Luke 20 · Verse 38

Luke 20:38

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
Luke 20:38, King James Version

Luke 20:38 in other translations

BSBHe is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”
WEBNow he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
ASVNow he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
YLTand He is not a God of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him.'
DARBYbut he is not God of the dead but of the living; for all live for him.
BBENow he is not the God of the dead but of the living: for all men are living to him.
WebsterFor he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.

What does Luke 20:38 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 20:37-38

37-38. even Moses--whom they had just quoted to entangle Him.

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 38.

(x) "for all live unto him" Rom 14:8,9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 38 All live unto him - There is a remarkable passage in Josephus's account of the Maccabees, chap. xvi., which proves that the best informed Jews believed that the souls of righteous men were in the presence of God in a state of happiness. "They who lose their lives for the sake of God, Live unto God, as do Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of the patriarchs." And one not less remarkable in Shemoth Rabba, fol. 159. "Rabbi Abbin saith, The Lord said unto Moses, Find me out ten righteous persons among the people, and I will not destroy thy people. Then said Moses, Behold, here am I, Aaron, Eleazar, Ithamar, Phineas, Caleb, and Joshua; but God said, Here are but seven, where are the other three? When Moses knew not what to do, he said, O Eternal God, do those live that are dead! Yes, saith God. Then said Moses, If those that are dead do live, remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." So the resurrection of the dead, and the immortality and immateriality of the soul, were not strange or unknown doctrines among the Jews.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 20:27-38

It is common for those who design to undermine any truth of God, to load it with difficulties. But we wrong ourselves, and wrong the truth of Christ, when we form our notions of the world of spirits by this world of sense. There are more worlds than one; a present visible world, and a future unseen world; and let every one compare this world and that world, and give the preference in his thoughts and cares to that…

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Luke 20:38 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.

θεὸςtheosGodG2316
δὲdenowG1161
οὐκouknotG3756
ἔστινestinHe isG1510
νεκρῶνnekrōnof [the] deadG3498
ἀλλὰallabutG235
ζώντων·zōntōnof [the] living;G2198
πάντεςpantesallG3956
γὰρgarforG1063
αὐτῷautōto HimG846
ζῶσιν.¶zōsinlive.G2198

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

Cross references for Luke 20:38

  • John 11:25-26

    Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

  • Colossians 3:3-4

    For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

  • Romans 6:10-11

    For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • John 14:19

    Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

  • Romans 14:7-9

    For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

  • Romans 6:22-23

    But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • Revelation 7:15-17

    Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

  • Psalms 145:1-2

    David’s Psalm of praise. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:16

    And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

  • 2 Corinthians 13:4

    For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

  • Revelation 22:1

    And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

  • Psalms 16:5-11

    The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a God.
Ps 16:5-11; 22:23-26; 145:1,2; Heb 11:16
for all.
Joh 6:57; 11:25,26; 14:19; Ro 6:10,11,22,23; 14:7-9; 2Co 6:16; 13:4
Col 3:3,4; Re 7:15-17; 22:1

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

Context

  • Luke 20:37

    Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

  • Luke 20:38

    For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

  • Luke 20:39

    Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.

Read all of Luke 20

Luke 20:38 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque Dios no es Dios de muertos, mas de vivos: porque todos viven á él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Or il n’est pas le Dieu des morts, mais des vivants; car pour lui tous vivent.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Er ist aber nicht Gott der Toten, sondern der Lebendigen; denn für ihn leben alle.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Deus autem non est mortuorum, sed vivorum: omnes enim vivunt ei.