Luke 16 · Verse 17

Luke 16:17

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
Luke 16:17, King James Version

Luke 16:17 in other translations

BSBBut it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
WEBBut it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.
ASVBut it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle of the law to fall.
YLTand it is easier to the heaven and the earth to pass away, than of the law one tittle to fall.
DARBYBut it is easier that the heaven and the earth should pass away than that one tittle of the law should fail.
BBEBut heaven and earth will come to an end before the smallest letter of the law may be dropped out.
WebsterAnd it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than one tittle of the law to fail.

What does Luke 16:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 16:14-18

14-18. covetous ... derided him--sneered at Him; their master sin being too plainly struck at for them to relish. But it was easier to run down than to refute such teaching.

Read the full comment on Luke 16:14-18 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 17. Mt 5:18.

(l) "it is easier" Ps 102:26, Is 40:8, 51:6

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 For heaven and earth to pass - See on Mat 5:17, Mat 5:18 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 16:13-18

To this parable our Lord added a solemn warning. Ye cannot serve God and the world, so divided are the two interests. When our Lord spoke thus, the covetous Pharisees treated his instructions with contempt. But he warned them, that what they contended for as the law, was a wresting of its meaning: this our Lord showed in a case respecting divorce. There are many covetous sticklers for the forms of godliness, who are…

Read the full comment on Luke 16:13-18 →

Luke 16:17 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.

εὐκοπώτερονeukopōteronEasier forG2123
δέdehoweverG1161
ἐστινestinit isG1510
τὸνtontheG3588
οὐρανὸνouranonheavenG3772
καὶkaiandG2532
τὴνtēntheG3588
γῆνgēnearthG1093
παρελθεῖνpareltheinto pass awayG3928
ἢēthanG2228
τοῦtouof theG3588
νόμουnomoulawG3551
μίανmianoneG1520
κεραίανkeraianstroke of a penG2762
πεσεῖν.¶peseinto fail.G4098

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

Cross references for Luke 16:17

  • Matthew 5:18

    For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

  • Luke 21:33

    Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

  • 1 Peter 1:25

    But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

  • Isaiah 40:8

    The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

  • Romans 3:31

    Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

  • Isaiah 51:6

    Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

  • Psalms 102:25-27

    Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

  • Revelation 20:11

    And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

  • Revelation 21:1

    And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

  • Revelation 21:4

    And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
it.
21:33; Ps 102:25-27; Isa 51:6; Mt 5:18; 2Pe 3:10; Re 20:11; 21:1,4
than.
Isa 40:8; Ro 3:31; 1Pe 1:25

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

Context

  • Luke 16:16

    The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

  • Luke 16:17

    And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

  • Luke 16:18

    Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Read all of Luke 16

Luke 16:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Empero más fácil cosa es pasar el cielo y la tierra, que frustrarse un tilde de la ley.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Or il est plus facile que le ciel et la terre passent, qu’il ne l’est qu’un seul trait de lettre de la loi tombe.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Es ist aber leichter, daß der Himmel und die Erde vergehen, als daß ein Strichlein des Gesetzes wegfalle.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Facilius est autem cælum et terram præterire, quam de lege unum apicem cadere.