Luke 17:33
in Luke 17Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
KJV
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
⋯
This verse in Luke 17
Commentary
16 notes on this verseBut the way in which a man loses his life that he may save it, and how he who imagines that he is saving loses it, Paul clearly shows, where he says of the saints, "They that are Jesus Christ's have crucified the flesh, with its affections and lusts." For those who have really become true followers of Christ our common Saviour, crucify their flesh, and put it to death, by being constantly engaged in labours and struggles unto piety, and by mortifying its natural desire.
This site's exposition
let no one on the housetop
on Luke 17:31-33
Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve his possessions, for the flat roof could be left by an outside stair. Remember Lot’s wife recalls Genesis 19, where her backward look left her a pillar of salt.
This site's exposition
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it
Jesus gave the saying at 9:24, and here it applies to the day the Son of Man is revealed. John Gill applied it to those who tried to save their lives in Jerusalem's strongholds in the war with Rome and lost them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 9 -- Second Discourse on Poverty · Written before 523.
proposed
And again He saith, "Whosoever wisheth to save his soul shall destroy it; and whosoever wisheth to destroy his soul for My sake shall make it to live." And again He saith, "Whosoever destroyeth his soul shall preserve it unto everlasting life; and whosoever ministereth …
How a man may lose his own life to save it, St. Paul explains when he speaks of some who crucified their flesh with the affections and lusts, (Gal. 5:24.) that is, with perseverance and devotion engaging in the conflict.
The Medieval Church3 voices
Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it. This sentence can be correctly understood in two ways, but both meanings refer to one single end, namely, to suffer adversities for Christ, indeed not to fear to endure death itself. For he who, with death …
And whoever loses it will save it. That is, whoever loses it here, will save it there, he who has delivered it to death for Christ, considering it all day as a sheep to be slaughtered (Romans 8), then with Christ rising and helping, will …
Matthew relates all these things to have been said by our Lord, with reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, that when the Romans came upon them, they who were on the housetop should not come down to take any thing, but fly at once, nor they that were in the field return home. And surely so it was at the taking of Jerusalem, and again will be at the coming of Antichrist, but much more at the completion of all things, when that intolerable destruction shall come. Next follows the promise, Whosoever shall seek, &c. as if he said, Let no man in the persecutions of Antichrist seek to secure his life, for he shall lose it, but whoso shall expose himself to trials and death shall be safe, never submitting himself to the tyrant from his love of life.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then the Lord adds what also relates to the foregoing: "Whoever seeks to save his life shall lose it." Let no one, He says, during the persecution of the Antichrist try to save his life, for such a person shall lose it. But whoever gives …
Third, regarding the reason for the danger, he adds: Whoever shall seek to save his life, through private love; for soul is taken here for the carnal life, about which Leviticus 17: "The soul of all flesh is in the blood"; the Gloss there: "He …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Whosoever shall seek to save his life,.... By fleeing to some strong hold, or by continuing in the metropolis, and strongest city in the nation, Jerusalem: shall lose it: there he will be in the greatest danger: and whosoever shall lose his life; or expose it to danger, by fleeing to the mountains, or going to Pella, a small town beyond Jordan, of no strength, and where there might be thought no security; shall preserve it; he shall be safe; See Gill on Mat 16:25.
9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? 10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. That the giving of offences is a great sin, and that which we should every one of us avoid and carefully watch against,
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:30w-of-67
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Remember, &c.--a warning against that lingering reluctance to part with present treasures which induces some to remain in a burning house, in hopes of saving this and that precious article till consumed and buried in its ruins. The cases here supposed, though different, are similar.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The subject of these verses is one of particular solemnity. It is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That great event, and the things immediately connected with it — are here described by our Lord's own lips. We should observe, for one thing, in these verses — what a fearful picture our Lord gives of the state of the professing Church at His second coming. We are told that as it was in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot — so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The subject of these verses is one of particular solemnity. It is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That great event, and the things immediately connected with it — are here described by our Lord's own lips. We should observe, for one thing, in these verses — what a fearful picture our Lord gives of the state of the professing Church at His second coming. We are told that as it was in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot — so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. We are not left to conjecture the character of those days. We are told distinctly, that men were entirely taken up with eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, building — and would attend to nothing else. The flood came at last in Noah's day, and drowned all except those who were in the ark! The fire fell from Heaven at last in Lot's day — and destroyed all except Lot, his wife, and his daughters. And our Lord declares most plainly, that similar things will happen when He comes again at the end of the world. "When they shall say, Peace and safety — then sudden destruction comes upon them!" (1 Thessalonians 5:3.) It is hard to imagine a passage of Scripture which more completely overthrows the common notions that prevail among men about Christ's return. The world will not be converted when Jesus comes again. The earth will not be full of the knowledge of the Lord. The reign of peace will not have been established. The millennium will not have begun. These glorious things will come to pass after the second coming, but not before. If words have any meaning, the verses before us show that the earth will be full of wickedness and worldliness in the day of Christ's appearing. The unbelievers and the unconverted will be found to be very many. The believers and the godly, as in the days of Noah and Lot, will be found to be very few.
Whosoever shall seek to save his life - These or similar words were spoken on another occasion. See on Mat 10:39 (note); Mat 16:25, Mat 16:26 (note).
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὃς | hos | Who[ever] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐὰν | ean | if | G1437 → | 352 times |
| ζητήσῃ | zetese | shall seek | G2212 → | 117 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ψυχὴν | psuchen | life | G5590 → | 103 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| περιποιήσασθαι | peripoiesasthai | to gain | G4046 → | |
| ἀπολέσει | apolesei | will lose | G622 → | 90 times |
| αὐτήν, | auten | it, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὃς | hos | who[ever] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| δ᾽ | d᾽ | but | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἂν | an | maybe | G302 → | 165 times |
| ἀπολέσῃ | apolese | shall lose | G622 → | 90 times |
| ζῳογονήσει | zoogonesei | will preserve | G2225 → | |
| αὐτήν.¶ | auten | it. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ὃςWho[ever]
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἐὰνif
eanG1437 →352 times
ζητήσῃshall seek
zeteseG2212 →117 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ψυχὴνlife
psuchenG5590 →103 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
περιποιήσασθαιto gain
peripoiesasthaiG4046 →
ἀπολέσειwill lose
apoleseiG622 →90 times
αὐτήν,it,
autenG846 →5565 times
ὃςwho[ever]
hosG3739 →1405 times
δ᾽but
d᾽G1161 →2765 times
ἂνmaybe
anG302 →165 times
ἀπολέσῃshall lose
apoleseG622 →90 times
ζῳογονήσειwill preserve
zoogoneseiG2225 →
αὐτήν.¶it.
autenG846 →5565 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
Matthew 10:39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
it leads to
- John 12:25
Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 8:35–36
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.
- Matthew 16:25–26
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- Luke 9:24
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
- John 12:25
Through
John 12:25Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 9:23–24
Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
- Matthew 10:39
Through
Matthew 16:25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
it leads to
- Mark 8:35
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 12:11
They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
- Mark 8:35
Where this verse is studied
About Luke
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 17; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 118; 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; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 9 -- Second Discourse on Poverty; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.