The Meaning of Luke 19:21 Explained

Luke 19:21

KJV: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

YLT: for I was afraid of thee, because thou art an austere man; thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and reapest what thou didst not sow.

Darby: For I feared thee because thou art a harsh man: thou takest up what thou hast not laid down, and thou reapest what thou hast not sowed.

ASV: for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  I feared  thee,  because  thou art  an austere  man:  thou takest up  that  thou layedst  not  down,  and  reapest  that  thou didst  not  sow. 

What does Luke 19:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 19:11-27 - Doing Business For God
In many respects this parable differs from that of the ten talents. In that, the servants are entrusted with different amounts; in this, the same amount is allotted to each. Obviously, the former deals with our powers and opportunities for service, which greatly differ; whereas the latter deals with those ordinary gifts which are common to all, and especially with the gift of salvation. All have the opportunity of using and enjoying the same bestowment of life which is in Jesus Christ for those who believe, Judges 1:3.
Some make the greatest possible use of "our common salvation." They increase its blessings by much prayer and faith and experience. They speak of it to others and spread the knowledge of the heights and depths of God's love. The more they do this, the more it grows on them. Others pass through life without realizing or enjoying Christ's gift of eternal life. They hope that they may be saved; but they have no deep experimental knowledge of His love. These are they who misuse their pound! What a contrast between such and Paul or Luther or Wesley! [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 19

1  Of Zacchaeus a tax collector
11  The ten minas
28  Jesus rides into Jerusalem with triumph;
41  weeps over it;
45  drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple;
47  Teaching daily in it The rulers seek to destroy him, but fear the people

Greek Commentary for Luke 19:21

I feared [εποβουμην]
Imperfect middle, I continued to fear. [source]
Austere [αυστηρος]
Old Greek word from αυω — auō to dry up. Reproduced in Latin austeros and English austere. It means rough to the taste, stringent. Here only in the N.T. Compare σκληρος — sklēros (hard) in Matthew 25:24. “Harsh in flavour, then in disposition” (Bruce).Thou layedst not down (ουκ ετηκας — ouk ethēkas). Probably a proverb for a grasping profiteer. [source]
Thou layedst not down [ουκ ετηκας]
Probably a proverb for a grasping profiteer. [source]
Austere [αὐστηρὸς]
From a ὔω , to dry. Dryand thence hard. See on hard, Matthew 25:24. [source]
Sow [ἔσπειρας]
See on strawed, Matthew 25:24. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 19:21

Matthew 25:24 Hard [σεκληρὸς]
Stronger than the austere ( αὐστηρός ) of Luke 19:21 (see there), which is sometimes used in a good sense, as this never is. It is an epithet given to a surface which is at once dry and hard. [source]
Matthew 25:24 I knew thee [γινωσκω]
Second aorist active indicative. Experimental knowledge Harsh, stern, rough man, worse than οτεν ου διεσκορπισας — austēros in Luke 19:21, grasping and ungenerous.Where thou didst not scatter (hothen ou dieskorpisas). But this scattering was the chaff from which wheat was winnowed, not the scattering of seed. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 19:21 mean?

I was afraid for of you because a man harsh you are You take up what not you did lay down and you reap you did sow
ἐφοβούμην γάρ σε ὅτι ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρὸς εἶ αἴρεις οὐκ ἔθηκας καὶ θερίζεις ἔσπειρας

ἐφοβούμην  I  was  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: φοβέομαι 
Sense: to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away).
σε  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ἄνθρωπος  a  man 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
αὐστηρὸς  harsh 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: αὐστηρός  
Sense: of mind and manners: harsh, rough, rigid.
εἶ  you  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
αἴρεις  You  take  up 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: αἴρω  
Sense: to raise up, elevate, lift up.
ἔθηκας  you  did  lay  down 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: τίθημι  
Sense: to set, put, place.
θερίζεις  you  reap 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: θερίζω  
Sense: to reap, harvest.
ἔσπειρας  you  did  sow 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐπισπείρω 
Sense: to sow, scatter, seed.