Luke 5:33
in Luke 5Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees frequently fast and pray, but Yours keep on eating and drinking.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they said unto him, The disciples of John fast often, and make supplications; likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink.
KJV
And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
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This verse in Luke 5
Commentary
14 notes on this verseAt the same time also is shown the difference between those who are zealous for the law and those who are for grace, that they who follow the law shall suffer eternal hunger of soul, while they who have received the word into the inmost soul, refreshed with abundance of heavenly meat and drink, can neither hunger nor thirst. And so they who fasted in soul murmured.
This site's exposition
John’s disciples and those of
on Luke 5:33-35
Jesus answers the critics with the guests of the bridegroom, borrowing the Hebrew Scriptures' picture of God as Israel's bridegroom. He adds that the bridegroom will be taken from them, a plain prediction of His death, and then they will fast.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
(de Con. Ev. l. ii. c. 27.) Now Luke evidently relates that this was spoken not by men of themselves, but by others concerning them. How then does Matthew say, Then came unto him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast; unless that they themselves also came, and were all eager, as far as they were able, to put the question to Him?
" At all events, in the Gospel they think that those days were definitely appointed for fasts in which "the Bridegroom was taken away; " and that these are now the only legitimate days for Christian fasts, the legal and prophetical antiquities having been abolished: for wherever it suits their wishes, they recognise what is the meaning of" the Law and the prophets until John.
As soon as they have received the first answer from Christ, they proceed from one thing to another, with the intent to show that the holy disciples, and Jesus Himself with them, cared very little for the law. Hence it follows, Why do the disciples of John fast, but thine eat, &c. (Lev. 15, prævaricationis.) As if they said, Ye eat with publicans and sinners, whereas the law forbids to have any fellowship with the unclean, but compassion comes in as an excuse for your transgression; why then do ye not fast, as they are wont to do who wish to live according to the law? But holy men indeed fast, that by the mortification of their body they may quell its passions. Christ needed not fasting for the perfecting of virtue, since as God He was free from every yoke of passion. Nor again did His companions need fasting, but being made partakers of His grace without fasting they were strengthened in all holy and godly living. For when Christ fasted for forty days, it was not to mortify His passions, but to manifest to carnal men the rule of abstinence. For the showing forth of our Saviour in this world was nothing else but a great festival, (πανήγυρις) spiritually uniting our nature to Him as His bride, that she who was formerly barren might become fruitful. The children of the Bridegroom then are found to be those who have been called by Him through a new and evangelical discipline, but not the Scribes and Pharisees, who observe only the shadow of the law.
Or, That fast is not given up whereby the flesh is mortified, and the desires of the body chastened. (For this fast commends us to God.) But we cannot fast who have Christ, and banquet on the flesh and blood of Christ.
The Medieval Church1 voice
But they said. After the calling of sinners has been described and the confutation of the proud, here is subjoined thirdly the consolation of the weak, in that heavy burdens and difficulties of fasting are not imposed upon the disciples themselves. Therefore the consolation serving …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
But they said to him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make supplications, likewise also the Pharisees; but yours eat and drink?" Matthew reports that the disciples of John themselves said this to the Savior, whence it is clear that both groups …
Alternatively: John drinks neither wine nor strong drink; the Lord eats and drinks with publicans and sinners, because he increases merit through abstinence, where there is no strength of nature. The Lord, however, to whom it naturally belonged to forgive sins, why would he avoid …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He insisted most upon that which is the soul of fasting, the mortification of sin, the crucifying of the flesh, and the living of a life of self-denial, which is as much better than fasting and corporal penances as mercy is better than sacrifice.
And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And they say unto him,.... The Scribes and Pharisees, or the disciples of John; see Mat 9:14 why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers? set times apart frequently for fasting and prayer.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
We should observe in these verses — that men may disagree on the lesser points of religion, while they agree on its weightier matters. We have this brought out in the alleged difference between the disciples of John the Baptist, and the disciples of Christ. The question was put to our Lord, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees — but why do your disciples go on eating and drinking?" We cannot suppose that there was any essential difference between the doctrines held by these two parties of disciples.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We should observe in these verses — that men may disagree on the lesser points of religion, while they agree on its weightier matters. We have this brought out in the alleged difference between the disciples of John the Baptist, and the disciples of Christ. The question was put to our Lord, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees — but why do your disciples go on eating and drinking?" We cannot suppose that there was any essential difference between the doctrines held by these two parties of disciples. The teaching of John the Baptist was doubtless clear and explicit upon all the main points necessary to salvation. The man who could say of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" was not likely to teach his followers anything contrary to the Gospel. His teaching of course, lacked the fullness and perfection of his divine Master's teaching — but it is absurd to suppose that it contradicted it. Nevertheless there were points of practice on which his disciples differed from those of Christ. Agreeing, as they doubtless did, about the necessity of repentance, and faith, and holiness — they disagreed about such matters as fasting, eating, drinking, and manner of public devotion. One in heart, and hope, and aim, as they were about the weightier matters of inward religion — they were not entirely of one mind about secondary outward matters. We must make up our minds to see differences of this kind among Christians, as long as the world stands. We may much regret them — because of the handle they give to an ignorant and prejudiced world. But they will exist. They are one of the many evidences of our fallen condition.
How the passage was read
On Luke 5:27-39On Luke 5:27-39
Levi's feast and the old wine
Levi “made him a great feast in his own house,” and the objection came at the guest list: the Pharisaic table discipline meant an observant associate did not eat with the non-observant, whose food might be untithed and whose vessels unclean, and tax collectors stood furthest outside the circle of trust: the Mishnah rules a house unclean if tax collectors have entered it (Taharot 7:6), and even permits declaring untruths to them under duress, classing them with robbers (Nedarim 3:4). The table Jesus chose was a boundary deliberately crossed: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The fuller table-and-fasting background is in this site's Matthew 9 note.
Luke alone keeps the last saying: “No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.” Spoken at a Jewish table about Jewish devotion, it is a gracious word, not a sneer: Jesus knows exactly why the old ways taste right to those formed by them, even as He announces something new that will not fit the old wineskins.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Mishnah Taharot 7:6 (tax collectors and the unclean house) · Mishnah Nedarim 3:4 (vows made to tax collectors)
The words behind it
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| εἶπαν | eipan | they said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτόν· | auton | Him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οἱ | hoi | The | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαθηταὶ | mathetai | disciples | G3101 → | 260 times |
| Ἰωάννου | ioannou | of John | G2491 → | 134 times |
| νηστεύουσιν | nesteuousin | fast | G3522 → | 20 times |
| πυκνὰ | pukna | often | G4437 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| δεήσεις | deeseis | prayers | G1162 → | 18 times |
| ποιοῦνται, | poiountai | make, | G4160 → | 569 times |
| ὁμοίως | homoios | likewise | G3668 → | 30 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Φαρισαίων, | pharisaion | Pharisees, | G5330 → | 97 times |
| οἱ | hoi | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| σοὶ | soi | of You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐσθίουσιν | esthiousin | eat | G2068 → | 65 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πίνουσιν.¶ | pinousin | drink. | G4095 → | 72 times |
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
εἶπανthey said
eipanG2036 →925 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτόν·Him;
autonG846 →5565 times
οἱThe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μαθηταὶdisciples
mathetaiG3101 →260 times
Ἰωάννουof John
ioannouG2491 →134 times
νηστεύουσινfast
nesteuousinG3522 →20 times
πυκνὰoften
puknaG4437 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δεήσειςprayers
deeseisG1162 →18 times
ποιοῦνται,make,
poiountaiG4160 →569 times
ὁμοίωςlikewise
homoiosG3668 →30 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
Φαρισαίων,Pharisees,
pharisaionG5330 →97 times
οἱthose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
σοὶof You
soiG4771 →2973 times
ἐσθίουσινeat
esthiousinG2068 →65 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πίνουσιν.¶drink.
pinousinG4095 →72 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
John 3:25Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the issue of ceremonial washing.
it leads to
- John 2:6
Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons.
- Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and…
- Hebrews 6:2
instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
- 1 Peter 3:21
And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- Hebrews 9:23
So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
- John 2:6
Through
Luke 18:12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’
it leads to
- Luke 11:42
Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.
- Matthew 23:23–24
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced…
- Luke 11:42
Through
Luke 20:47They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
it leads to
- Mark 12:40
They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
- Mark 12:40
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Luke
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 5; Cyril of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Tertullian, On Fasting.