Luke 12 · Verse 58

Luke 12:58

When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
Luke 12:58, King James Version

Luke 12:58 in other translations

BSBMake every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.
WEBFor when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
ASVFor as thou art going with thine adversary before the magistrate, on the way give diligence to be quit of him; lest haply he drag thee unto the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the officer, and the officer shall cast thee into prison.
YLTfor, as thou art going away with thy opponent to the ruler, in the way give diligence to be released from him, lest he may drag thee unto the judge, and the judge may deliver thee to the officer, and the officer may cast thee into prison;
DARBYFor as thou goest with thine adverse party before a magistrate, strive in the way to be reconciled with him, lest he drag thee away to the judge, and the judge shall deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
BBEFor if anyone has a cause at law against you, and you are going with him before the ruler, make an attempt, on the way, to come to an agreement with him, for if you do not, he may take you before the judge and the judge will give you up to the police, and they will put you in prison.
WebsterWhen thou goest with thy adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he draw thee before the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

What does Luke 12:58 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
58. When thou goest, &c.--(See on Mt 5:25, 26). The urgency of the case with them, and the necessity, for their own safety, of immediate decision, was the object of these striking words.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verses 58,59. Mt 5:25. Mt 5:26.

Verse 58.

(y) "When thou goest" Mt 5:25 (z) "as thou art in the way" Isa 55:6

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 58 When thou goest with thine adversary - This and the next verse are a part of our Lord's sermon upon the mount. See them explained Mat 5:25, Mat 5:26 (note). St. Luke is very particular in collecting and relating every word and action of our blessed Lord, but seldom gives them in the order of time in which they were spoken or done. See the Preface to this Gospel. Give diligence - Δος εργασιαν, Give labor, do every thing in thy power to get free before a suit commences. The officer - Πρακτωρ properly signifies such an officer as was appointed to levy the fines imposed by the law for a violation of any of its precepts. See Kypke.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 12:54-59

Christ would have the people to be as wise in the concerns of their souls as they are in outward affairs. Let them hasten to obtain peace with God before it is too late. If any man has found that God has set himself against him concerning his sins, let him apply to him as God in Christ reconciling the world to himself. While we are alive, we are in the way, and now is our time.

Read the full comment on Luke 12:54-59 →

Luke 12:58 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.

ὡςhōsAsG5613
γὰρgarforG1063
ὑπάγειςhupageisyou are goingG5217
μετὰmetawithG3326
τοῦtoutheG3588
ἀντιδίκουantidikouadversaryG476
σουsouof youG4771
ἐπ᾽ep᾽beforeG1909
ἄρχοντα,archontaa magistrate,G758
ἐνeninG1722
τῇtēatheG3588
ὁδῷhodōwayG3598
δὸςdosdo giveG1325
ἐργασίανergasianearnestnessG2039
ἀπηλλάχθαιapēllachthaito have been set freeG525
ἀπ᾽ap᾽fromG575
αὐτοῦautouhimG846
μήποτεmēpoteotherwiseG3361
κατασύρῃkatasurēhe may drag awayG2694
σεseyouG4771
πρὸςprostoG4314
τὸνtontheG3588
κριτήν,kritēnjudge,G2923
καὶkaiandG2532
ὁhotheG3588
κριτήςkritēsjudgeG2923
σεseyouG4771
παραδώσειparadōseiwill deliverG3860
τῷtōto theG3588
πράκτορι,praktoriofficer,G4233
καὶkaiandG2532
ὁhotheG3588
πράκτωρpraktōrofficerG4233
σεseyouG4771
βαλεῖbaleiwill castG906
εἰςeisintoG1519
φυλακήν.phulakēnprison.G5438

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

Cross references for Luke 12:58

  • Matthew 5:23-26

    Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

  • Luke 13:24-28

    Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. …

  • Job 23:7

    There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

  • Isaiah 55:6

    Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

  • Proverbs 25:8-9

    Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame. Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:

  • Psalms 32:6

    For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

  • Genesis 32:3-28

    And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. …

  • Matthew 18:30

    And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

  • 1 Samuel 25:18-35

    Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them. Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good. …

  • Proverbs 6:1-5

    My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. …

  • Hebrews 3:7-13

    Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. …

  • Job 22:21

    Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thou goest.
Pr 25:8,9; Mt 5:23-26
give.
14:31,32; Ge 32:3-28; 1Sa 25:18-35; Job 22:21; 23:7; Ps 32:6
Pr 6:1-5; Isa 55:6; 2Co 6:2; Heb 3:7-13
the judge.
13:24-28; Job 36:17,18; Ps 50:22
into.
Mt 18:30; 1Pe 3:19; Re 20:7

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

Context

  • Luke 12:57

    Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

  • Luke 12:58

    When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

  • Luke 12:59

    I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

Read all of Luke 12

Luke 12:58 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Pues cuando vas al magistrado con tu adversario, procura en el camino librarte de él; porque no te arrastre al juez, y el juez te entregue al alguacil, y el alguacil te meta en la cárcel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Car quand tu vas avec ta partie adverse devant le magistrat, efforce-toi en chemin d’en être délivré, de peur qu’elle ne te tire devant le juge; et le juge te livrera au sergent, et le sergent te jettera en prison.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn wenn du mit deiner Gegenpartei vor die Obrigkeit gehst, so gib dir auf dem Wege Mühe, von ihr loszukommen, damit sie dich nicht etwa zu dem Richter hinschleppe; und der Richter wird dich dem Gerichtsdiener überliefern, und der Gerichtsdiener dich ins Gefängnis werfen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cum autem vadis cum adversario tuo ad principem, in via da operam liberari ab illo, ne forte trahat te ad judicem, et judex tradat te exactori, et exactor mittat te in carcerem.