Luke 14:31
New International Version
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

New Living Translation
“Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him?

English Standard Version
Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Berean Standard Bible
Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

Berean Literal Bible
Or what king, proceeding to engage with another king in war, will not, having sat down, first take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

King James Bible
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

New King James Version
Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

New American Standard Bible
Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

NASB 1995
“Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

NASB 1977
“Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

Legacy Standard Bible
Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

Amplified Bible
Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one who is coming against him with twenty thousand?

Christian Standard Bible
“Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with 10,000 to oppose the one who comes against him with 20,000?

American Standard Version
Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Or who is the King who goes to battle to fight with a neighboring King and does not first consider whether he can with 10,000 confront him who comes against him with 20,000?”

Contemporary English Version
What will a king do if he has only 10,000 soldiers to defend himself against a king who is about to attack him with 20,000 soldiers? Before he goes out to battle, won't he first sit down and decide if he can win?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Or what king, about to go to make war against another king, doth not first sit down, and think whether he be able, with ten thousand, to meet him that, with twenty thousand, cometh against him?

English Revised Version
Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He would first sit down and think things through. Can he and his 10,000 soldiers fight against a king with 20,000 soldiers?

Good News Translation
If a king goes out with ten thousand men to fight another king who comes against him with twenty thousand men, he will sit down first and decide if he is strong enough to face that other king.

International Standard Version
"Or suppose a king is going to war against another king. He will first sit down and consider whether with 10,000 men he can fight the one coming against him with 20,000 men, won't he?

Literal Standard Version
Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, does not, having sat down, first consult if he with ten thousand is able to meet him who is coming against him with twenty thousand?

Majority Standard Bible
Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

New American Bible
Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?

NET Bible
Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

New Revised Standard Version
Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?

New Heart English Bible
Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Webster's Bible Translation
Or what king going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

Weymouth New Testament
Or what king, marching to encounter another king in war, does not first sit down and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand men to meet the one who is advancing against him with twenty thousand?

World English Bible
Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

Young's Literal Translation
'Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, doth not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Cost of Discipleship
30saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’ 31Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.…

Cross References
Proverbs 20:18
Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.

Luke 14:30
saying, 'This man could not finish what he started to build.'

Luke 14:32
And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.


Treasury of Scripture

Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?

1 Kings 20:11
And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

2 Kings 18:20-22
Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? …

Proverbs 20:18
Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.

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Able Advancing Consider Consulteth Counsel Deliberate Encounter First Goes Marching Meet Sit Sitteth Ten Thousand Twenty War Whether
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Able Advancing Consider Consulteth Counsel Deliberate Encounter First Goes Marching Meet Sit Sitteth Ten Thousand Twenty War Whether
Luke 14
1. Jesus heals the dropsy on the Sabbath;
7. teaches humility;
12. to feast the poor;
15. under the parable of the great supper,
23. shows how worldly minded men shall be shut out of heaven.
25. Those who will be his disciples, to bear their cross must make their accounts beforehand,
31. lest with shame they revolt from him afterward;
34. and become altogether unprofitable, like salt that has lost its flavor.














(31) What king, going to make war against another king . .?--Here also there may have been a side-glance at contemporary history. The Tetrarch's divorce of his first wife had involved him in a war with her father Aretas, an Arabian king or ethnarch (see Note on Luke 3:14), in which his army was destroyed, and the Jewish historian sees in this the commencement of all his subsequent misfortunes (Jos. Ant. v., 18:5, ? 1).

In the spiritual interpretation of the two parables, the tower reminds us of the house in Matthew 7:24-27, and so stands for the structure of a holy life reared on the one Foundation; the warfare brings to our remembrance the conflict described in Matthew 12:29. Here it stands partly for the conflict which every Christian carries on against sin, the world, and the devil, and of which we should take a clear estimate before we enter on it, partly for the greater war on which Christ Himself had entered, and of which He too had counted the cost-- that being, in His case, nothing less than the sacrifice of His own life.

Verses 31, 32. - Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand! Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. It is not improbable that this simile was derived from the history of the time. The unhappy connection of the tetrarch Herod with Herodias had brought about the divorce of that sovereign's first wife, who was daughter of Aretas, a powerful Arabian prince. This involved Herod in an Arabian war, the result of which was disastrous to the tetrarch. Josephus points out that this ill-omened incident was the commencement of Herod Antipas's subsequent misfortunes. Our Lord not improbably used this simile, foreseeing what would be the ultimate end of this unhappy war of Herod. The. first of these two little similes rather points to the building up of the Christian life in the heart and life. The second is an image of the warfare which' every Christian man must wage against the world, its passions, and its lusts. If we cannot brace ourselves up to the' sacrifice necessary for the completion of the building up of the life we know the Master loves; if we shrink from the cost involved in the warfare against sin and evil - a warfare which will only end with life - better for us not to begin the building or risk the war. It will be a wretched alternative, but still it will be best for us to make our submission at once to the world and its prince; at least, by so doing we shall avoid the scandal and the shame of injuring a cause which we adopted only to forsake. The Swiss commentator Godet very naturally uses here a simile taken from his own nationality: "Would not a little nation like the Swiss bring down ridicule on itself by declaring war with France, if it were not determined to die nobly on the field of battle?" He was thinking of the splendid patriotism of his own brave ancestors who had determined so to die, and who carried out their gallant purpose. He was thinking of stricken fields like Morgarten and Sempach, and of brave hearts like those of Rudolph of Erlach, and Arnold of Winkelried, who loved their country better than their lives. This was the spirit with which Christ's warriors must undertake the hard stern warfare against an evil and corrupt world, otherwise better let his cause alone. The sombre shadow of the cross lay heavy and dark across all the Redeemer's words spoken at this time.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Or
(Ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

what
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

king
βασιλεὺς (basileus)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 935: A king, ruler, but in some passages clearly to be translated: emperor. Probably from basis; a sovereign.

on his way
πορευόμενος (poreuomenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4198: To travel, journey, go, die.

to war
πόλεμον (polemon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4171: A war, battle, strife. From pelomai; warfare.

with another
ἑτέρῳ (heterō)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2087: (a) of two: another, a second, (b) other, different, (c) one's neighbor. Of uncertain affinity; other or different.

king
βασιλεῖ (basilei)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 935: A king, ruler, but in some passages clearly to be translated: emperor. Probably from basis; a sovereign.

will not first sit down
καθίσας (kathisas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2523: Another form for kathezomai; to seat down, i.e. Set; intransitively, to sit; figuratively, to settle.

[and] consider
βουλεύσεται (bouleusetai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1011: To deliberate, take counsel, determine. From boule; to advise, i.e. deliberate, or resolve.

whether
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

he
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

can
δυνατός (dynatos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1415: (a) of persons: powerful, able, (b) of things: possible. From dunamai; powerful or capable; neuter possible.

engage
ὑπαντῆσαι (hypantēsai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 5221: To meet, go to meet. From hupo and a derivative of anti; to go opposite under, i.e. To encounter, fall in with.

with
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

ten
δέκα (deka)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1176: Ten. A primary number; ten.

thousand [men]
χιλιάσιν (chiliasin)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 5505: A thousand, the number one thousand. From chilioi; one thousand.

the [one]
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

coming
ἐρχομένῳ (erchomenō)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

against
ἐπ’ (ep’)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

him
αὐτόν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

with
μετὰ (meta)
Preposition
Strong's 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.

twenty
εἴκοσι (eikosi)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 1501: Twenty. Of uncertain affinity; a score.

thousand?
χιλιάδων (chiliadōn)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 5505: A thousand, the number one thousand. From chilioi; one thousand.


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NT Gospels: Luke 14:31 Or what king as he goes (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 14:30
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