Luke 10:2

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

He said to them,“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἔλεγεν οὖν πρὸς αὐτούς, Ὁ μὲν θερισμὸς πολύς, οἱ δὲ ἐργάται ὀλίγοι: δεήθητε οὖν τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ θερισμοῦ, ὅπως ἐκβάλλῃ ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ.

Transliteration

Elegen oun pros them, The men therismos polys, the de ergatai oligoi: deēthēte oun of the Kyriou of the therismou, hopōs ekballē ergatas into the therismon of him.

Grammar Details

• *Elegen*: imperfect active indicative, 3rd singular - was saying/kept saying
• *oun*: inferential conjunction - therefore/so
• *pros*: preposition + accusative - to/toward
• *men*: postpositive particle marking contrast with *de* - on one hand
• *therismos*: nominative, masculine, singular - harvest
• *polys*: nominative, masculine, singular - much/great/abundant
• *de*: postpositive conjunction marking contrast with *men* - but/and/on the other hand
• *ergatai*: nominative, masculine, plural - workers/laborers
• *oligoi*: nominative, masculine, plural - few/little
• *deēthēte*: aorist passive imperative, 2nd plural - request/beseech/pray to
• *Kyriou*: genitive, masculine, singular - Lord/Master
• *therismou*: genitive, masculine, singular - harvest
• *hopōs*: conjunction + subjunctive - so that/in order that
• *ekballē*: present active subjunctive, 3rd singular - send out/thrust out
• *ergatas*: accusative, masculine, plural - workers/laborers
• *therismon*: accusative, masculine, singular - harvest

Word Meanings

• *Elegen*: was saying/kept saying/continued to say
• *pros*: to/toward/with
• *therismos*: harvest/crop/reaping
• *polys*: much/great/abundant/plentiful
• *ergatai*: workers/laborers/those who work
• *deēthēte*: request/beseech/pray to/ask earnestly
• *Kyriou*: Lord/Master/Owner
• *ekballē*: send out/thrust out/drive out/push out

Referenced Verses

• Matt 9:36-38 : 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest-ready fields.”
• 1 Tim 4:10 : 10 In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.
• 1 Tim 4:15-16 : 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.
• 2 Thess 3:1 : 1 Request for Prayer Finally, pray for us, brothers and sisters, that the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be honored as in fact it was among you,
• 1 Tim 1:12-14 : 12 I am grateful to the one who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me faithful in putting me into ministry, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and our Lord’s grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus.
• 1 Cor 3:6-9 : 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow. 7 So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work. 9 We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building.
• Mark 16:15 : 15 He said to them,“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
• Jer 3:15 : 15 I will give you leaders who will be faithful to me. They will lead you with knowledge and insight.
• Ezek 34:2-6 : 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them– to the shepherds:‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. 5 They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them.
• John 4:35-38 : 35 Don’t you say,‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up and see that the fields are already white for harvest! 36 The one who reaps receives pay and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together. 37 For in this instance the saying is true,‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you did not work for; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”
• 1 Thess 5:12 : 12 Final Instructions Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who labor among you and preside over you in the Lord and admonish you,
• 1 Tim 5:17-18 : 17 Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching. 18 For the scripture says,“Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and,“The worker deserves his pay.”
• 2 Tim 2:3-6 : 3 Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise he will not please the one who recruited him. 5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he will not be crowned as the winner unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The farmer who works hard ought to have the first share of the crops.
• 2 Tim 4:5 : 5 You, however, be self-controlled in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry.
• Phlm 1:1 : 1 ¶ Salutation From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear friend and colaborer,
• Heb 3:6 : 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. We are of his house, if in fact we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope we take pride in.
• Rev 2:1 : 1 To the Church in Ephesus“To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write the following:“This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has a firm grasp on the seven stars in his right hand– the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
• Acts 8:4 : 4 Philip Preaches in Samaria Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word.
• Acts 11:19 : 19 Activity in the Church at Antioch Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one but Jews.
• Acts 13:2 : 2 While they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
• Acts 13:4 : 4 Paul and Barnabas Preach in Cyprus So Barnabas and Saul, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
• Acts 16:9-9 : 9 A vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there urging him,“Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 After Paul saw the vision, we attempted immediately to go over to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
• Acts 20:28 : 28 Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.
• Zech 11:5 : 5 Those who buy them slaughter them and are not held guilty; those who sell them say,‘Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich.’ Their own shepherds have no compassion for them.
• Zech 11:17 : 17 Woe to the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! May a sword fall on his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither completely away, and his right eye become completely blind!”
• Num 11:17 : 17 Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take part of the Spirit that is on you, and will put it on them, and they will bear some of the burden of the people with you, so that you do not bear it all by yourself.
• Num 11:29 : 29 Moses said to him,“Are you jealous for me? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”
• 1 Kgs 18:22 : 22 Elijah said to them:“I am the only prophet of the LORD who is left, but there are 450 prophets of Baal.
• 1 Kgs 22:6-8 : 6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them,“Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” They said,“Attack! The Sovereign One will hand it over to the king.” 7 But Jehoshaphat asked,“Is there not a prophet of the LORD still here, that we may ask him?” 8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat,“There is still one man through whom we can seek the LORD’s will. But I despise him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat said,“The king should not say such things.”
• Ps 68:11 : 11 The Lord speaks; many, many women spread the good news.
• Isa 56:9-9 : 9 The Lord Denounces Israel’s Paganism All you wild animals in the fields, come and devour, all you wild animals in the forest! 10 All their watchmen are blind, they are unaware. All of them are like mute dogs, unable to bark. They pant, lie down, and love to snooze. 11 The dogs have big appetites; they are never full. They are shepherds who have no understanding; they all go their own way, each one looking for monetary gain. 12 Each one says,‘Come on, I’ll get some wine! Let’s guzzle some beer! Tomorrow will be just like today! We’ll have everything we want!’
• Mark 16:20 : 20 They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs.]]
• Luke 9:1 : 1 The Sending of the Twelve Apostles After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,
• Matt 20:1 : 1 Workers in the Vineyard“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
• Mark 13:34 : 34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert.
• Acts 26:15-18 : 15 So I said,‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied,‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advance as a servant and witness to the things you have seen and to the things in which I will appear to you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
• 1 Thess 2:9 : 9 For you recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery: By working night and day so as not to impose a burden on any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.
• 1 Cor 12:28 : 28 And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, gifts of leadership, different kinds of tongues.
• 1 Cor 15:10 : 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them– yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
• 2 Cor 6:1 : 1 God’s Suffering Servants Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
• Eph 4:7-9 : 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,“When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.” 9 Now what is the meaning of“he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? 10 He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. 11 And he himself gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ,
• Phil 2:21 : 21 Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ.
• Phil 2:25 : 25 But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need.
• Phil 2:30 : 30 since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.
• Col 1:29 : 29 Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.
• Col 4:12 : 12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave of Christ, greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
• Acts 22:21 : 21 Then he said to me,‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
• Rev 11:2-3 : 2 But do not measure the outer courtyard of the temple; leave it out, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.”