Luke 12 · Verse 20

Luke 12:20

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luke 12:20, King James Version

Luke 12:20 in other translations

BSBBut God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
WEB“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’
ASVBut God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?
YLT‘And God said to him, Unthinking one! this night thy soul they shall require from thee, and what things thou didst prepare--to whom shall they be?
DARBYBut God said to him, Fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall be what thou hast prepared?
BBEBut God said to him, You foolish one, tonight I will take your soul from you, and who then will be the owner of all the things which you have got together?
WebsterBut God said to him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?

What does Luke 12:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 12:20-21
20-21. this night, &c.--This sudden cutting short of his career is designed to express not only the folly of building securely upon the future, but of throwing one's whole soul into what may at any moment be gone. "Thy soul shall be required of thee" is put in opposition to his own treatment of it, "I will say to my soul, Soul," &c. whose shall those things be, &c.--Compare Psa 39:6, "He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 20. Thou fool. If there is any supreme folly, it is this. As though riches could prolong life, or avert for a moment the approach of pain and death.

This night, &c. What an awful sentence to a man who, as he thought, had got just ready to live and enjoy himself! In a single moment all his hopes were blasted, and his soul summoned to the bar of his long-forgotten God. So, many are surprised as suddenly and as unprepared. They are snatched from their pleasures, and hurried to a world where there is no pleasure, and where all their wealth cannot purchase one moment's ease from the gnawings of the worm that never dies.

Shall be required of thee. Thou shalt be required to die, to go to God, and to give up your account.

Then whose, &c. Whose they may be is of little consequence to the man that lost his soul to gain them; but they are often left to heirs that dissipate them much sooner than the father procured them, and thus they secure their ruin as well as his own. Ps 39:6, Eccl 2:18,19.

(t) "this night" Job 20:20-23, 27:8, Ps 52:7, Jas 4:14 (2) "thy soul" or, "do they require thy soul."

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Thou fool! - To imagine that a man's comfort and peace can depend upon temporal things; or to suppose that these can satisfy the wishes of an immortal spirit! This night - How awful was this saying! He had just made the necessary arrangements for the gratification of his sensual appetites; and, in the very night in which he had finally settled all his plans, his soul was called into the eternal world! What a dreadful awakening of a soul, long asleep in sin! He is now hurried into the presence of his Maker; none of his worldly goods can accompany him, and he has not a particle of heavenly treasure! There is a passage much like this in the book of Ecclesiasticus, 11:18, 19. There is that waxeth rich by his wariness and pinching, and this is the portion of his reward: Whereas he saith, I have found rest, and now will eat continually of my goods; and yet he knoweth not what time shall come upon him; and that he must leave those things to others, and die. We may easily see whence the above is borrowed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 12:13-21

Christ's kingdom is spiritual, and not of this world. Christianity does not meddle with politics; it obliges all to do justly, but wordly dominion is not founded in grace. It does not encourage expectations of worldly advantages by religion. The rewards of Christ's disciples are of another nature. Covetousness is a sin we need constantly to be warned against; for happiness and comfort do not depend on the wealth of…

Read the full comment on Luke 12:13-21 →

Luke 12:20 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἶπενeipenSaidG2036
δὲdethenG1161
αὐτῷautōto himG846
ὁho<the>G3588
θεός·theosGod;G2316
ἄφρων,aphrōnFool!G878
ταύτῃtautēOn thisG3778
τῇtēa<the>G3588
νυκτὶnuktinightG3571
τὴνtēntheG3588
ψυχήνpsuchēnsoulG5590
σουsouof youG4771
ἀπαιτοῦσινapaitousinis requiredG523
ἀπὸapoofG575
σοῦ.souyou.G4771
ἃhawhatG3739
δὲdenowG1161
ἡτοίμασας,hētoimasasyou did prepare —G2090
τίνιtinito whomG5101
ἔσται;estaiwill [it] be?G1510

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 12:20

  • Job 27:8

    For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

  • Jeremiah 17:11

    As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

  • 1 Timothy 6:7

    For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

  • Psalms 39:6

    Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

  • James 4:14

    Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

  • Job 27:16-17

    Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

  • Psalms 49:17-19

    For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

  • Luke 16:22-23

    And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

  • Psalms 52:5-7

    God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

  • Proverbs 28:8

    He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

  • Luke 11:40

    Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?

  • Matthew 24:48-51

    But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God.
16:22,23; Ex 16:9,10; 1Sa 25:36-38; 2Sa 13:28,29; 1Ki 16:9,10
Job 20:20-23; 27:8; Ps 73:19; 78:30; Da 5:1-6,25-30; Na 1:10
Mt 24:48-51; 1Th 5:3
Thou fool.
11:40; Jer 17:11; Jas 4:14
thy soul shall be required of thee. or, do they require thysoul. then.
Es 5:11; 8:1,2; Job 27:16,17; Ps 39:6; 49:17-19; 52:5-7; Pr 11:4
Pr 28:8; Ec 2:18-22; 5:14-16; Jer 17:11; Da 5:28; 1Ti 6:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 12:19

    And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

  • Luke 12:20

    But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

  • Luke 12:21

    So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Read all of Luke 12

Luke 12:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y díjole Dios: Necio, esta noche vuelven á pedir tu alma; y lo que has prevenido, ¿de quién será?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais Dieu lui dit: Insensé! cette nuit même ton âme te sera redemandée; et ces choses que tu as préparées, à qui seront-elles?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Gott aber sprach zu ihm: Du Tor! in dieser Nacht wird man deine Seele von dir fordern; was du aber bereitet hast, für wen wird es sein?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit autem illi Deus: Stulte, hac nocte animam tuam repetunt a te: quæ autem parasti, cujus erunt?