King James Version

What Does Luke 12:20 Mean?

Luke 12:20 in the King James Version says “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which...” — study this verse from Luke chapter 12 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“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”

Luke 12:20 · King James Version

Context

18

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.

19

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.

20

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

21

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

22

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

Read Luke 12 full chapter

Commentaries4 scholars

KJV Study CommentaryPublic Domain
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? The parable's devastating climax arrives with divine interruption: eipen de auto ho Theos (εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός, "But God said to him"). The conjunction de (δέ, but) contrasts sharply with the man's self-directed planning—human schemes meet divine sovereignty. Thou fool (aphron, ἄφρων) means senseless, without understanding, morally deficient. This is not an insult but a sober diagnosis of spiritual reality. The fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1); this man lived as if God were irrelevant to his economics.

The phrase this night thy soul shall be required of thee (taute te nykti ten psychen sou apaitousin apo sou, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ) uses banking terminology—apaiteo (ἀπαιτοῦσιν) means to demand back what was loaned. The man treated his psyche (soul/life) as his possession to secure through wealth, but God reveals it was only entrusted temporarily. The present tense "they require" (divine passive, meaning "God requires") emphasizes immediacy—not someday, but this night (ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτί).

Jesus' question, whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? exposes the absurdity of hoarding. All his planning, demolishing, building, storing—rendered instantly meaningless. He gathered for himself but could take nothing with him (1 Timothy 6:7). The verb hetoimazo (ἡτοίμασας, thou hast provided/prepared) carries bitter irony: he prepared everything except his soul for eternity.

KJV Study — Public Domain

Historical & Cultural Context

In Jewish thought, sudden death was often viewed as divine judgment, especially when it interrupted wicked plans. The rich man's death "this night" parallels other biblical accounts of sudden divine intervention—Belshazzar's feast (Daniel 5), Herod's death (Acts 12:23), and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10). First-century Jews understood that God alone determines the length of life (Psalm 90:12, James 4:13-15). The question "whose shall those things be?" would resonate in a culture where inheritance disputes were common (as in v. 13). Ironically, the inheritance this man hoarded would likely fuel the very family conflicts Jesus was addressing.

Reflection Questions

  1. In what ways do you live as if you have unlimited time to get right with God and pursue His priorities?
  2. How does the certainty of death and the uncertainty of its timing affect your daily decisions about money, career, and relationships?
  3. What would change in your life if you truly believed God could require your soul 'this night'?

Compare 4 commentaries from different scholars and time periods for a richer understanding.

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 20 words
εἶπεν1 of 20

“said”

G2036

to speak or say (by word or writing)

δὲ2 of 20

“But”

G1161

but, and, etc

αὐτῷ3 of 20

“unto him”

G846

the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

ὁ4 of 20
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

θεός5 of 20

“God”

G2316

a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)

Ἄφρων6 of 20

“Thou fool”

G878

properly, mindless, i.e., stupid, (by implication) ignorant, (specially) egotistic, (practically) rash, or (morally) unbelieving

ταύτῃ7 of 20
G3778

the he (she or it), i.e., this or that (often with article repeated)

τῇ8 of 20
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

νυκτὶ9 of 20

“night”

G3571

"night" (literally or figuratively)

τὴν10 of 20
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

ψυχήν11 of 20

“soul”

G5590

breath, i.e., (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from g4151, wh

σοῦ·12 of 20

“thee”

G4675

of thee, thy

ἀπαιτοῦσιν13 of 20

“shall be required”

G523

to demand back

ἀπὸ14 of 20

“of”

G575

"off," i.e., away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)

σοῦ·15 of 20

“thee”

G4675

of thee, thy

ἃ16 of 20

“which”

G3739

the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that

δὲ17 of 20

“But”

G1161

but, and, etc

ἡτοίμασας18 of 20

“thou hast provided”

G2090

to prepare

τίνι19 of 20

“whose”

G5101

an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions)

ἔσται20 of 20

“shall those things be”

G2071

will be

Study Guide

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 12:20 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Luke 12:20 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Job 27:8Jeremiah 17:111 Timothy 6:7Psalms 39:6James 4:14Job 27:16-17

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