Luke 22 · Verse 25

Luke 22:25

And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

Luke 22:25, King James Version

Luke 22:25 in other translations

BSB	So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors.
WEB	He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
ASV	And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them; and they that have authority over them are called Benefactors.
YLT	And he said to them, ‘The kings of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those exercising authority upon them are called benefactors;
DARBY	And he said to them, The kings of the nations rule over them, and they that exercise authority over them are called benefactors.
BBE	And he said, The kings of the Gentiles are lords over them, and those who have authority are given names of honour.
Webster	And he said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them, are called benefactors.

What does Luke 22:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 22:24-30

24-30. there was--or "had been," referring probably to some symptoms of the former strife which had reappeared, perhaps on seeing the whole paschal arrangements committed to two of the Twelve. (See on Mr 10:42-45.)

Read the full comment on Luke 22:24-30 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 25. The kings of the Gentiles. The kings of the nations, or of the earth. They do this, and it is to be expected of them, and it is right. Our Lord does not mean to say that it was wrong that there should be such authority, but that his kingdom was to be of a different character, and they were not to expect it there.

Over them. That is, over the nations.

Are called benefactors. The word benefactor is applied to one who bestows favour on another. It was applied to kings by way of compliment or flattery. Some of them might have been truly benefactors of their people, but this was by no means true of all. Yet it was applied to all, and especially to the Roman emperors. It is found applied to them often in the writings of Josephus and Philo.

(m) "The kings of the Gentiles" Mt 20:25, Mk 10:42

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 25 Are called benefactors - The very Greek word used by the evangelist, ευεργεται, was the surname of some of the Ptolemies of Egypt; Ptolemy Euergetes, i.e. the Benefactor. It was a custom among the ancient Romans to distribute part of the lands which they had conquered on the frontiers of the empire to their soldiers; those who enjoyed such lands were called beneficiarii, beneficed persons; and the lands themselves were termed beneficia, benefices, as being held on the beneficence of the sovereign; and it is no wonder that such sovereigns, however tyrannical or oppressive they might have been in other respects, were termed benefactors by those who were thus dependent on their bounty.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 22:21-38

How unbecoming is the worldly ambition of being the greatest, to the character of a follower of Jesus, who took upon him the form of a servant, and humbled himself to the death of the cross! In the way to eternal happiness, we must expect to be assaulted and sifted by Satan. If he cannot destroy, he will try to disgrace or distress us. Nothing more certainly forebodes a fall, in a professed follower of Christ, than…

Read the full comment on Luke 22:21-38 →

Luke 22:25 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.

ὁho<the>G3588

δὲdeAndG1161

εἶπενeipenHe saidG2036

αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;G846

οἱhoiTheG3588

βασιλεῖςbasileiskingsG935

τῶνtōnof theG3588

ἐθνῶνethnōnGentilesG1484

κυριεύουσινkurieuousinrule overG2961

αὐτῶν,autōnthem,G846

καὶkaiandG2532

οἱhoithoseG3588

ἐξουσιάζοντεςexousiazontesexercising authority overG1850

αὐτῶνautōnthemG846

εὐεργέταιeuergetaibenefactorsG2110

καλοῦνται.kalountaiare called.G2564

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

Cross references for Luke 22:25

Matthew 20:25-28
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Mark 10:41-45
And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Mt 20:25-28; Mr 10:41-45

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

Context

Luke 22:24
And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
Luke 22:25
And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luke 22:26
But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

Read all of Luke 22

Luke 22:25 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Entonces él les dijo: Los reyes de las gentes se enseñorean de ellas; y los que sobre ellas tienen potestad, son llamados bienhechores:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il leur dit: Les rois des nations les dominent, et ceux qui exercent l’autorité sur elles sont appelés bienfaiteurs;
German Elberfelder 1871	Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Die Könige der Nationen herrschen über dieselben, und die Gewalt über sie üben, werden Wohltäter genannt.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Dixit autem eis: Reges gentium dominantur eorum: et qui potestatem habent super eos, benefici vocantur.