The Fallible Study Bible

The Fallible · Synthetic · Study Bible

Luke9:57–62

The Cost of Discipleship

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Luke 9:57–62 — The Cost of Discipleship. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

57

As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Kai autōn poreuomenōn en tē hodō tis eipen pros auton Akolouthēsō soi hopou ean aperchē

Word by word15 · parsed
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
αὐτῶνautōnAs theyG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
πορευομένωνporeuomenōnwere walkingG4198
√ πορεύομαι — to traverse, iVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveGenitive Masculine Plural
poreuomai: to traverse, journey Genitive absolute, present: the journey is in progress. Luke frames the whole travel narrative with this verb from 9:51 (“to go to Jerusalem”); the three would-be disciples meet Jesus already on the road to His exodus (9:31).
ἐνenalongG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
τῇtētheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Feminine Singular
ὁδῷhodōroadG3598
√ ὁδός — a roadNounDative Feminine Singular
hodos: way, road The literal road, and in Luke’s vocabulary the path of the disciple.
τιςtissomeoneG5100
√ τὶς — some or any person or objectInterrogative / Indefinite PronounNominative Masculine Singular
Indefinite tis, “a certain one.” Matthew 8:19 identifies him as a scribe; Luke leaves him nameless, which (as Ellicott notes) marks the two Gospels’ independence.
εἶπένeipensaidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
πρὸςprostoG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
αὐτόνauton[Jesus]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ἈκολουθήσωAkolouthēsōI will followG190
√ ἀκολουθέω — properly, to be in the same way with, iVerbFuture Indicative Active1st Person Singular
akoloutheō: to follow, accompany Future indicative, first person: a promise, self-initiated. The same form returns in 9:61 on the lips of the third man. In both cases the volunteer chooses the verb; only in 9:59 does Jesus speak it as a command (present imperative). The contrast between self-offered following and called following is the hinge of the unit.
σοιsoiYouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounDative 2nd Person Singular
ὅπουhopouwhereverG3699
√ ὅπου — what(-ever) where, iAdverb
hopou ean: an open-ended “wherever.” The pledge is unconditional in form; Jesus’ reply tests whether it is unconditional in substance.
ἐὰνean. . .G1437
√ ἐάν — a conditional particleConjunction
ἀπέρχῃaperchēYou goG565
√ ἀπέρχομαι — to go off (iVerbPresent Subjunctive Middle or Passive2nd Person Singular
aperchomai: to go off, depart Present subjunctive. A verb of leaving; it recurs in 9:59 and 9:60, where the question becomes who goes away, and where to.
58

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Kai ho Iēsous eipen autō Hai alōpekes echousin phōleous kai ta peteina tou ouranou kataskēnōseis de ho Huios tou anthrōpou echei ouk pou klinē tēn kephalēn

Word by word26 · parsed
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ὁhoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounNominative Masculine Singular
εἶπενeipenrepliedG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
αὐτῷautōG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ΑἱHaiG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
ἀλώπεκεςalōpekesFoxesG258
√ ἀλώπηξ — a fox, iNounNominative Feminine Plural
alōpēx: fox A very rare word (3 NT verses per the Verifier): here, its Matthean parallel (8:20), and Luke 13:32, where Jesus calls Herod “that fox.”
ἔχουσινechousinhaveG2192
√ ἔχω — to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remoteVerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
φωλεοὺςphōleousdensG5454
√ φωλεός — a burrow or lurking-placeNounAccusative Masculine Plural
phōleos: burrow, lurking-place Even the animals Israel counted unclean and cunning have a secure home.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
τὰtaG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Neuter Plural
πετεινὰpeteinabirdsG4071
√ πετεινόν — a flying animal, iNounNominative Neuter Plural
τοῦtouof theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
οὐρανοῦouranouairG3772
√ οὐρανός — the skyNounGenitive Masculine Singular
κατασκηνώσειςkataskēnōseis[have] nestsG2682
√ κατασκήνωσις — an encamping, iNounAccusative Feminine Plural
kataskēnōsis: an encamping, a place of settling From kata + skēnē (tent). Luke uses the cognate verb when the birds of the air “settle” in the branches of the mustard tree (Luke 13:19). The image is of rest and shelter, which is exactly what is denied to the Son of Man.
δὲdebutG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὁhotheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ΥἱὸςHuiosSonG5207
√ υἱός — a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinshipNounNominative Masculine Singular
huios: son ho Huios tou anthrōpou, Jesus’ chosen self-designation. In Luke 9 it has already been tied to suffering and rejection (9:22, 9:44); by Daniel 7:13 to 14 it is the title of the one given everlasting dominion. The one to whom all kingdoms are promised owns no shelter: glory and homelessness meet in the same title.
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ἀνθρώπουanthrōpouof ManG444
√ ἄνθρωπος — from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι))NounGenitive Masculine Singular
ἔχειecheihasG2192
√ ἔχω — to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remoteVerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
οὐκoukno placeG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
ouk echei pou: “has not where.” The negation is absolute and present: this is His standing condition, not a passing inconvenience.
ποῦpou. . .G4226
√ ποῦ — as adverb of placeAdverb
κλίνῃklinēto layG2827
√ κλίνω — to slant or slope, iVerbPresent Subjunctive Active3rd Person Singular
klinō: to slant, bow, recline Present subjunctive, deliberative after pou. A rare verb (7 NT verses per the Verifier). John 19:30 uses it with the same noun kephalē: “bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” ⚙ The verbal link is real; reading the cross as the place where the Son of Man finally “lays His head” is an interpretive (and novel) suggestion, not something Luke states.
τὴνtēn[His]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
κεφαλὴνkephalēnheadG2776
√ κεφαλή — the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figurativelyNounAccusative Feminine Singular
kephalē: head The ordinary noun; its weight comes from the verb it governs.
59

Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Eipen pros heteron Akolouthei moi De ho eipen Kyrie prōton Epitrepson moi apelthonti thapsai mou ton patera

Word by word18 · parsed
δὲdeThenG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΕἶπενEipenHe saidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
πρὸςprostoG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
ἕτερονheteronanother [man]G2087
√ ἕτερος — (an-, the) other or differentAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Singular
heteros: another, different A second, different man. Cambridge notes a tradition (Clement of Alexandria) naming him Philip, which it judges groundless.
ἈκολούθειAkoloutheiFollowG190
√ ἀκολουθέω — properly, to be in the same way with, iVerbPresent Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
akoloutheō: to follow Present imperative. The same verb as v. 57, but now as Jesus’ summons rather than a volunteer’s pledge. Poole sees grace here: the one who did not offer is the one who is called.
μοιmoiMeG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounDative 1st Person Singular
ΔὲDeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὁhoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
εἶπενeipen[The man] repliedG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ΚύριεKyrieLordG2962
√ κύριος — supreme in authority, iNounVocative Masculine Singular
kyrios: lord Vocative. He confesses Jesus as Lord in the same breath as he sets a condition; v. 61 repeats the pattern. Compare Luke 6:46: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?”
πρῶτονprōtonfirstG4412
√ πρῶτον — firstly (in time, place, order, or importance)AdverbSuperlative
prōton: first The real crux. Not whether to honor the father, but what comes first.
ἘπίτρεψόνEpitrepsonletG2010
√ ἐπιτρέπω — to turn over (transfer), iVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
epitrepō: to turn over, permit Aorist imperative; a request for leave. Rare in the Gospels (17 NT verses per the Verifier), shared with the Matthean parallel (8:21).
μοιmoimeG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounDative 1st Person Singular
ἀπελθόντιapelthontigoG565
√ ἀπέρχομαι — to go off (iVerbAorist Participle ActiveDative Masculine Singular
θάψαιthapsai[and] buryG2290
√ θάπτω — to celebrate funeral rites, iVerbAorist Infinitive Active
thaptō: to bury, perform funeral rites Aorist infinitive. Burial of a father was among the weightiest filial duties in Israel (compare Genesis 50:5 to 6, Joseph asking Pharaoh’s leave to bury Jacob, and was granted it). Commentators divide on whether the father was already dead (Cambridge doubts it) or whether the request means waiting until his death; the text does not say.
μουmoumyG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 1st Person Singular
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
πατέραpaterafatherG3962
√ πατήρ — a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
patēr: father The fifth commandment stands behind the request; that is what makes Jesus’ answer so sharp.
60

But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Eipen autō Aphes tous nekrous thapsai heautōn tous nekrous sy de apelthōn diangelle tēn basileian tou Theou

Word by word18 · parsed
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΕἶπενEipen[Jesus] toldG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
αὐτῷautōhimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ἌφεςAphesLetG863
√ ἀφίημι — an intensive form of , to go)VerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
aphiēmi: to send away, leave, let go Aorist imperative: a decisive release. Leaving is the shape of discipleship in Luke (5:11, 5:28, 18:28 to 29).
τοὺςtoustheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
νεκροὺςnekrousdeadG3498
√ νεκρός — dead (literally or figurativelyAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
nekros: dead First occurrence: the spiritually dead (Geneva: “strangers from the true life”; Cambridge cites Ephesians 2:1 and John 5:24 to 25). The saying is deliberately paradoxical; Jesus is not commanding neglect of the dead but placing the call of life above the duties of death.
θάψαιthapsaiburyG2290
√ θάπτω — to celebrate funeral rites, iVerbAorist Infinitive Active
ἑαυτῶνheautōntheir ownG1438
√ ἑαυτοῦ — him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etcReflexive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
heautōn, “their own”: the reflexive draws the line. Those who belong to death attend to death’s business.
τοὺςtousG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
νεκρούςnekrousdeadG3498
√ νεκρός — dead (literally or figurativelyAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
nekros: dead Second occurrence: the literally dead, here the father.
σὺsyYouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounNominative 2nd Person Singular
sy de: “but you,” emphatic pronoun. The man is pulled out of one company and set into another.
δὲdehoweverG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἀπελθὼνapelthōngoG565
√ ἀπέρχομαι — to go off (iVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
διάγγελλεdiangelle[and] proclaimG1229
√ διαγγέλλω — to herald thoroughlyVerbPresent Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
diangellō: to herald thoroughly Present imperative, rare (3 NT verses). In Romans 9:17 the same verb is used of God’s name being proclaimed throughout the earth. The man asked leave to perform a funeral; he is sent to announce life. Only Luke records this commission (Matthew 8:22 has “follow Me”).
τὴνtēntheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
βασιλείανbasileiankingdomG932
√ βασιλεία — properly, royalty, iNounAccusative Feminine Singular
basileia: royalty, kingdom, reign The reign of God, which Luke 9:2 already sent the Twelve to proclaim. Gill reads it as the kingdom of grace now and of glory to come.
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ΘεοῦTheouof GodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounGenitive Masculine Singular
61

Still another said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first let me bid farewell to my family.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de heteros kai Eipen Akolouthēsō soi Kyrie de prōton epitrepson moi apotaxasthai tois eis mou ton oikon

Word by word17 · parsed
δὲdeStillG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἕτεροςheterosanotherG2087
√ ἕτερος — (an-, the) other or differentAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
heteros: another, different A third figure, found only in Luke (Ellicott, Poole).
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ΕἶπενEipensaidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ἈκολουθήσωAkolouthēsōI will followG190
√ ἀκολουθέω — properly, to be in the same way with, iVerbFuture Indicative Active1st Person Singular
akoloutheō: to follow Future indicative, self-offered, exactly as v. 57. The unit is framed by two volunteers around one called man.
σοιsoiYouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounDative 2nd Person Singular
ΚύριεKyrieLordG2962
√ κύριος — supreme in authority, iNounVocative Masculine Singular
Kyrie: as in v. 59, the confession of lordship comes with a condition attached.
δὲdebutG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
πρῶτονprōtonfirstG4412
√ πρῶτον — firstly (in time, place, order, or importance)AdverbSuperlative
prōton: first The same word that undid the second man. Two of the three stumble on the same adverb.
ἐπίτρεψόνepitrepsonletG2010
√ ἐπιτρέπω — to turn over (transfer), iVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
μοιmoimeG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounDative 1st Person Singular
ἀποτάξασθαιapotaxasthaibid farewellG657
√ ἀποτάσσομαι — literally, to say adieu (by departing or dismissing)VerbAorist Infinitive Middle
apotassomai: to say adieu, set oneself apart Aorist middle infinitive. In Luke 14:33 the same verb names the cost of discipleship: “any of you who does not give up (apotassetai) everything he has cannot be My disciple.” ⚙ The man asks leave to say goodbye to his household; Jesus requires that one say goodbye to everything. The verbal echo is real in the Greek; it is offered here as an observation, not a claim about Luke’s intent.
τοῖςtoistoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Plural
εἰςeisG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
μουmoumyG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 1st Person Singular
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
οἶκόνoikonfamilyG3624
√ οἶκος — a dwelling (more or less extensive, literal or figurative)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
oikos: house, household The home, with its people and affairs. Compare Elisha, who asked to kiss father and mother (1 Kings 19:20).
62

Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de ho Iēsous Eipen pros auton Oudeis epibalōn tēn cheira ep’ arotron kai blepōn eis ta opisō estin euthetos tē basileia tou Theou

Word by word23 · parsed
δὲdeThenG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὁhoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounNominative Masculine Singular
ΕἶπενEipendeclaredG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
πρὸςpros. . .G4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
αὐτὸνauton. . .G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ΟὐδεὶςOudeisNo oneG3762
√ οὐδείς — not even one (man, woman or thing), iAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
oudeis: not even one Absolute: no exceptions.
ἐπιβαλὼνepibalōnwho putsG1911
√ ἐπιβάλλω — to throw upon (literal or figurative, transitive or reflexiveVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
epiballō: to throw upon, lay on Aorist participle: the hand has already been put to the work. This is a saying about one who has begun, not about one deciding whether to begin.
τὴνtēn[his]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
χεῖραcheirahandG5495
√ χείρ — the hand (literally or figuratively (power)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
ἐπ’ep’toG1909
√ ἐπί — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etcPreposition
ἄροτρονarotron[the] plowG723
√ ἄροτρον — a plowNounAccusative Neuter Singular
arotron: a plow The light wooden plow of Palestine, guided with one hand. Cambridge: “The light ploughs of the East, easily overturned, require constant attention.” Poole, Gill (via Beza) and Cambridge hear an echo of Elisha at the plow (1 Kings 19:19).
καὶkaiand thenG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
βλέπωνblepōnlooksG991
√ βλέπω — to look at (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
blepō: to look at Present participle: continual looking. JFB: not actual return, “but a reluctance to break with it.”
εἰςeisvvvG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τὰtavvvG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
ὀπίσωopisōbackG3694
√ ὀπίσω — to the back, iAdverb
opisō: to the back, behind With eis ta: “the things behind.” The same adverb stands in Luke 17:31 (“let him not turn back”), immediately before “Remember Lot’s wife” (17:32), the link JFB draws. Elsewhere opisō is also the word for following “after” Jesus (Luke 9:23, 14:27): one either looks behind or goes behind Him.
ἐστινestinisG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
εὔθετόςeuthetosfitG2111
√ εὔθετος — well placed, iAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
euthetos: well placed, suitable Rare (3 NT verses). Its other uses (Luke 14:35, Hebrews 6:7) are also about fitness for agricultural purpose, so Jesus’ word stays inside His farming image: such a man is not set rightly for the work of the kingdom.
τῇtēfor theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Feminine Singular
βασιλείᾳbasileiakingdomG932
√ βασιλεία — properly, royalty, iNounDative Feminine Singular
basileia: kingdom, reign Dative of reference: fitness “for” the kingdom. Gill reads it of fitness to preach it (tying back to v. 60); Benson allows both receiving and preaching.
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ΘεοῦTheouof GodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounGenitive Masculine Singular

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The volunteer and the homeless Son of Man — Luke 9:57 to 58

The scene opens on the march: πορευομένων, the verb of 9:51, where Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem. A man offers, in the future indicative, Ἀκολουθήσω, “I will follow,” and adds an open-ended “wherever You go away.” Matthew calls him a scribe; Cambridge notes there was “too little of ‘the modesty of fearful duty’” in the profession, and Pulpit that “the wise Master distrusted the too-ready enthusiasm.” Benson supposes he hoped for honours in a Messianic kingdom. Jesus does not refuse him; He describes the road. Foxes have φωλεούς, lairs; birds have κατασκηνώσεις, places to settle (Cambridge: “habitations, shelters”). The Son of Man, the Daniel 7 title of the one given everlasting dominion, “has not where He may lay His head.” Cambridge reads here “the poverty and homelessness of the latter part of the Lord’s ministry,” and links it to the Samaritan village that had just refused Him (9:53).

ii. The called man and the dead — Luke 9:59 to 60

Now Jesus speaks first: Ἀκολούθει μοι, present imperative. Poole marks the contrast: “How free is Divine grace! The scribe offers to follow Christ: Christ encourages him not. To another that made no such offer, he first speaketh.” The answer is pious and ordered: “Lord, permit me first to bury my father.” Whether the father was already dead is disputed: Pulpit assumes so, Cambridge doubts it and suggests a farewell funeral feast. Jesus’ reply turns νεκρούς twice: let the dead bury their own dead. Geneva and Cambridge read the first as the spiritually dead, “strangers from the true life” (Geneva), and Cambridge compares the Nazirite who could not defile himself even for a father (Numbers 6:6 to 7). The man asked for a funeral and is given a commission: διάγγελλε, herald far and wide the kingdom of God. Henry guards the edge: religion teaches piety at home, “but we must not make these an excuse for neglecting our duty to God.”

iii. The divided heart and the plow — Luke 9:61 to 62

The third man, found only in Luke (Ellicott), repeats the first man’s future “I will follow” and the second man’s “but first.” He asks to ἀποτάξασθαι, to take leave of those at home. Poole, Gill, JFB and Cambridge all hear Elisha, who asked to kiss his parents before following Elijah (1 Kings 19:20); JFB insists the cases are “quite different,” and Cambridge that “the call of Jesus is more pressing and momentous than that of Elijah.” Jesus answers in a farmer’s proverb: no one who has laid a hand on the ἄροτρον and keeps βλέπων εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, looking at the things behind, is εὔθετος, well placed, for the kingdom. Ellicott: “To look back, while working, is to mar the work entirely.” JFB hears Lot’s wife and says it is “not actual return to the world, but a reluctance to break with it.” Barnes presses it hardest: “Religion is everything or nothing.”

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

⚙ Read from the text alone, the three encounters form a single lesson with three faces: the cost of following (no shelter), the priority of following (before even the most sacred human duty), and the direction of following (forward, without divided attention). The decisive word in each is not a hard demand but the identity of the one being followed: the Son of Man who is Himself on the way to Jerusalem. Jesus does not ask more of the disciple than He is already doing; He has no place to lay His head, He has set His face, He does not look back. Two of the three men say “Lord” and then add “first”; Scripture elsewhere asks why we call Him Lord and do not do what He says (Luke 6:46). The passage does not record how any of the three responded. That silence seems deliberate: the reader is left standing where they stood. This reading is the tool’s own and is offered to be tested against the whole of Scripture, especially against texts that honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12), which the saying sharpens but does not cancel.

He asks nothing of the follower that He is not already doing on the road ahead of him.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

The Matthean parallel: the same sayings, a different setting verbal / quotation: confirmed

Matthew 8:19 to 22 records the first two encounters (a scribe, and “another of His disciples”) before the crossing to the Gadarenes; Luke places them on the road to Jerusalem and adds the third. The wording of the fox saying is virtually identical, and the second exchange shares epitrepō, prōton, aperchomai, thaptō, akoloutheō. Ellicott and Cambridge treat the difference in setting as a sign of the Gospels’ independence; Gill allows that Jesus may have answered two different men alike.

Matthew 8:20 · Matthew 8:21 · Matthew 8:22

basis: Verifier: Matthew 8:20 shares G258 ἀλώπηξ (in 3 vv) with G2776 κεφαλή (67 vv) and G5207 υἱός; Matthew 8:21 shares G2010 ἐπιτρέπω (17 vv), G4412 πρῶτον (58 vv), G565 ἀπέρχομαι; Matthew 8:22 shares G2290 θάπτω (11 vv) and G190 ἀκολουθέω. A synoptic parallel of the same sayings

“Well placed”: the farmer’s word for usefulness verbal / quotation: confirmed

The rare adjective εὔθετος appears only three times in the NT, and all three are agricultural. Luke 14:35: salt that has lost its taste is “fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile.” Hebrews 6:7: land that drinks the rain and “produces a crop useful (euthetos) to those for whom it is tilled” receives God’s blessing. Each time the question is whether something serves the purpose of the field. Luke 14:35 also closes the counting-the-cost discourse that Cambridge names as “the general lesson” of this unit.

Luke 14:35 · Hebrews 6:7

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G2111 εὔθετος (in 3 vv): a rare verbal link within a shared agricultural motif, not a quotation

Foxes: the beasts with homes, and the king called a fox verbal / quotation: confirmed

The word ἀλώπηξ occurs in only three NT verses. Besides this saying and its Matthean parallel, Jesus uses it once more, in Luke 13:32, calling Herod “that fox” while declaring that He will go on His way (poreuesthai, also shared) to be perfected in Jerusalem. ⚙ In both Lukan texts the fox stands for what is secure and at home in this world, while the Son of Man keeps journeying. This is a lexical link with a modest thematic overlap; it is not a claim that Luke intends the two passages to interpret each other.

Luke 13:32

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexemes G258 ἀλώπηξ (in 3 vv) and G4198 πορεύομαι (in 146 vv). The verbal link is rare and real; the thematic reading is ⚙ synthesis

Looking behind: Lot’s wife and the day of the Son of Man structural / thematic: confirmed

JFB says the expression “looking back” has “a manifest reference to ‘Lot’s wife’ (Ge 19:26),” and Cambridge directs the reader to Luke 17:32. In Luke 17:31 Jesus warns that on the day of the Son of Man one in the field must “not turn back” (eis ta opisō), and then says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Genesis 19:26 tells how she looked back and became a pillar of salt. The Luke to Luke link shares the adverb opisō; the link to Genesis is cross-Testament and rests on the shared motif, not on a shared lexeme.

Luke 17:31 · Luke 17:32 · Genesis 19:26

basis: Verifier pair Luke 9:62 / Luke 17:31: shared G3694 ὀπίσω (in 35 vv), structural tier. Genesis 19:26 is Hebrew, so no shared Strong’s number is possible: the link is the motif of fatal looking back, drawn by JFB and Cambridge

Elisha at the plow: an echo, and a contrast structural / thematic: confirmed

Elisha was ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen when Elijah cast his mantle on him; he asked, “Please let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you” (1 Kings 19:20), and was allowed to go, then slaughtered his oxen, burned the plow gear, and followed. Poole (“Some think it is an allusion”), Gill (citing Beza) and Cambridge all hear this echo; JFB says the case “will be found quite different”; Cambridge says the call of Jesus is “more pressing and momentous than that of Elijah.” ⚙ If the echo is intended, the point is contrast: what the prophet permitted, the Lord does not, because a greater than Elijah is calling.

1 Kings 19:19 · 1 Kings 19:20 · 1 Kings 19:21

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek / Hebrew), so no shared Strong’s numbers: shared pattern of a call at the plow and a request to bid farewell to family first. Whether Luke intends the allusion is debated among the cited commentators (Poole: “some think”; JFB: “quite different”)

Bowing the head: from no place to the cross typological

The verb κλίνω occurs in only seven NT verses. With kephalē (head) it appears here (“no place to lay His head”) and in John 19:30, where Jesus, “bowing His head, gave up His spirit.” ⚙ Some readers have seen the cross as the one place the Son of Man finally laid His head. The lexical overlap is real; the reading is a devotional suggestion, not attested in the commentators supplied, and John and Luke are different authors.

John 19:30

basis: Verifier pair Luke 9:58 / John 19:30: shared G2827 κλίνω (in 7 vv) and G2776 κεφαλή (in 67 vv). The lexical link is confirmed; the figural reading across two Gospels is novel and is tiered typological, not verbal, for that reason

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

The rich one who became poor ancient/widely-held

The Son of Man, the Daniel 7 figure who receives an everlasting kingdom, has no shelter that foxes and birds possess. Cambridge ties the verse to 2 Corinthians 8:9: “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” The disciple is not asked to embrace homelessness as an ideal in itself, but to follow one whose poverty is the way of redemption. Cambridge records the link to 2 Corinthians 8:9, and Geneva draws the disciple’s corollary (“Those who follow Christ must prepare themselves to endure all discomforts”); the self-emptying reading is the common reading of the church.

2 Corinthians 8:9 · Daniel 7:13 · Philippians 2:7

The Lord of the living calls out of the dead ancient/widely-held

“Let the dead bury their own dead” presumes that Jesus Himself is the source of life, able to divide humanity into the dead and the living by His call. Cambridge sends the reader to Ephesians 2:1 (“you were dead in your trespasses and sins”) and John 5:24 to 25, where the dead hear the voice of the Son of God and live. Geneva: the spiritually dead are “strangers from the true life, which is everlasting and heavenly.” The man asked to serve death; he is sent to herald the kingdom of the one who will Himself be buried (1 Corinthians 15:4, the same verb thaptō) and rise.

John 5:24 · John 5:25 · Ephesians 2:1 · 1 Corinthians 15:4

The ploughman who did not look back novel

⚙ Luke opens this whole journey with Jesus “resolutely setting His face to go to Jerusalem” (9:51). The standard He sets in 9:62 is the one He keeps: having put His hand to the work of redemption, He does not turn aside, even when Samaria rejects Him (9:53) or Peter rebukes the path of suffering (in Matthew 16:22 to 23). Hebrews 12:2 speaks of Jesus “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” The disciple’s single-mindedness is a following of His. This christological reading of the plow saying is the tool’s own connection; it is not made by the commentators supplied, and is marked accordingly.

Luke 9:51 · Hebrews 12:2 · Isaiah 50:7

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Sources. All Greek words, parses and Strong’s data come from the Berean interlinear in the brief; lexical frequencies (“in N vv”) are from the Verifier. Two extra Verifier pair checks were run for this unit: Luke 9:58 / John 19:30 (G2827, 7 vv) and Luke 9:62 / Luke 17:31 (G3694, 35 vv).

Commentary issues. Pulpit cites the Matthean parallel as “Matthew 7:19-22”; the correct reference is Matthew 8:19 to 22. Cambridge heads its note on v. 62 with the number “60.” Cambridge and Pulpit both cite Hesiod’s Works and Days but give different line references; the tool has not checked either. Barnes, JFB and Poole defer much of their comment on vv. 57 to 60 to their notes on Matthew 8, which are not included here.

Uncertainties. Whether the father in v. 59 was already dead is not stated; Pulpit and Cambridge disagree. Whether v. 61 to 62 alludes to Elisha is debated. The Gospels differ on setting (Matthew before the lake crossing, Luke on the Jerusalem journey); Ellicott and Benson take them as the same events, Gill leaves the question open. Textual variants for this passage are not covered by the brief and are not discussed here.

Machine synthesis. Everything marked ⚙, the literal renderings, and the notes are the tool’s fallible work. The John 19:30 and Luke 14:33 connections and the ploughman Christ reading are the tool’s own suggestions.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)