Luke 12:15

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

And he said unto them, `Observe, and beware of the covetousness, because not in the abundance of one's goods is his life.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς, Ὁρᾶτε, καὶ φυλάσσεσθε ἀπὸ τῆς πλεονεξίας: ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν τινὶ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστὶν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτοῦ.

Transliteration

Eipen de pros them, Horate, and phylassesthe apo the pleonexias: for not in the perisseuein to anyone the zōē of him estin from the hyparchontōn of him.

Grammar Details

• *Eipen*: aorist active indicative, 3rd singular - said
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and/now
• *pros*: preposition + accusative - to/toward
• *Horate*: present active imperative, 2nd plural - see/look/take heed
• *phylassesthe*: present middle imperative, 2nd plural - guard yourselves
• *apo*: preposition + genitive - from
• *pleonexias*: genitive singular feminine - greed/covetousness
• *perisseuein*: present active infinitive - to abound/have abundance
• *zōē*: nominative singular feminine - life
• *estin*: present active indicative, 3rd singular - is
• *hyparchontōn*: present active participle, genitive plural neuter - possessions/belongings

Word Meanings

• *Horate*: see/beware/take heed
• *phylassesthe*: guard yourselves/be on guard/watch out
• *pleonexias*: greed/covetousness/avarice
• *perisseuein*: having abundance/overflowing/having excess
• *zōē*: life/existence
• *hyparchontōn*: possessions/goods/belongings

Referenced Verses

• 1 Tim 6:6-9 : 6 but it is great gain -- the piety with contentment; 7 for nothing did we bring into the world -- `it is' manifest that we are able to carry nothing out; 8 but having food and raiment -- with these we shall suffice ourselves; 9 and those wishing to be rich, do fall into temptation and a snare, and many desires, foolish and hurtful, that sink men into ruin and destruction, 10 for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows;
• Heb 13:5 : 5 Without covetousness the behaviour, being content with the things present, for He hath said, `No, I will not leave, no, nor forsake thee,'
• Prov 16:16 : 16 To get wisdom -- how much better than gold, And to get understanding to be chosen than silver!
• Jer 22:17-18 : 17 But thine eyes and thy heart are not, Except on thy dishonest gain, And on shedding of innocent blood, And on oppression, and on doing of violence. 18 Therefore, thus said Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: They do not lament for him, Ah, my brother, and Ah, sister, They do not lament for him, Ah, lord, and Ah, his honour.
• Ps 62:10 : 10 Trust not in oppression, And in robbery become not vain, Wealth -- when it increaseth -- set not the heart.
• Ps 119:36-37 : 36 Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies, And not unto dishonest gain. 37 Remove mine eyes from seeing vanity, In Thy way quicken Thou me.
• Prov 15:16 : 16 Better `is' a little with the fear of Jehovah, Than much treasure, and tumult with it.
• 2 Tim 3:2 : 2 for men shall be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, evil-speakers, to parents disobedient, unthankful, unkind,
• 2 Pet 2:3 : 3 and in covetousness, with moulded words, of you they shall make merchandise, whose judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction doth not slumber.
• Mic 2:2 : 2 And they have desired fields, And they have taken violently, And houses, and they have taken away, And have oppressed a man and his house, Even a man and his inheritance.
• Hab 2:9 : 9 Wo `to' him who is gaining evil gain for his house, To set on high his nest, To be delivered from the hand of evil,
• Matt 6:25-26 : 25 `Because of this I say to you, be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat, and what ye may drink, nor for your body, what ye may put on. Is not the life more than the nourishment, and the body than the clothing? 26 look to the fowls of the heaven, for they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into storehouses, and your heavenly Father doth nourish them; are not ye much better than they?
• Mark 7:22 : 22 thefts, covetous desires, wickedness, deceit, arrogance, an evil eye, evil speaking, pride, foolishness;
• Luke 8:14 : 14 `And that which fell to the thorns: These are they who have heard, and going forth, through anxieties, and riches, and pleasures of life, are choked, and bear not to completion.
• Luke 16:14 : 14 And also the Pharisees, being lovers of money, were hearing all these things, and were deriding him,
• Luke 21:34 : 34 `And take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts may be weighed down with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day may come on you,
• 1 Cor 5:10-11 : 10 and not certainly with the whoremongers of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, seeing ye ought then to go forth out of the world -- 11 and now, I did write to you not to keep company with `him', if any one, being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- with such a one not even to eat together;
• 1 Cor 6:10 : 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, the reign of God shall inherit.
• Eph 5:3-5 : 3 and whoredom, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints; 4 also filthiness, and foolish talking, or jesting, -- the things not fit -- but rather thanksgiving; 5 for this ye know, that every whoremonger, or unclean, or covetous person, who is an idolater, hath no inheritance in the reign of the Christ and God.
• Col 3:5 : 5 Put to death, then, your members that `are' upon the earth -- whoredom, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and the covetousness, which is idolatry --
• Prov 23:4-5 : 4 Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not. 5 For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
• Prov 28:16 : 16 A leader lacking understanding multiplieth oppressions, Whoso is hating dishonest gain prolongeth days.
• Eccl 4:6-8 : 6 `Better `is' a handful `with' quietness, than two handfuls `with' labour and vexation of spirit.' 7 And I have turned, and I see a vain thing under the sun: 8 There is one, and there is not a second; even son or brother he hath not, and there is no end to all his labour! His eye also is not satisfied with riches, and `he saith not', `For whom am I labouring and bereaving my soul of good?' This also is vanity, it is a sad travail.
• Eccl 5:10-16 : 10 Whoso is loving silver is not satisfied `with' silver, nor he who is in love with stores `with' increase. Even this `is' vanity. 11 In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit `is' to its possessor except the sight of his eyes? 12 Sweet `is' the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep. 13 There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil. 14 And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand! 15 As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand. 16 And this also `is' a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage `is' to him who laboureth for wind?
• Jer 6:13 : 13 For from their least unto their greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even unto priest, Every one is dealing falsely,
• Josh 7:21 : 21 and I see among the spoil a goodly robe of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and one wedge of gold, whose weight `is' fifty shekels, and I desire them, and take them; and lo, they `are' hid in the earth, in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.'
• Job 2:4 : 4 And the Adversary answereth Jehovah and saith, `A skin for a skin, and all that a man hath he doth give for his life.
• Job 31:24-25 : 24 If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, `My trust,' 25 If I rejoice because great `is' my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found,
• Ps 10:3 : 3 Because the wicked hath boasted Of the desire of his soul, And a dishonest gainer he hath blessed, He hath despised Jehovah.
• Ps 37:16 : 16 Better `is' the little of the righteous, Than the store of many wicked.
• 2 Pet 2:14 : 14 having eyes full of adultery, and unable to cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having an heart exercised in covetousnesses, children of a curse,