King James Version

What Does Luke 17:8 Mean?

Luke 17:8 in the King James Version says “And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and ...” — study this verse from Luke chapter 17 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?”

Luke 17:8 · KJV

Context

6

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

7

But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

8

And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

9

Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

10

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Jesus continues the parable with the expected master's response. The Greek construction will not rather say (οὐχὶ ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, ouchi erei autō) expects the affirmative answer: "Of course he will say..." The command sequence is specific: Make ready wherewith I may sup (ἑτοίμασον τί δειπνήσω, hetoimason ti deipnēsō—"prepare something for my supper").

Then gird thyself (περιζωσάμενος, perizōsamenos)—tucking one's robe into the belt to work unencumbered, the posture of active service. The servant must serve me, till I have eaten and drunken (διακόνει μοι ἕως φάγω καὶ πίω, diakonei moi heōs phagō kai piō)—complete the master's meal before attending to personal needs. Only afterward (μετὰ ταῦτα, meta tauta) does the servant eat and drink.

This isn't cruelty but cultural expectation—servants fulfill duties before claiming privileges. Applied spiritually: believers serve God's purposes before pursuing personal comfort. We don't negotiate terms with the Almighty or demand compensation. Our obedience is owed, not optional, and completing assigned tasks doesn't create indebtedness in God. This radically opposes prosperity gospel notions that obedience guarantees material blessing.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Ancient near-eastern household dynamics placed servants entirely at masters' disposal. The verb diakonei (διακόνει, serve) is the root of "deacon" and describes menial table service. The sequence (field work, then domestic service, then personal eating) was standard. Servants had no right to rest until the master's needs were met. While modern sensibilities may find this harsh, Jesus doesn't endorse slavery's ethics but uses familiar social structures to illustrate theological truth. God's people exist to glorify Him and accomplish His purposes—our comfort and recognition are secondary. The Incarnation inverts this pattern (Luke 22:27, John 13:1-17)—Jesus, the Master, serves His servants—demonstrating grace beyond justice. But the parable's point stands: we cannot claim merit before God based on obedience to His commands.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does the servant's posture of completing the master's agenda before his own challenge contemporary Christianity's focus on personal fulfillment?
  2. What would change in your spiritual life if you truly internalized that serving God is duty owed, not favor granted?
  3. How does Jesus' own servant-hearted ministry (John 13, Philippians 2:5-8) transform the master-servant dynamic established in this parable?

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 22 words
ἀλλ'1 of 22

“And”

G235

properly, other things, i.e., (adverbially) contrariwise (in many relations)

οὐχὶ2 of 22

“will not”

G3780

not indeed

ἐρεῖ3 of 22

“rather say”

G2046

an alternate for g2036 in certain tenses; to utter, i.e., speak or say

αὐτῷ4 of 22

“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

Ἑτοίμασον5 of 22

“Make ready”

G2090

to prepare

τί6 of 22

“wherewith”

G5101

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

δειπνήσω7 of 22

“I may sup”

G1172

to dine, i.e., take the principle (or evening) meal

καὶ8 of 22

“and”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

περιζωσάμενος9 of 22

“gird thyself”

G4024

to gird all around, i.e., (middle voice or passive) to fasten on one's belt (literally or figuratively)

διακόνει10 of 22

“and serve”

G1247

to be an attendant, i.e., wait upon (menially or as a host, friend, or (figuratively) teacher); technically, to act as a christian deacon

μοι11 of 22

“me”

G3427

to me

ἕως12 of 22

“till”

G2193

a conjunction, preposition and adverb of continuance, until (of time and place)

φάγεσαι13 of 22

“I have eaten”

G5315

to eat (literally or figuratively)

καὶ14 of 22

“and”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

πίεσαι15 of 22

“drink”

G4095

to imbibe (literally or figuratively)

καὶ16 of 22

“and”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

μετὰ17 of 22

“afterward”

G3326

properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession)

ταῦτα18 of 22
G5023

these things

φάγεσαι19 of 22

“I have eaten”

G5315

to eat (literally or figuratively)

καὶ20 of 22

“and”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

πίεσαι21 of 22

“drink”

G4095

to imbibe (literally or figuratively)

σύ22 of 22

“thou”

G4771

thou

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 17:8 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 17:8 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Luke 12:37Genesis 43:162 Samuel 12:20

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