Luke 14:13
in Luke 14But when you host a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
KJV
But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
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This verse in Luke 14
Commentary
20 notes on this verseBut when thou makest a feast,.... An entertainment for others, a dinner, or a supper: call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind; that is, the poor maimed, the poor lame, and the poor blind; otherwise it is possible that rich men may be maimed, lame, and blind; whereas these are not intended, but such who are in indigent circumstances, that stand in need of a meal, and to whom it is welcome.
This site's exposition
the man who had invited Him
on Luke 14:12-14
Jesus tells His host to leave out friends, relatives, and rich neighbors, who may repay him. He is to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, who cannot repay. His repayment comes at the resurrection of the righteous.
This site's exposition
invite the poor, the crippled
These are the guests a host would leave off his list, since none of them could return the meal. The same four groups come back in verse 21, when the master of the great banquet sends for them. John Gill reads all four as poor.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
But mystically, he who shuns vain-glory calls to a spiritual banquet the poor, that is, the ignorant, that he may enrich them; the weak, that is, those with offended consciences, that he may heal them; the lame, that is, those who have wandered from reason, that he may make their paths straight; the blind, that is, those who discern not the truth, that they may behold the true light. But it is said, They cannot recompense thee, i. e. they know not how to return an answer.
Do not then let them lie as though they were nothing worth. Reflect who they are, and thou wilt discover their preciousness. They have put on the image of the Saviour. Heirs of future blessings, bearing the keys of the kingdom, able accusers and excusers, not speaking themselves, but examined by the judge.
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsConstitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 2 · Written before 380.
proposed
If any determine to invite eider women to an entertainment of love, or a feast, as our Saviour calls it, let them most frequently send to such a one whom the deacons know to be in distress. But let what is the pastor's due, I mean the first-fruits, be set apart in the feast for him, even though he be not at the entertainment, as being your priest, and in honour of that God who has entrusted him with the priesthood. But as much as is given to every one of the eider women, let double so much be given to the deacons, in honour of Christ. Let also a double portion be set apart for the presbyters, as for such who labour continually about the word and doctrine, upon the account of the apostles of our Lord, whose place they sustain, as the counsellors of the bishop and the crown of the Church.
Let us not then bestow kindness on others under the hope of return. For this is a cold motive, and hence it is that such a friendship soon vanishes. But if you invite the poor, God, who never forgets, will be your debtor, as it follows, But when ye make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. (Hom. 45. in Act.) For the humbler our brother is, so much the more does Christ come through him and visit us. For he who entertains a great man does it often from vainglory. And elsewhere, But very often interest is his object, that through such a one he may gain promotion. I could indeed mention many who for this pay court to the most distinguished of the nobles, that through their assistance they may obtain the greater favour from the prince. Let us not then ask those who can recompense us, as it follows, And thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee. And let us not be troubled when we receive no return of a kindness, but when we do; for if we have received it we shall receive nothing more, but if man does not repay us, God will. As it follows, For thou shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. But thou sayest, the poor are unclean and filthy. Wash him, and make him to sit with thee at table. If he has dirty garments, give him clean ones. Christ comes to thee through him, and dost thou stand trifling? (Hom. 45. in Act.) It would become thee then to receive them above in the best chamber, but if thou shrinkest, at least admit Christ below, where are the menials and servants. Let the poor man be at least thy door keeper. For where there is alms, the devil durst not enter. And if thou sittest not down with them, at any rate send them the dishes from thy table.
And for this reason the Lord declared, "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, do not call thy friends, nor thy neighbours, nor thy kinsfolk, lest they ask thee in return, and so repay thee. But call the lame, the blind, and the poor, and thou shall be blessed, since they cannot recompense thee, but a recompense shall be made thee at the resurrection of the just."
12 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
He joins humanity to this, as if at the next threshold. The boundaries of the Lord's saying differentiated this, if it is conferred on the poor and the weak. There is a greedy disposition in those who would be rewarded for hospitality.
The Medieval Church4 voices
But when you make a banquet, call the poor, the weak, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they do not have the means to recompense you. For a recompense will be given to you in the resurrection of the just. He …
The supper being composed of two parties, the invited and the inviter, and having already exhorted the invited to humility, He next rewards by His advice the inviter, guarding him against making a feast to gain the favour of men. Hence it is said, Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends.
At the supper there were two classes of those reclining at table — the hosts and the guests. The Lord first turned with exhortation to the guests, taught them saving humility, and offered them plain fare, and then He pays honor to the one who …
But when you make a feast. After he drew back from worldly courtesy, here secondly he invites to divine charity. Which indeed he does in three ways, namely through the commendation of fraternal piety, through the assignment of the inductive reason, and through the approbation …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The publicans and harlots went into the kingdom of God before the scribes and Pharisees; so the last shall be first, and the first last. Let us not be confident concerning those that are most forward, nor despair of those that are least promising. (4.) Christ's ministers must be both very expeditious and very importunate in inviting to the gospel feast: " Go out quickly (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Here is another discourse of our Saviour's, in which he spiritualizes the feast he was invited to, which is another way of keeping up good discourse in the midst of common actions. The occasion of the discourse was given by one of the guests, who, when Christ was giving rules about feasting, said to him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The success of the gospel not foretold in the parable of the guests invited to a feast, signifying the rejection of the Jews and all others that set their hearts upon this world, and the entertainment of the Gentiles and all others that come to be filled with Christ,
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The poor - Those who are destitute of comfortable food. The maimed - Those who are deprived of any member of their body, as an arm or a leg or who have not the use of them so that they can labor for their own support.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
call not thy friends--Jesus certainly did not mean us to dispense with the duties of ordinary fellowship, but, remitting these to their proper place, inculcates what is better [BENGEL]. lest . . . a recompense be given thee--a fear the world is not afflicted with [BENGEL].
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Let us first learn from these verses — the value of humility . This is a lesson which our Lord teaches in two ways. Firstly, He advises those who are bidden to a wedding to "sit down in the lowest place." Secondly, He backs up His advice by declaring a great principle, which frequently fell from His lips, "Whoever exalts himself — shall be abased; and he who humbles himself — shall be exalted." Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Let us first learn from these verses — the value of humility . This is a lesson which our Lord teaches in two ways. Firstly, He advises those who are bidden to a wedding to "sit down in the lowest place." Secondly, He backs up His advice by declaring a great principle, which frequently fell from His lips, "Whoever exalts himself — shall be abased; and he who humbles himself — shall be exalted." Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces. To know our own sinfulness and weakness, and to feel our need of Christ — is the start of saving religion. Humility is a grace which has always been a distinguishing feature in the character of the holiest saints in every age. Abraham and Moses and Job and David and Daniel and Paul — were all eminently humble men. Above all, humility is a grace within the reach of every true Christian . All do not have money to give away. All do not have time and opportunities for working directly for Christ. All do not have gifts of speech, and knowledge, in order to do good in the world. But all converted men should labor to adorn the doctrine they profess by humility. If they can do nothing else — they can strive to be humble. Do you want to know the root and spring of humility? One word describes it. The root of humility is right knowledge. The person . . . who really knows himself and his own heart, who knows God and his infinite majesty and holiness, who knows Christ and the price at which he was redeemed — that person will never be a proud person. He will count himself, like Jacob, unworthy of the least of all God's mercies. He will say of himself, like Job, "I am vile!" He will cry, like Paul, "I am the chief of sinners!" He will consider others better than himself (Philippians 2:3). Ignorance — nothing but sheer ignorance, ignorance of self, of God, and of Christ — is the real secret of pride.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | But | G235 → | 635 times |
| ὅταν | hotan | when | G3752 → | 123 times |
| δοχὴν | dochen | a feast | G1403 → | |
| ποιῇς, | poieas | you may make | G4160 → | 569 times |
| κάλει | kalei | do call | G2564 → | 147 times |
| πτωχούς, | ptochous | [the] poor, | G4434 → | 34 times |
| ἀναπείρους, | anapeirous | [the] crippled, | G376 → | |
| χωλούς, | cholous | [the] lame, | G5560 → | 14 times |
| τυφλούς. | tuphlous | [the] blind. | G5185 → | 50 times |
ἀλλ᾽But
all᾽G235 →635 times
ὅτανwhen
hotanG3752 →123 times
δοχὴνa feast
dochenG1403 →
ποιῇς,you may make
poieasG4160 →569 times
κάλειdo call
kaleiG2564 →147 times
πτωχούς,[the] poor,
ptochousG4434 →34 times
ἀναπείρους,[the] crippled,
anapeirousG376 →
χωλούς,[the] lame,
cholousG5560 →14 times
τυφλούς.[the] blind.
tuphlousG5185 →50 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
Isaiah 58:7Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own…
it leads to
- Matthew 25:35–45
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,
- Luke 3:11
John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”
- Ezekiel 18:7
He does not oppress another, but restores the pledge to the debtor. He does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.
- Proverbs 28:27
Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
- 1 John 3:17–18
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
- Matthew 25:35–45
Through
Isaiah 58:10and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will go forth in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday.
it leads to
- Proverbs 11:24–25
One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor.
- Proverbs 11:24–25
Through
Proverbs 14:31Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
it leads to
- Proverbs 22:2
The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.
- Proverbs 17:5
He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
- Proverbs 22:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke; Apostolic Constitutions, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 2; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 14; Gregory of Nyssa, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book V; 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 Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.