Luke 14:9

9 and lest he come that called thee and him, and say to thee, Give place to this, and then thou shalt begin with shame [and thou shalt begin with shame] to hold the lowest place.

Luke 14:9 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 14:9

And he that bade thee and him
To the feast, and who is the master of it, and has a right to dispose of, and order his guests at his table, as he thinks fit:

come and say to thee, give this man place;
pray rise up, and give this honourable man this seat, which is more suitable for a person of his rank and figure, and take another:

and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room;
or place, which must unavoidably fill a man with shame and confusion; because hereby his pride and vanity, in affecting the uppermost room, will be publicly exposed; and he who before sat in the chief place, will have the mortification, before all the guests, to be seated in the lowest.

Luke 14:9 In-Context

7 He said also a parable to men bidden to a feast, and he beheld how they chose the first sitting places, and said to them, [Forsooth he said also a parable to men bidden to a feast, beholding how they chose the first sitting places, saying to them,]
8 When thou art bidden to bridals, sit not to meat in the first place [When thou shalt be bidden to weddings, sit not at the meat in the first place]; lest peradventure a worthier than thou be bidden of him,
9 and lest he come that called thee and him, and say to thee, Give place to this, and then thou shalt begin with shame [and thou shalt begin with shame] to hold the lowest place.
10 But when thou art bidden to a feast, go, and sit down in the last place, that when he cometh, that bade thee to the feast, he say to thee, Friend, come higher [Friend, ascend up higher]. Then worship shall be to thee, before men that sit [together] at the meat.
11 For each that enhanceth himself, shall be lowed [shall be made low]; and he that meeketh himself, shall be highed.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.