King James Version

What Does Luke 12:19 Mean?

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”

Context

And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? thy: Gr. do they require thy soul

So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(19) **Eat, drink, and be merry.**—The words remind us of St. Paul’s “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die” (1Corinthians 15:32), and may possibly have suggested them. There is, however, a suggestive difference in the context. Extremes meet, and the life of self-indulgence may spring either from an undue expectation of a lengthened life, or from unduly dwelling on the fact of its shortness, without taking into account the judgment that comes after it. The latter, as in the “carpe diem” of Horace (*Odes,* i. 11, 8), was the current language of popular Epicureanism; the former seems to have been more characteristic of a corrupt Judaism. (Comp. James 4:13.) In acting on it the Jew with his far outlook, as he dreamt, into the future, was sinking to the level of the dissolute heathen, who was content to live in and for the present only.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Luke. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Luke 12:19 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.