Luke 5:35
in Luke 5But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But the days will come; and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast in those days.
KJV
But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
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This verse in Luke 5
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them." Which are these days in which Christ is taken from us, especially when he himself has said, "I shall be with you, even to the end of the world," when he has said, "I will not leave you orphans"? For it is certain that if he were to leave us, we could not be saved. None can take Christ from you, unless you take yourself away. Your boasting will not take you away, nor arrogance, nor may you presume on the law for yourself.
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.
This site's exposition
the bridegroom will be taken from them
The time with the bridegroom will end. Matthew Henry says the disciples would fast when Christ was taken from them, and leave them in sorrow in a hostile world. Cyril of Alexandria reads the words as a direction for that time.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
(de Qu. Ev. l. ii. q. 18.) Now there are two fasts, one is in tribulation, to propitiate God for our sins; another in joy, when as carnal things delight us less, we feed the more on things spiritual. The Lord therefore being asked why His disciples did not fast, answered as to each fast. And first of the fast of tribulation; for it follows, And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridegroom fast when the bridegroom is with them? (de Con. Ev. ii. c. 27.) Now this which Luke alone mentions, Ye cannot make the children of the bridegroom fast, is understood to refer to those very men who said that they would make the children of the Bridegroom mourn and fast, since they were about to kill the Bridegroom. (de Qu. Ev. ii. qu. 18.) As if He said, Then shall they be desolate, and in sorrow and lamentation, until the joy of consolation shall be restored to them by the Holy Spirit.
Having granted to the children of the Bridegroom that it was not fitting that they should be troubled, as they were keeping a spiritual feast, but that fasting should be abolished among them, He adds as a direction, But the days shall come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
For all things are good in their season, but what is the meaning of the Bridegroom being taken away from them? It is his being taken up into heaven.
But when are those days, in which Christ shall be taken away from us, since He has said, I will be with you alway, even unto the end of the world? But no one can take Christ away from you, unless you take yourself away from Him.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And therefore the consolation of the disciples is befitting the presence of the bridegroom Christ, just as also desolation is befitting his absence. On account of which he adds: But the days will come when he will be taken away from them, namely through death …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
When Christ shall leave them with their hearts full of sorrow, their hands full of work, and the world full of enmity and rage against them, then shall they fast, shall not be so well fed as they are now. We both hunger and thirst and are naked, 1 Cor. iv.
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
But the days will come,....
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐλεύσονται | eleusontai | Will come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἡμέραι, | hemerai | days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὅταν | hotan | when | G3752 → | 123 times |
| ἀπαρθῇ | aparthea | may be taken away | G522 → | |
| ἀπ᾽ | ap᾽ | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νυμφίος, | numphios | bridegroom, | G3566 → | |
| τότε | tote | then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| νηστεύσουσιν | nesteusousin | they will fast | G3522 → | 20 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἐκείναις | ekeinais | those | G1565 → | 260 times |
| ταῖς | tais | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἡμέραις. | hemerais | days. | G2250 → | 389 times |
ἐλεύσονταιWill come
eleusontaiG2064 →628 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ἡμέραι,days
hemeraiG2250 →389 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὅτανwhen
hotanG3752 →123 times
ἀπαρθῇmay be taken away
apartheaG522 →
ἀπ᾽from
ap᾽G575 →640 times
αὐτῶνthem
autonG846 →5565 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
νυμφίος,bridegroom,
numphiosG3566 →
τότεthen
toteG5119 →160 times
νηστεύσουσινthey will fast
nesteusousinG3522 →20 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἐκείναιςthose
ekeinaisG1565 →260 times
ταῖς<the>
taisG3588 →19766 times
ἡμέραις.days.
hemeraisG2250 →389 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
Acts 3:21Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets.
it leads to
- Romans 8:21
that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
- Isaiah 1:26
I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning. After that you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
- Acts 1:11
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have…
- Malachi 4:5–6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
- Mark 9:11–13
And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
- Romans 8:21
Through
Acts 14:23Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, praying and fasting as they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.
it leads to
- Titus 1:5
The reason I left you in Crete was that you would set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.
- Acts 11:30
This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul.
- James 5:14
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
- Titus 1:5
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, Commentary on Luke; Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 5; Cyril of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILIES 21-22; 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.