Luke 22:30
in Luke 22so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; and ye shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
KJV
That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
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This verse in Luke 22
Commentary
20 notes on this verseBy means of the things of our present life He describes spiritual things. For they exercise a high privilege with earthly kings, who sit at their table as guests. So then by man's estimation He shows who shall be rewarded by Him with the greatest honours.
This site's exposition
stood by Me in My trials
on Luke 22:28-30
Jesus speaks to the twelve who stood by Him in His trials, just after their argument over greatness. The same verb, bestow, names the Father's grant to the Son and the Son's grant to them.
This site's exposition
sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel
Cyril of Alexandria reads the table through earthly custom, where a guest at a king's table holds high honor. Adam Clarke points to Matthew 19:28 for the thrones. He reports from Epiphanius that Marcion cut the whole verse.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
The kingdom of God is not of this world, But it is not equality with God, but likeness to Him, unto which man must aspire. For Christ alone is the full image of God, on account of the unity of His Father's glory expressed in Him. But the righteous man is after the image of God, if for the sake of imitating the likeness of the Divine conversation, He through the knowledge of God despises the world. Therefore also we eat the Body and Blood of Christ, that we may be partakers of eternal life.
The Savior therefore drives away from the holy apostles the affliction of pride. They might perhaps think among themselves and even say, "What will be the reward of faithfulness? What advantage shall we, who have waited on Christ, receive when temptations happen from time to time?" Confirmed by the hope of the blessings that are in store, they throw away from their minds all laziness in virtuous pursuits. They rather choose with an eager mind to follow him and take pleasure in labor for his sake.
The kingdom of God is not of this world. Therefore, the equality of man to God is not possible, but rather an emulation of similarity. For only Christ is the perfect image of God, because of the unity of the expressed glory of the Father in Him. But a just man is in the image of God, if, for the purpose of imitating the likeness of divine conduct, he despises this world through knowledge of God and looks down upon earthly pleasures through the perception of the word of God, by which we are nourished unto life. And so we partake of the body of Christ, that we may be partakers of eternal life. For it is not food and drink that are promised to us as rewards and honors, but the sharing of heavenly grace and life. And the twelve thrones, as described, are not physical receptacles for sitting, but because just as Christ, according to his divine likeness, judges by the knowledge of hearts and not by questioning deeds, rewarding virtue and condemning impiety, so too the apostles are formed in spiritual judgment by the reward of faith and the condemnation of perfidy, refuting error with their power and pursuing sacrilege with hatred.
The Medieval Church2 voices
And since he who is a partaker in tribulation ought to be a partaker in honor, therefore he adds: And I dispose to you, as my Father has disposed to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, …
This then is the exchange to the right hand of the Most High, (Ps. 118:15.) that those who now in lowliness rejoice to minister to their fellow-servants, shall then at our Lord's table on high be fed with the banquet of everlasting life, and they who here in temptations abide with the Lord being unjustly judged, shall then come with Him as just judges upon their tempters. Hence it follows, And sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
12 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church5 voices
From the high excellence of this promise Judas is excluded. For before the Lord said this, Judas must be supposed to have gone out. They also are excluded whoever having heard the words of the incomprehensible Sacrament, have gone backwards. (John 6:67.)
That you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. This table is set for all the saints to enjoy; it is the heavenly glory of life. The food and drink is that of which it is said elsewhere: Blessed are those who …
Or the table offered to all saints richly to enjoy is the glory of a heavenly life, wherewith they who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled, resting in the long-desired enjoyment of the true God. (Matt. 5:6.)
He said "that you may eat and drink" not because there will be food there or because His Kingdom is a sensory one. For by His answer to the Sadducees He Himself taught that the life there is angelic (Luke 20:36); and Paul teaches that …
He said this not as if they would have there bodily food, or as if His kingdom were to be a sensible one. For their life then shall be the life of angels, as He before told the Sadducees. (Mat. 22:30, Luke 20:36) But Paul also says that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink. (Rom. 14:17.) That is, the unbelievers condemned out of the twelve tribes.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
These expressions seem to be primarily applicable to the twelve apostles, and secondarily, to all Christ's servants and disciples, whose spiritual powers, honours, and delights, are here represented in figurative terms, with respect to their advancement both in the kingdom of grace and of glory.
That ye may eat, and drink, at my table, in my kingdom,....
It is spoken with an air of encomium and applause: " You are they who have continued with me in my temptations, you are they who have stood by me and stuck to me when others have deserted me and turned their backs upon me." Christ had his temptations; he was despised and rejected of men, reproached and reviled, and endured the contradiction of sinners.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Sit on thrones - See on Mat 19:28 (note). Marcion left the whole of this verse out, according to Epiphanius: probably because he did not understand it.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
there was--or "had been," referring probably to some symptoms of the former strife which had reappeared, perhaps on seeing the whole paschal arrangements committed to two of the Twelve.
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 observe, in this passage — how firmly pride and love of preeminence can stick to the hearts of Christian men. We are told that "There was a dispute among the disciples, as to which of them should be considered the greatest." The strife was one which had been rebuked by our Lord on a former occasion. The ordinance which the disciples had just been receiving, and the circumstances under which they were assembled — made the strife particularly inappropriate.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
Let us observe, in this passage — how firmly pride and love of preeminence can stick to the hearts of Christian men. We are told that "There was a dispute among the disciples, as to which of them should be considered the greatest." The strife was one which had been rebuked by our Lord on a former occasion. The ordinance which the disciples had just been receiving, and the circumstances under which they were assembled — made the strife particularly inappropriate. And yet at this very season, the last quiet time they could spend with their Master before His death — this little flock begins a dispute, as to who should be the greatest! Such is the heart of man — ever weak, ever deceitful, ever ready, even at its best times, to turn aside to what is evil! The sin before us is a very old one. Ambition, self-esteem, and self-conceit — lie deep at the bottom of all men's hearts, and often in the hearts where they are least suspected! Thousands imagine that they are humble — who cannot bear to see an equal more honored and favored than themselves. Few indeed can be found who rejoice heartily in a neighbor's promotion over their own heads. The quantity of envy and jealousy in the world, is a glaring proof of the prevalence of pride. Men would not envy a brother's advancement — if they had not a secret thought that their own merit was greater than his. Let us live on our guard against this great evil — if we make any profession of serving Christ. The harm that it has done to the Church of Christ, is far beyond calculation. Let us learn to take pleasure in the prosperity of others — and to be content with the lowest place for ourselves. The rule given to the Philippians should be often before our eyes, "In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves."
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| ἔσθητε | esthete | you may eat | G2068 → | 65 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πίνητε | pinete | may drink | G4095 → | 72 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | at | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τραπέζης | trapezes | table | G5132 → | 15 times |
| μου | mou | of Mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλείᾳ | basileia | kingdom | G932 → | 162 times |
| μου | mou | of Mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| καθήσεσθε | kathesesthe | will sit | G2521 → | 91 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| θρόνων | thronon | thrones | G2362 → | 62 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δώδεκα | dodeka | twelve | G1427 → | 75 times |
| φυλὰς | phulas | tribes | G5443 → | |
| κρίνοντες | krinontes | judging | G2919 → | 114 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰσραήλ.¶ | israel | of Israel. | G2474 → | 68 times |
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
ἔσθητεyou may eat
estheteG2068 →65 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πίνητεmay drink
pineteG4095 →72 times
ἐπὶat
epiG1909 →883 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
τραπέζηςtable
trapezesG5132 →15 times
μουof Mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
βασιλείᾳkingdom
basileiaG932 →162 times
μουof Mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
καθήσεσθεwill sit
kathesestheG2521 →91 times
ἐπὶon
epiG1909 →883 times
θρόνωνthrones
thrononG2362 →62 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
δώδεκαtwelve
dodekaG1427 →75 times
φυλὰςtribes
phulasG5443 →
κρίνοντεςjudging
krinontesG2919 →114 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
Ἰσραήλ.¶of Israel.
israelG2474 →68 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 3:21To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:12
if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us;
- Matthew 19:28
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve…
- Revelation 2:26–27
And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
- John 16:33
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
- 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…
- 2 Timothy 2:12
Through
Matthew 19:28Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve…
it leads to
- Luke 22:28–30
You are the ones who have stood by Me in My trials.
- Luke 22:28–30
Through
Matthew 8:11I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
it leads to
- Luke 13:28–29
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.
- Ephesians 3:6
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.
- Luke 13:28–29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies25
On this verse
On this chapter
- The Covenants
- Forgiving Yourself: What Scripture Says
- Gethsemane (The Garden Called the Oil Press)
- Hospitality
- Jesus on Discipleship
- Jesus on the Kingdom
Show the next 6 titles
About Luke

This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Ambrose of Milan, EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.50; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 22; Cyril of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 143; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.
