Luke 14:35
in Luke 14It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill: men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV
It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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This verse in Luke 14
Commentary
14 notes on this verse"Salt is good, but if the salt becomes tasteless, with what can it be seasoned? It is cast out," he says. He continues, "Let there be salt in you," that is, the divine words that bring salvation. If we despise these, we become tasteless, foolish and utterly useless. The congregation of the saints must throw out these things, by the gift of mercy and love to them from Christ, the Savior of us all.
This site's exposition
Salt is good
on Luke 14:34-35
Salt is good, but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned, a closing image asking what remains when the very thing that gives salt its use is gone. It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out, the useless salt of the region's mineral deposits, mixed with enough impurity to lose its flavor while looking unchanged, a fact the bench notes as known to Luke's first readers from the salt flats near the Dead Sea. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear closes the chapter as it closes several of Jesus' hardest sayings, the cost of discipleship left to settle in the hearer rather than softened at the end.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
People of God are truly the salt of the earth. They preserve the order of the world. Society is held together as long as the salt is uncorrupted. If the salt lost its savor, it is neither suitable for the land or the manure pile. It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot. "He that has ears, let him hear" the meaning of these words. When God gives to the tempter permission to persecute us, then we suffer persecution. When God wishes us to be free from suffering even in the middle of a world that hates us, we enjoy a wonderful peace. We trust in the protection of him who said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
The Medieval Church4 voices
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. That is, he who has ears of understanding, with which he can perceive the word of God, let him not despise but hear, obeying and doing what he has learned. For not a forgetful hearer, but …
Neither is it fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but it shall be cast outside. Just as salt which has lost its savor, when no longer useful for seasoning food or preserving meat, is good for nothing (for it is not fit for …
But not only those who are gifted with the grace of teachers, but private individuals also He requires to become like salt, useful to those around them. But if he who is to be useful to others becomes reprobate, he cannot be profited, as it follows, But if the salt has lost his savour, where-with shall it be seasoned? But because His discourse was in parables and dark sayings, our Lord, in order to rouse His hearers that they might not receive indifferently what was said of the salt, adds, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear, that is, as he has wisdom let him understand. For we must take the ears here as the perceptive power of the mind and capacity of understanding.
He had said above that the tower of virtue was not only to be begun, but also to be completed, and to this belongs the following, Salt is good. It is a good thing to season the secrets of the heart with the salt of spiritual wisdom, nay with the Apostles to become the salt of the earth. (Matt. 5:14.) For salt in substance consists of water and air, having a slight mixture of earth, but it dries up the fluent nature of corrupt bodies so as to preserve them from decay. Fitly then He compares His disciples to salt, inasmuch as they are regenerated by water and the Spirit; and as living altogether spiritually and not according to the flesh, they after the manner of salt change the corrupt life of men who live on the earth, and by their own virtuous lives delight and season their followers. As if He says, "If a man who has once been enlightened by the seasoning of truth, falls back into apostacy, by what other teacher shall he be corrected, seeing that the sweetness of wisdom which he tasted he has cast away, alarmed by the troubles or allured by the attractions of the world; hence it follows, It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, &c. For salt when it has ceased to be fit for seasoning food and drying flesh, will be good for nothing. For neither is it useful to the land, which when it is east thereon is hindered from bearing, nor for the dunghill to benefit the dressing of the land. So he who after knowledge of the truth falls back, is neither able to bring forth the fruit of good works himself, nor to instruct others; but he must be cast out of doors, that is, must be separated from the unity of the Church. Let him hear also not by despising, but by doing what he has learnt.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
A disciple of Christ must be "salt," that is, he must not only be good in himself and free from evil, but must also communicate goodness to others. For such is salt. It, itself remaining unharmed and free from corruption, preserves from corruption other things …
Therefore he adds: It is useful neither for the land nor for the dunghill, but it will be cast out. The Gloss: "Because he who goes backward is able neither to bear fruit himself nor to cultivate others"; indeed, what is more, he renders the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
If Christianity will not prevail to cure men of their worldliness and sensuality, if that remedy has been tried in vain, their ease must even be concluded desperate. [2.] It is of no use. It is not fit, as dung is, for the land, to manure that, nor will it be the better if it be laid in the dunghill to rot; there is nothing to be got out of it.
1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. 2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
It is neither fit for the land,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
We learn, firstly, from this passage — that true Christians must be ready, if need be, to give up everything for Christ's sake. This is a lesson which is taught in very remarkable language. Our Lord says, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be My disciple!" This expression must doubtless be interpreted with some qualification . We must never explain any text of Scripture in such a manner as to make it contradict another.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We learn, firstly, from this passage — that true Christians must be ready, if need be, to give up everything for Christ's sake. This is a lesson which is taught in very remarkable language. Our Lord says, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be My disciple!" This expression must doubtless be interpreted with some qualification . We must never explain any text of Scripture in such a manner as to make it contradict another. Our Lord did not mean us to understand that it is the duty of Christians to hate their relatives. This would have been to contradict the fifth commandment. He only meant that those who follow Him — must love Him with a deeper love even than their nearest and dearest relatives, or their own lives. He did not mean that it is an essential part of Christianity to quarrel with our relatives and friends. But He did mean that if the claims of our relatives and the claims of Christ come into collision — then the claims of relatives must give way. We must choose rather to displease those we love most upon earth — than to displease Him who died for us on the cross. The demand which our Lord makes upon us here, is particularly stringent and heart-searching — yet it is a wise and a necessary one. Experience shows, both in the church at home, and in the mission-field abroad — that the greatest foes to a man's soul are sometimes those of his own house. It sometimes happens that the greatest hindrance in the way of an awakened conscience, is the opposition of relatives and friends. Ungodly fathers cannot bear to see their sons "taking up new views" of religion. Worldly mothers are vexed to see their daughters unwilling to enter into the gaieties of the world.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὔτε | oute | Neither [is it] | G3777 → | 87 times |
| εἰς | eis | for | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| γῆν | gen | soil | G1093 → | 248 times |
| οὔτε | oute | nor | G3777 → | 87 times |
| εἰς | eis | for | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| κοπρίαν | koprian | manure | G2874 → | |
| εὔθετόν | eutheton | fit | G2111 → | |
| ἐστιν· | estin | is it; | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἔξω | exo | out | G1854 → | 63 times |
| βάλλουσιν | ballousin | they cast | G906 → | 121 times |
| αὐτό. | auto | it. | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | The [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔχων | echon | having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ὦτα | ota | ears | G3775 → | 36 times |
| ἀκούειν | akouein | to hear | G191 → | 425 times |
| ἀκουέτω.¶ | akoueto | he should hear. | G191 → | 425 times |
οὔτεNeither [is it]
outeG3777 →87 times
εἰςfor
eisG1519 →1755 times
γῆνsoil
genG1093 →248 times
οὔτεnor
outeG3777 →87 times
εἰςfor
eisG1519 →1755 times
κοπρίανmanure
koprianG2874 →
εὔθετόνfit
euthetonG2111 →
ἐστιν·is it;
estinG1510 →2333 times
ἔξωout
exoG1854 →63 times
βάλλουσινthey cast
ballousinG906 →121 times
αὐτό.it.
autoG846 →5565 times
ὁThe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἔχωνhaving
echonG2192 →707 times
ὦταears
otaG3775 →36 times
ἀκούεινto hear
akoueinG191 →425 times
ἀκουέτω.¶he should hear.
akouetoG191 →425 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 2:7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the…
it leads to
- Revelation 2:17
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 2:11
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 11:15
He who has ears, let him hear.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 13:43
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 13:9
He who has an ear, let him hear:
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 2:17
Through
Revelation 2:29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
it leads to
- Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 2:7
Through
Matthew 11:15He who has ears, let him hear.
it leads to
- Matthew 13:9
He who has ears, let him hear.”
- Matthew 13:9
Through
Revelation 2:11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death.
it leads to
- Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him…
- Revelation 20:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Luke
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 14; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 105; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, AGAINST CELSUS 8.70; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.