Luke 9:61

61 And another also said, I will follow thee, Lord; but first suffer me to bid farewell to them that are at my house.

Luke 9:61 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 9:61

And another also said
"To him", as the Syriac and Arabic versions add, that is, to Christ; the Ethiopic version reads, "and a third said to him"; for this is the third person mentioned in this relation of Luke's; only two are spoken of by Matthew, but a third is added here:

Lord, I will follow thee;
he moves it himself, to be a disciple of his, and a preacher of his Gospel, only with this condition:

but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house:
as Elisha desired Elijah, that he might go and kiss his father and his mother and then he promises he would follow him, ( 1 Kings 19:20 ) . The Syriac version adds, "and I will come"; and the Persic, "and give commands, and then, will I come": and the phrase not only signifies, that he desired to take leave of his friends, but to compose and set in order his family affairs, and dispose of his worldly effects among his domestics, relations, and friends, in the best manner he could; and then he should have leisure, and be at liberty to follow Christ, and attend his service.

Luke 9:61 In-Context

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 But he said unto him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but go thou and publish abroad the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, I will follow thee, Lord; but first suffer me to bid farewell to them that are at my house.
62 But Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.