Luke 9 · Verse 24

Luke 9:24

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luke 9:24, King James Version

Luke 9:24 in other translations

BSBFor whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
WEBFor whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it.
ASVFor whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
YLTfor whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake, he shall save it;
DARBYfor whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, he shall save it.
BBEFor whoever has a desire to keep his life will have it taken from him, but whoever gives up his life because of me, will keep it.
WebsterFor whoever will save his life, shall lose it: but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

What does Luke 9:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
24. will save--"Is minded to save," bent on saving. The pith of this maxim depends--as often in such weighty sayings (for example, "Let the dead bury the dead," Mt 8:22)--on the double sense attached to the word "life," a lower and a higher, the natural and the spiritual, temporal and eternal. An entire sacrifice of the lower, or a willingness to make it, is indispensable to the preservation of the higher life; and he who cannot bring himself to surrender the one for the sake of the other shall eventually lose both.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 Will save his life - See on Mat 16:24 (note), etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 9:18-27

It is an unspeakable comfort that our Lord Jesus is God's Anointed; this signifies that he was both appointed to be the Messiah, and qualified for it. Jesus discourses concerning his own sufferings and death. And so far must his disciples be from thinking how to prevent his sufferings, that they must prepare for their own. We often meet with crosses in the way of duty; and though we must not pull them upon our own…

Read the full comment on Luke 9:18-27 →

Luke 9:24 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.

ὃςhosWho[ever]G3739
γὰρgarforG1063
ἂνanmaybeG302
θέλῃthelēshall desireG2309
τὴνtēntheG3588
ψυχὴνpsuchēnlifeG5590
αὐτοῦautouof himG846
σῶσαι,sōsaito save,G4982
ἀπολέσειapoleseiwill loseG622
αὐτήν·autēnit;G846
ὃςhoswho[ever]G3739
δ᾽d᾽howeverG1161
ἂνanmaybeG302
ἀπολέσῃapolesēmay loseG622
τὴνtēntheG3588
ψυχὴνpsuchēnlifeG5590
αὐτοῦautouof himG846
ἕνεκενhenekenon account ofG1752
ἐμοῦ,emoume,G1473
οὗτοςhoutosheG3778
σώσειsōseiwill saveG4982
αὐτήν.autēnit.G846

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

Cross references for Luke 9:24

  • Luke 17:33

    Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

  • John 12:25

    He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

  • Acts 20:23-24

    Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

  • Revelation 2:10

    Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

  • Revelation 12:11

    And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

  • Hebrews 11:35

    Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
17:33; Ac 20:23,24; Heb 11:35; Re 2:10; 12:11

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

Context

  • Luke 9:23

    And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

  • Luke 9:24

    For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

  • Luke 9:25

    For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

Read all of Luke 9

Luke 9:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque cualquiera que quisiere salvar su vida, la perderá; y cualquiera que perdiere su vida por causa de mí, éste la salvará.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		car quiconque voudra sauver sa vie la perdra; et quiconque perdra sa vie pour l’amour de moi, celui-là la sauvera.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn wer irgend sein Leben erretten will, wird es verlieren; wer aber irgend sein Leben verliert um meinetwillen, der wird es erretten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui enim voluerit animam suam salvam facere, perdet illam: nam qui perdiderit animam suam propter me, salvam faciet illam.