Boastful (υπερηπανοι — alazones). Old word for empty pretender, in N.T. only here and Romans 1:30. Haughty See also Romans 1:30 for this old word. Railers (γονευσιν απειτεις — blasphēmoi). See note on 1 Timothy 1:13. Disobedient to parents See note on Romans 1:30. Unthankful (ανοσιοι — acharistoi). Old word, in N.T. only here and Luke 6:35. Unholy See note on 1 Timothy 1:9. Without natural affection (astorgoi). See note on Romans 1:31. [source]
2 Timothy 3:2 Haughty [βλασπημοι]
See also Romans 1:30 for this old word. Railers (γονευσιν απειτεις — blasphēmoi). See note on 1 Timothy 1:13. Disobedient to parents See note on Romans 1:30. Unthankful (ανοσιοι — acharistoi). Old word, in N.T. only here and Luke 6:35. Unholy See note on 1 Timothy 1:9. Without natural affection (astorgoi). See note on Romans 1:31. [source]
2 Timothy 3:2 Disobedient to parents [αχαριστοι]
See note on Romans 1:30. Unthankful (ανοσιοι — acharistoi). Old word, in N.T. only here and Luke 6:35. Unholy See note on 1 Timothy 1:9. Without natural affection (astorgoi). See note on Romans 1:31. [source]
2 Timothy 3:2 Unthankful [ανοσιοι]
Old word, in N.T. only here and Luke 6:35. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 6:35 mean?

But love the enemies of you and do good lend nothing expecting in return will be the reward great you will be sons of the Most High for He kind is to ungrateful evil
Πλὴν ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ ἀγαθοποιεῖτε δανίζετε μηδὲν ἀπελπίζοντες ἔσται μισθὸς πολύς ἔσεσθε υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου ὅτι αὐτὸς χρηστός ἐστιν ἐπὶ ἀχαρίστους πονηρούς

ἀγαπᾶτε  love 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀγαπάω  
Sense: of persons.
ἐχθροὺς  enemies 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐχθρός  
Sense: hated, odious, hateful.
ὑμῶν  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἀγαθοποιεῖτε  do  good 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀγαθοποιέω  
Sense: to do good, do something which profits others.
δανίζετε  lend 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: δανείζω 
Sense: to lend money.
μηδὲν  nothing 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: μηδείς 
Sense: nobody, no one, nothing.
ἀπελπίζοντες  expecting  in  return 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀπελπίζω  
Sense: nothing despairing.
ἔσται  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
μισθὸς  reward 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μισθός  
Sense: dues paid for work.
πολύς  great 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
ἔσεσθε  you  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
υἱοὶ  sons  of 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
Ὑψίστου  the  Most  High 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular, Superlative
Root: ὕψιστος  
Sense: highest, most high.
χρηστός  kind 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: χρηστός  
Sense: fit, fit for use, useful.
ἀχαρίστους  ungrateful 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀχάριστος  
Sense: ungracious.
πονηρούς  evil 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πονηρός  
Sense: full of labours, annoyances, hardships.