The Meaning of Luke 14:21 Explained

Luke 14:21

KJV: So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

YLT: 'And that servant having come, told to his lord these things, then the master of the house, having been angry, said to his servant, Go forth quickly to the broad places and lanes of the city, and the poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind, bring in hither.

Darby: And the bondman came up and brought back word of these things to his lord. Then the master of the house, in anger, said to his bondman, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring here the poor and crippled and lame and blind.

ASV: And the servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and maimed and blind and lame.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So  that  servant  came,  and shewed  his  lord  these things.  Then  the master of the house  being angry  said  to his  servant,  Go out  quickly  into  the streets  and  lanes  of the city,  and  bring in  hither  the poor,  and  the maimed,  and  the halt,  and  the blind. 

What does Luke 14:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 14:15-24 - The Slighted Invitation
In this parable the Master anticipated that the Jewish magistrates and leaders would repudiate His invitations, and that they would therefore be extended to the less likely masses to be found in the streets and lanes of the city, and to the Gentiles in the out-lying world. What a prevision is here of the suitableness of the gospel to all the world, and of the ultimate inclusion of all mankind under one roof, John 14:1-2.
The excuses were obviously trumped up and invalid. Men see fields before buying them; try oxen before purchase; and can take their wives where they go themselves, if they wish to do so. They who are acute enough for this world are often slow and careless about the next, though that is the only world which really matters.
If thou art poor, maimed, blind or lame, there is room for thee at God's table; and for thee "a great spoil" shall be divided, Isaiah 33:23. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 14

1  Jesus heals the dropsy on the Sabbath;
7  teaches humility;
12  to feast the poor;
15  under the parable of the great supper,
23  shows how worldly minded men shall be shut out of heaven
25  Those who will be his disciples, to bear their cross must make their accounts beforehand,
31  lest with shame they revolt from him afterward;
34  and become altogether unprofitable, like salt that has lost its flavor

Greek Commentary for Luke 14:21

Being angry [οργιστεις]
First aorist (ingressive) passive, becoming angry. [source]
Quickly [ταχεως]
The dinner is ready and no time is to be lost. The invitation goes still to those in the city. Streets and lanes (τας πλατειας και ρυμας — tas plateias kai rhumas). Broadways and runways (broad streets and narrow lanes). Maimed So Westcott and Hort for the old word αναπηρους — anapērous due to itacism The word is compounded of πηρος — ana and pēros lame all the way up. [source]
Streets and lanes [τας πλατειας και ρυμας]
Broadways and runways (broad streets and narrow lanes). [source]
Maimed [αναπειρους]
So Westcott and Hort for the old word αναπηρους — anapērous due to itacism The word is compounded of πηρος — ana and pēros lame all the way up. [source]
Streets [ῥύμας]
The former word from πλατύς , broad; the broad streets contrasted with the narrow lanes. Wyc., great streets and small streets. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 14:21

Acts 9:11 Street [ῥύμην]
See on Luke 14:21. A narrow street or lane. [source]
Acts 9:11 To the street [επι την ρυμην]
See note on Luke 14:21. A run way (from rheō to run) between the houses. So were the narrow lanes or alleys called streets and finally in later Greek the word is applied to streets even when broad. [source]
Revelation 21:21 Street [πλατεῖα]
See on Luke 14:21. From πλατύς broadHence the broadway. [source]
Revelation 11:8 In the street [ἐπὶ τῆς πλατείας]
Lit., “Upon the street.” See on Luke 14:21. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 14:21 mean?

And having come the servant reported to the master of him these things Then having become angry master of the house said to servant Go out quickly into the streets lanes of the city the poor crippled blind lame bring in here
Καὶ παραγενόμενος δοῦλος ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα τότε ὀργισθεὶς οἰκοδεσπότης εἶπεν τῷ δούλῳ Ἔξελθε ταχέως εἰς τὰς πλατείας ῥύμας τῆς πόλεως τοὺς πτωχοὺς ἀναπείρους τυφλοὺς χωλοὺς εἰσάγαγε ὧδε

παραγενόμενος  having  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: παραγίνομαι  
Sense: to be present, to come near, approach.
δοῦλος  servant 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: δοῦλοσ1 
Sense: a slave, bondman, man of servile condition.
ἀπήγγειλεν  reported 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀγγέλλω 
Sense: to bring tidings (from a person or a thing), bring word, report.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κυρίῳ  master 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ταῦτα  these  things 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ὀργισθεὶς  having  become  angry 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὀργίζω  
Sense: to provoke, to arouse to anger.
οἰκοδεσπότης  master  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οἰκοδεσπότης  
Sense: master of the house, householder.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
δούλῳ  servant 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: δοῦλοσ1 
Sense: a slave, bondman, man of servile condition.
Ἔξελθε  Go  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
ταχέως  quickly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ταχέως  
Sense: quickly, shortly.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
πλατείας  streets 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: πλατεῖα  
Sense: a broad way, a street.
ῥύμας  lanes 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: ῥύμη  
Sense: a swing, rush, force, trail, of a body in motion.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πόλεως  city 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: πόλις  
Sense: a city.
πτωχοὺς  poor 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πτωχός  
Sense: reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms.
ἀναπείρους  crippled 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀνάπειρος  
Sense: disabled in the limbs, maimed, crippled.
τυφλοὺς  blind 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: τυφλός  
Sense: blind.
χωλοὺς  lame 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: χωλός  
Sense: lame.
εἰσάγαγε  bring  in 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰσάγω  
Sense: to lead in.
ὧδε  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὧδε  
Sense: here, to this place, etc.