American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Luke 11
1
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Reference
2
And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Reference
4
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Reference
Evil
John 17:15
Parallel theme
Matthew 26:41
Colossians 3:13
Matthew 18:35
Daniel 9:19
1 Corinthians 10:13
Luke 8:13
Luke 22:46
James 2:13
Sin
Psalm 25:18
5
And he said to them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6
For a friend of my in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7
And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give you.
Reference
Resurrection
Luke 13:25
8
I say to you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs.
Reference
9
And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
Reference
10
For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
Reference
11
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Reference
12
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Reference
Evil
Matthew 7:11
Holy
Acts 2:38
Parallel theme
John 4:10
Romans 8:32
Isaiah 49:15
Matthew 6:14
Matthew 6:30
Spirit
Proverbs 1:23
Joel 2:28
Ezekiel 36:27
14
And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spoke; and the people wondered.
15
But some of them said, He casts out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
Reference
Evil
Matthew 9:34
17
But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falls.
Reference
18
If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
Reference
Kingdom
Matthew 12:26
19
And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
Reference
Evil
Luke 9:49
20
But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come on you.
Reference
22
But when a stronger than he shall come on him, and overcome him, he takes from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.
Reference
24
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he said, I will return to my house from where I came out.
Reference
Kingdom
1 Peter 5:8
Job 1:7
Job 2:2
Parallel theme
Psalm 63:1
Isaiah 48:22
Mark 5:10
Isaiah 35:7
Spirit
Ephesians 2:2
Mark 9:25
Isaiah 44:3
26
Then goes he, and takes to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Reference
27
And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said to him, Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which you have sucked.
Reference
Blessing
Luke 1:42
29
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
Reference
30
For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jonah 1:17
31
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Reference
32
The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
33
No man, when he has lighted a candle, puts it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
Reference
Light
John 12:46
34
The light of the body is the eye: therefore when your eye is single, your whole body also is full of light; but when your eye is evil, your body also is full of darkness.
Reference
Light
2 Corinthians 4:4
Parallel theme
Psalm 119:18
Jeremiah 5:21
2 Corinthians 11:3
Ephesians 1:17
Isaiah 44:18
Mark 8:18
Sin
Acts 26:18
Colossians 3:22
Mark 4:12
36
If your whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle does give you light.
Reference
37
And as he spoke, a certain Pharisee sought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
Reference
Resurrection
Luke 7:36
38
And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 3:25
39
And the Lord said to him, Now do you Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
Reference
Evil
Matthew 15:19
Genesis 6:5
Jeremiah 4:14
Parallel theme
Acts 5:3
Proverbs 30:12
Matthew 7:15
James 4:8
Titus 1:15
Psalm 22:13
Proverbs 26:25
41
But rather give alms of such things as you have; and, behold, all things are clean to you.
Reference
42
But woe to you, Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Reference
Judgment
Matthew 23:23
Proverbs 21:3
Love
1 John 4:20
Micah 6:8
Parallel theme
Luke 18:12
1 Samuel 15:22
References God
Malachi 3:8
Resurrection
Matthew 23:27
43
Woe to you, Pharisees! for you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
Reference
Love
Luke 20:46
44
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Reference
45
Then answered one of the lawyers, and said to him, Master, thus saying you reproach us also.
Reference
Word
Jeremiah 6:10
46
And he said, Woe to you also, you lawyers! for you lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Reference
47
Woe to you! for you build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Reference
48
Truly you bear witness that you allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchers.
Reference
49
Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Reference
Parallel theme
Colossians 2:3
Prophecy
Ephesians 4:11
References God
1 Corinthians 1:30
1 Corinthians 1:24
50
That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Reference
Blood
2 Kings 24:4
51
From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: truly I say to you, It shall be required of this generation.
Reference
Blood
Matthew 23:35
Hebrews 12:24
Parallel theme
1 John 3:12
Zechariah 1:1
Jeremiah 7:28
Sacrifice
Hebrews 11:4
52
Woe to you, lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you hindered.
Reference
53
And as he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
Summary of Luke 11
Luke 11 focuses on prayer, dependence upon God, spiritual authority, inner transformation, and the danger of religious hypocrisy, beginning with Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray and ending with a strong confrontation against religious leaders who emphasize outward appearances while neglecting justice, love, and genuine devotion to God.
The chapter begins when Jesus is praying, and one of His disciples asks Him to teach them to pray as John the Baptist had taught his disciples.
Jesus responds with what is commonly called the Lord's Prayer, teaching His followers to approach God as Father, honor His name, seek the coming of His kingdom, ask for daily provision, request forgiveness, and ask for protection from temptation.
The prayer demonstrates that genuine prayer is not primarily about using impressive words but about developing a relationship of trust, dependence, forgiveness, and submission to God's will.
Jesus then tells a story about a man who receives an unexpected visitor late at night and has no bread to offer him, so he goes to a friend's house and repeatedly asks for food.
Although the friend initially refuses because everyone is already in bed, the man eventually receives what he needs because of his persistent asking.
Jesus uses this story to encourage His disciples to ask, seek, and knock, teaching that prayer should involve confidence and persistence rather than giving up quickly when an answer does not immediately appear.
Jesus strengthens this teaching by comparing earthly fathers with God, explaining that human fathers generally know how to give good gifts to their children, so God's children can trust that the heavenly Father will give what is truly good, especially the Holy Spirit, to those who ask Him.
The chapter then moves to a confrontation over Jesus' authority.
Jesus drives out a demon from a person who is unable to speak, and when the demon leaves, the person speaks.
The crowd is amazed, but some people accuse Jesus of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, essentially claiming that His authority comes from Satan.
Jesus exposes the weakness of this accusation by explaining that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, because if Satan were fighting against his own forces, his own kingdom would collapse.
Jesus therefore makes clear that His power over demons demonstrates that God's kingdom has arrived and is confronting the power of evil.
Jesus also warns that simply removing an evil influence without replacing it with genuine devotion to God can leave a person spiritually vulnerable, illustrating the importance of inner transformation rather than merely temporary outward improvement.
A woman in the crowd then praises Jesus' mother, but Jesus redirects the focus toward those who hear God's word and obey it, emphasizing that spiritual blessing is ultimately connected not merely with physical relationships to Jesus but with faithful response to God's message.
Jesus next speaks about the sign of Jonah, explaining that the people are seeking a dramatic sign, yet the greater sign is already present in Jesus Himself.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, Jesus' presence and message provide God's decisive call to repentance.
He points to the people of Nineveh, who responded to Jonah's preaching, and to the Queen of the South, who traveled a great distance to hear Solomon's wisdom, arguing that these historical examples will stand as witnesses against people who refuse to respond even though something greater than Jonah and Solomon is now present.
Jesus then uses the image of a lamp to explain that light is meant to illuminate rather than remain hidden.
The spiritual meaning is that God's truth has been revealed openly, and people must respond by allowing that truth to illuminate their lives rather than hiding from it.
Jesus then confronts a Pharisee who is surprised that Jesus does not perform the traditional ceremonial washing before eating.
Jesus uses the situation to expose a deeper problem: the Pharisees carefully focus on outward religious practices while their inner lives remain filled with greed and wickedness.
He explains that God cares not merely about external cleanliness but about the condition of the heart, because outward religious behavior has little value when justice, generosity, and love are neglected.
Jesus pronounces a series of strong warnings against the Pharisees and experts in religious law because they place heavy burdens on other people while failing to carry those burdens themselves, seek positions of honor, and make religious life unnecessarily difficult.
He also criticizes them for building monuments to the prophets whom their ancestors killed, while their own behavior shows that they continue the same pattern of rejecting God's messengers.
The chapter concludes with the religious leaders becoming increasingly hostile toward Jesus, questioning Him aggressively and attempting to trap Him with His own words.
Luke therefore shows a growing conflict between Jesus' message of God's kingdom and a religious system that has become focused on external appearance, status, control, and legal arguments rather than mercy and genuine obedience.
Historically, these events belong to the 1st century AD, during Jesus' later ministry and His journey toward Jerusalem, probably around AD 28–30.
The references to Jonah and Nineveh reach much further into Israel's history, with Jonah traditionally associated with the 8th century BC, during the period of the Assyrian Empire, while the Queen of the South is connected with the era of Solomon, traditionally around the 10th century BC.
The reference to Solomon is especially significant because Solomon was remembered for exceptional wisdom, yet Jesus declares that someone greater than Solomon is now present, placing His own ministry within the larger story of God's revelation to Israel.
The discussion of Pharisees, scribes, ceremonial washing, tithing, and religious law reflects the complex religious environment of Second Temple Judaism in the 1st century AD, when Jewish religious leaders carefully debated how God's Law should be interpreted and practiced.
Luke 11 therefore moves from the private discipline of prayer to the public confrontation between Jesus and His opponents, showing that genuine spiritual life begins with trusting God as Father, continues through persistent prayer and dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and must ultimately produce an inward transformation that becomes visible through justice, mercy, generosity, and obedience.
Luke 11 ultimately teaches that God's people must seek Him persistently, trust His goodness, welcome His kingdom, recognize Jesus' authority over evil, respond to God's revelation, and guard against the hypocrisy of appearing spiritually righteous while neglecting the deeper matters of the heart.
The chapter begins when Jesus is praying, and one of His disciples asks Him to teach them to pray as John the Baptist had taught his disciples.
Jesus responds with what is commonly called the Lord's Prayer, teaching His followers to approach God as Father, honor His name, seek the coming of His kingdom, ask for daily provision, request forgiveness, and ask for protection from temptation.
The prayer demonstrates that genuine prayer is not primarily about using impressive words but about developing a relationship of trust, dependence, forgiveness, and submission to God's will.
Jesus then tells a story about a man who receives an unexpected visitor late at night and has no bread to offer him, so he goes to a friend's house and repeatedly asks for food.
Although the friend initially refuses because everyone is already in bed, the man eventually receives what he needs because of his persistent asking.
Jesus uses this story to encourage His disciples to ask, seek, and knock, teaching that prayer should involve confidence and persistence rather than giving up quickly when an answer does not immediately appear.
Jesus strengthens this teaching by comparing earthly fathers with God, explaining that human fathers generally know how to give good gifts to their children, so God's children can trust that the heavenly Father will give what is truly good, especially the Holy Spirit, to those who ask Him.
The chapter then moves to a confrontation over Jesus' authority.
Jesus drives out a demon from a person who is unable to speak, and when the demon leaves, the person speaks.
The crowd is amazed, but some people accuse Jesus of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul, essentially claiming that His authority comes from Satan.
Jesus exposes the weakness of this accusation by explaining that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, because if Satan were fighting against his own forces, his own kingdom would collapse.
Jesus therefore makes clear that His power over demons demonstrates that God's kingdom has arrived and is confronting the power of evil.
Jesus also warns that simply removing an evil influence without replacing it with genuine devotion to God can leave a person spiritually vulnerable, illustrating the importance of inner transformation rather than merely temporary outward improvement.
A woman in the crowd then praises Jesus' mother, but Jesus redirects the focus toward those who hear God's word and obey it, emphasizing that spiritual blessing is ultimately connected not merely with physical relationships to Jesus but with faithful response to God's message.
Jesus next speaks about the sign of Jonah, explaining that the people are seeking a dramatic sign, yet the greater sign is already present in Jesus Himself.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, Jesus' presence and message provide God's decisive call to repentance.
He points to the people of Nineveh, who responded to Jonah's preaching, and to the Queen of the South, who traveled a great distance to hear Solomon's wisdom, arguing that these historical examples will stand as witnesses against people who refuse to respond even though something greater than Jonah and Solomon is now present.
Jesus then uses the image of a lamp to explain that light is meant to illuminate rather than remain hidden.
The spiritual meaning is that God's truth has been revealed openly, and people must respond by allowing that truth to illuminate their lives rather than hiding from it.
Jesus then confronts a Pharisee who is surprised that Jesus does not perform the traditional ceremonial washing before eating.
Jesus uses the situation to expose a deeper problem: the Pharisees carefully focus on outward religious practices while their inner lives remain filled with greed and wickedness.
He explains that God cares not merely about external cleanliness but about the condition of the heart, because outward religious behavior has little value when justice, generosity, and love are neglected.
Jesus pronounces a series of strong warnings against the Pharisees and experts in religious law because they place heavy burdens on other people while failing to carry those burdens themselves, seek positions of honor, and make religious life unnecessarily difficult.
He also criticizes them for building monuments to the prophets whom their ancestors killed, while their own behavior shows that they continue the same pattern of rejecting God's messengers.
The chapter concludes with the religious leaders becoming increasingly hostile toward Jesus, questioning Him aggressively and attempting to trap Him with His own words.
Luke therefore shows a growing conflict between Jesus' message of God's kingdom and a religious system that has become focused on external appearance, status, control, and legal arguments rather than mercy and genuine obedience.
Historically, these events belong to the 1st century AD, during Jesus' later ministry and His journey toward Jerusalem, probably around AD 28–30.
The references to Jonah and Nineveh reach much further into Israel's history, with Jonah traditionally associated with the 8th century BC, during the period of the Assyrian Empire, while the Queen of the South is connected with the era of Solomon, traditionally around the 10th century BC.
The reference to Solomon is especially significant because Solomon was remembered for exceptional wisdom, yet Jesus declares that someone greater than Solomon is now present, placing His own ministry within the larger story of God's revelation to Israel.
The discussion of Pharisees, scribes, ceremonial washing, tithing, and religious law reflects the complex religious environment of Second Temple Judaism in the 1st century AD, when Jewish religious leaders carefully debated how God's Law should be interpreted and practiced.
Luke 11 therefore moves from the private discipline of prayer to the public confrontation between Jesus and His opponents, showing that genuine spiritual life begins with trusting God as Father, continues through persistent prayer and dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and must ultimately produce an inward transformation that becomes visible through justice, mercy, generosity, and obedience.
Luke 11 ultimately teaches that God's people must seek Him persistently, trust His goodness, welcome His kingdom, recognize Jesus' authority over evil, respond to God's revelation, and guard against the hypocrisy of appearing spiritually righteous while neglecting the deeper matters of the heart.