Luke 19:14
Get the Luke 19:14 summary and meaning with expert commentary explained. Uncover biblical context and spiritual insights through detailed word analysis and cross-references.
Luke chapter 19 - Redemption, Investment, And The King's Arrival
Luke 19 documents the climax of Jesus' journey as He seeks and saves the lost in the house of Zacchaeus and enters Jerusalem as the prophesied King. It articulates the responsibility of stewardship through the Parable of the Minas, warning that the King's absence requires active faithfulness. This chapter concludes with Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, illustrating the tragic consequences of a city that misses the time of its visitation.
Luke 19:14
ESV: But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.'
KJV: But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
NIV: "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
NKJV: But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'
NLT: But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We do not want him to be our king.'
Meaning
This verse describes a segment of the nobleman's subjects who harbored deep-seated animosity towards him. Their hatred was not merely passive dislike but active opposition, leading them to formally and defiantly send a delegation to explicitly state their refusal to accept his reign. This declaration "We will not have this man to reign over us" signifies a direct and outright rejection of his authority and claim to kingship, underscoring their rebellious spirit. In the parable, this foreshadows the rejection of Jesus as King by many in Israel.
Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 8:7 | And the LORD said... for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. | Israel's rejection of God as their King. |
| Ps 2:1-3 | Why do the heathen rage...? against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder... | Nations conspire against God's Messiah. |
| Ps 2:6-7 | Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son... | God establishes His chosen King despite opposition. |
| Ps 109:3-4 | They have compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause... | Prophetic of Messiah's undeserved hatred. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | ...the government shall be upon his shoulder... Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end... | Christ's undisputed future kingship. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | ...one like the Son of man... there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people... should serve him. | Son of Man's universal and eternal reign. |
| Zech 14:9 | And the LORD shall be king over all the earth... | God's ultimate sovereignty. |
| Jn 1:11 | He came unto his own, and his own received him not. | Christ's rejection by His own people. |
| Jn 7:7 | The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. | World's hatred for Christ's truth. |
| Jn 15:18-19 | If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you... because ye are not of the world... | World's hatred of Christ extends to His followers. |
| Jn 15:23-25 | He that hateth me hateth my Father also... they hated me without a cause. | Hatred for Jesus is hatred for the Father. |
| Jn 19:15 | But they cried out, Away with him... We have no king but Caesar. | Israel's direct rejection of Christ's kingship for earthly rule. |
| Mt 21:38-41 (Mk 12:7-9, Lk 20:14-16) | ...this is the heir; come, let us kill him... When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do...? | Parable of wicked tenants rejecting and killing the heir. |
| Lk 19:27 | But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. | The dire consequence of rejecting the King in the same parable. |
| Acts 3:13-15 | The God of Abraham... hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate... | Peter's indictment of Israel's rejection of Jesus. |
| Acts 7:51-53 | Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart... have resisted the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye... | Stephen's condemnation of consistent rebellion against God. |
| Rom 10:21 | But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. | God's persistent grace met with Israel's resistance. |
| 1 Thes 2:14-16 | For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus... | Jews' active role in killing Christ and persecuting believers. |
| Heb 10:28-29 | He that despised Moses' law died... Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God... | Grave consequences for rejecting the New Covenant through Christ. |
| Heb 12:25 | See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape... | Warning against refusing to listen to God through Christ. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name... every knee should bow... | Christ's universal exaltation and future homage despite initial rejection. |
| Rev 19:16 | And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. | Christ's triumphant return as supreme Ruler. |
Context
Luke 19:14 is part of the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27), spoken by Jesus as He journeyed towards Jerusalem, near Jericho. The disciples thought the Kingdom of God would immediately appear. Jesus told this parable to correct that misconception and teach about faithful stewardship and delayed return. The nobleman's journey to receive a kingdom mirrors a common historical event in that region, particularly for heirs of Herod the Great, like Archelaus, who had to travel to Rome to secure their authority, often encountering delegations of Jewish citizens who protested against their rule and appealed to Caesar for alternative governance. Within the parable, the actions of "his citizens" reflect a deeply rooted historical reality of subject peoples resisting their designated rulers, especially those they deemed illegitimate or undesirable. For Jesus' audience, this part of the parable would have strongly resonated with contemporary events and Jewish attitudes towards various appointed rulers, implicitly pointing to the broader rejection Jesus Himself faced.
Word analysis
- But (ἀλλά - alla): A strong adversative conjunction, indicating a sharp contrast or opposition. It emphasizes the immediate shift from the nobleman's journey and commissioning of servants to the citizens' rebellious attitude.
- his citizens (οἱ πολῖται αὐτοῦ - hoi politai autou):
- Politai (πολῖται): Citizens, fellow-citizens. In this context, subjects of a ruler who share a common city or territory. This term implies a degree of relationship or expectation, making their hatred more poignant. In the parable, these represent the people of Israel who were the rightful subjects of their Messiah.
- Autou: "of him" or "his," possessive, reinforcing their expected loyalty or relationship to the nobleman.
- hated him (ἐμίσουν αὐτόν - emisoun auton):
- Emisoun (ἐμίσουν): Imperfect tense of miseo (μισέω), "to hate." The imperfect tense indicates an ongoing or continuous state of hatred, or that the hatred was deeply ingrained and manifested consistently. This was not a temporary grievance but a sustained, profound animosity. This active hatred directly parallels the rejection of Jesus by religious and political leaders in Jerusalem and by segments of the Jewish populace.
- Auton: "him," referring to the nobleman.
- and sent a message after him (πέμψαντες πρεσβείαν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ - pempsantes presbeian opiso autou):
- Pempsantes (πέμψαντες): "having sent," from pempō (πέμπω), to send.
- Presbeian (πρεσβείαν): An embassy, a delegation, an official message carried by envoys. This is a crucial detail; it's not a mere personal complaint but an organized, formal, and public act of rebellion and rejection. It signifies a collective and defiant political move against the nobleman's authority, much like the delegation of Jews who formally protested Archelaus to Augustus Caesar.
- Opisō autou: "after him," implying that they sent the delegation to the distant country the nobleman had gone to, directly following him to oppose his installation.
- saying (λέγοντες - legontes): "saying, speaking." Introduces their direct declaration of rebellion.
- We will not have this man to reign over us (Οὐ θέλομεν τοῦτον βασιλεῦσαι ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς - Ou thelomen touton basileusai eph' hemas):
- Ou thelomen (Οὐ θέλομεν): "We do not wish," "We are not willing," "We refuse." A strong, emphatic negation expressing a determined and unanimous rejection of the nobleman's rule. This reflects the cry "We have no king but Caesar!" during Jesus' trial (Jn 19:15).
- Touton (τοῦτον): "this man," a demonstrative pronoun which can imply a dismissive or contemptuous tone, highlighting their scorn for his person as well as his claim.
- Basileusai (βασιλεῦσαι): Infinitive of basileuō (βασιλεύω), "to reign, to be king." The explicit term for ruling as a monarch.
- Eph' hemas (ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς): "over us," directly asserting their unwillingness to submit to his authority over themselves.
Commentary
Luke 19:14 paints a vivid picture of defiant rejection. It underscores the active, intentional, and widespread opposition faced by the nobleman. This wasn't passive disinterest but a declared hatred culminating in a formal political act of rebellion. The term "his citizens" emphasizes their expected loyalty, making their rebellion all the more treacherous. Historically, this aligns with the known protests by segments of Judea against Roman-appointed rulers like Archelaus. Allegorically, it deeply foreshadows the experience of Jesus, the true King, who was not only rejected by many of His own people—leading to His crucifixion and their plea for Caesar's rule—but also continues to be actively opposed by those unwilling to submit to His Lordship today. The parable thus serves as a stark warning about the consequences of such rebellious rejection.
Bonus section
The strong imagery of "hatred" and "sending an embassy" against the king directly reflects the spiritual reality of humanity's rebellion against God's sovereign rule, particularly the Jewish leaders' ultimate rejection of Jesus as Messiah and King. This part of the parable explains why, upon the nobleman's return, severe judgment would follow for those rebellious citizens. The explicit choice "We will not have this man to reign over us" reveals a hardened heart and a deliberate preference for self-will or alternative governance over the rightful king. This is a choice that reverberates through all of human history and personal salvation: Will one accept Christ as King, or reject His rightful dominion over their lives?
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