Luke 14:31
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Luke 14:31 in other translations
| BSB | Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? |
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| WEB | Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? |
| ASV | Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? |
| YLT | ‘Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, doth not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him? |
| DARBY | Or what king, going on his way to engage in war with another king, does not, sitting down first, take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him coming against him with twenty thousand? |
| BBE | Or what king, going to war with another king, will not first take thought if he will be strong enough, with ten thousand men, to keep off him who comes against him with twenty thousand? |
| Webster | Or what king going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? |
What does Luke 14:31 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 14:28-33
28-33. which of you, &c.--Common sense teaches men not to begin any costly work without first seeing that they have wherewithal to finish. And he who does otherwise exposes himself to general ridicule. Nor will any wise potentate enter on a war with any hostile power without first seeing to it that, despite formidable odds (two to one), he be able to stand his ground; and if he has no hope of this, he will feel that…
Barnes' Notes
To meet him. To contend with him. To gain a victory over him.
(a) "consulteth whether" Prov 20:18
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 14:25-35
Though the disciples of Christ are not all crucified, yet they all bear their cross, and must bear it in the way of duty. Jesus bids them count upon it, and then consider of it. Our Saviour explains this by two similitudes; the former showing that we must consider the expenses of our religion; the latter, that we must consider the perils of it. Sit down and count the cost; consider it will cost the mortifying of…
Luke 14:31 in the original Greek
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Luke 14:31
- Proverbs 20:18
Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
- Proverbs 25:8
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.
- 1 Kings 20:11
And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
- 2 Kings 18:20-22
Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Luke 14:30
Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
- Luke 14:31
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
- Luke 14:32
Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
Luke 14:31 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | ¿O cuál rey, habiendo de ir á hacer guerra contra otro rey, sentándose primero no consulta si puede salir al encuentro con diez mil al que viene contra él con veinte mil? |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Ou, quel est le roi qui, partant pour faire la guerre à un autre roi, ne s’asseye premièrement et ne délibère s’il peut, avec 10 000 hommes, résister à celui qui vient contre lui avec 20 000? |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Oder welcher König, der auszieht, um sich mit einem anderen König in Krieg einzulassen, setzt sich nicht zuvor nieder und ratschlagt, ob er imstande sei, dem mit Zehntausend entgegen zu treten, der wider ihn kommt mit Zwanzigtausend? |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Aut quis rex iturus committere bellum adversus alium regem, non sedens prius cogitat, si possit cum decem millibus occurrere ei, qui cum viginti millibus venit ad se? |