The Meaning of Luke 11:33 Explained

Luke 11:33

KJV: No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

YLT: And no one having lighted a lamp, doth put it in a secret place, nor under the measure, but on the lamp-stand, that those coming in may behold the light.

Darby: But no one having lit a lamp sets it in secret, nor under the corn-measure, but on the lamp-stand, that they who enter in may see the light.

ASV: No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, putteth it in a cellar, neither under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see the light.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

<1161> No man,  when he hath lighted  a candle,  putteth  [it] in  a secret place,  neither  under  a bushel,  but  on  a candlestick,  that  they which  come in  may see  the light. 

What does Luke 11:33 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This was another parable that Jesus evidently used repeatedly during His itinerant teaching ministry. In Matthew"s account He used it to encourage the disciples to bear witness publicly (cf. Luke 8:16). Here He used it to illustrate His own role as someone who dispels darkness.

Context Summary

Luke 11:33-44 - Dark And Foul Within
"The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord," Proverbs 20:27. How many unlit candles there are! Will you not ask whether Christ has ever kindled you with His divine light and life? You have the capacity for God, but this is not enough: Christ must give you light, Ephesians 5:14. Seek the clear shining of the inner light, and remember that it will grow clearer and brighter just in proportion as it is obeyed and followed. What a glorious conception this is, that the Lord Jesus shall so fill us with the radiance and warmth of His love that there shall be no part dark!
Our Lord's denunciations of the religious leaders of His time reveal the wrath of infinite truth and purity against all that is inconsistent with either. Because He loved His sheep, the Good Shepherd must warn them against wolves. Notice Luke 11:41, r.v., which means that our faith, love and joy are to be shared with others. Let us be munificent and generous in self-giving. There is no law of the tithe here! Give all! [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 11

1  Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11  assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him
14  He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27  and shows who are blessed;
29  preaches to the people;
37  and reprimands the outward show of holiness

Greek Commentary for Luke 11:33

In a cellar [εις κρυπτην]
A crypt (same word) or hidden place from κρυπτω — kruptō to hide. Late and rare word and here only in the N.T. These other words (lamp, λυχνον — luchnon bushel, μοδιον — modion stand, λυχνιαν — luchnian) have all been discussed previously (see note on Matthew 5:15). [source]
Candle []
Properly, lamp. [source]
Secret place [κρυπτὴν]
Rather, a cellar or crypt, which latter is the Greek word transcribed. [source]
The bushel []
See on Matthew 5:15. [source]
Candlestick []
Properly stand. See on Matthew 5:15. [source]
Which enter in [εἰσπορευόμενοι]
Better with the continuous force of the present participle, axe entering m from time to time. [source]
Light [φέγγος]
The word occurs in only two other places: Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24, on which see notes. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 11:33

Mark 13:24 Light [φέγγος]
The word is used in the New Testament wherever the light of the moon is referred to. Compare Matthew 24:29, the only other instance. It occurs also in Luke 11:33, but meaning the light of a lamp. [source]
Mark 12:13 That they might catch him in talk [ινα αυτον αγρευσωσιν λογωι]
Ingressive aorist subjunctive. The verb is late from αγρα — agra (a hunt or catching). It appears in the lxx and papyri. Here alone in the N.T. Luke 20:20 has the same idea, “that they may take hold of his speech” See discussion in Matthew. We have seen the scribes and Pharisees trying to do this very thing before (Luke 11:33.). Mark and Matthew note here the combination of Pharisees and Herodians as Mark did in Mark 3:6. Matthew speaks of “disciples” or pupils of the Pharisees while Luke calls them “spies” (ενκατετους — enkathetous). [source]
John 16:32 Cometh [ερχεται]
Futuristic present middle indicative of ερχομαι — erchomai Yea, is come Explanatory use of και — kai and the perfect active indicative as in John 12:23. The long-looked-for hour See John 16:2 for this same use of ινα — hina (not οτε — hote) with ερχομαι ωρα — erchomai hōra Ye shall be scattered First aorist passive subjunctive of σκορπιζω — skorpizō used in John 10:12 of sheep scampering from the wolf. Cf. Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:33. To his own “To his own home” as in John 1:11; John 19:27. So Appian VI. 23. Shall leave Second aorist subjunctive of απιημι — aphiēmi with ινα — hina And yet Clear case of και — kai in adversative sense, not just “and.” [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 11:33 mean?

But no one a lamp having lit in secret sets it nor under the basket but upon the lampstand that those entering in the light may see
Οὐδεὶς λύχνον ἅψας εἰς κρύπτην τίθησιν οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν ἵνα οἱ εἰσπορευόμενοι τὸ φέγγος βλέπωσιν

Οὐδεὶς  But  no  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὐδείς 
Sense: no one, nothing.
λύχνον  a  lamp 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: λύχνος  
Sense: a lamp, candle, that is placed on a stand or candlestick.
ἅψας  having  lit 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἅπτω 
Sense: to fasten to, adhere to.
κρύπτην  secret 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: κρύπτη  
Sense: crypt, a covered way, vault, cellar.
τίθησιν  sets  it 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: τίθημι  
Sense: to set, put, place.
οὐδὲ  nor 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὐδέ  
Sense: but not, neither, nor, not even.
ὑπὸ  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑπό  
Sense: by, under.
μόδιον  basket 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: μόδιος  
Sense: a dry measure holding 6 sextarii (or /6 of the Attic medimnus), about a peck (9 litres).
ἐπὶ  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
λυχνίαν  lampstand 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: λυχνία  
Sense: a (candlestick) lamp stand, candelabrum.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
οἱ  those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἰσπορευόμενοι  entering  in 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: εἰσπορεύομαι  
Sense: to go into, enter.
φέγγος  light 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: φέγγος  
Sense: light.
βλέπωσιν  may  see 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: βλέπω  
Sense: to see, discern, of the bodily eye.