Luke 12:19

19 Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

Luke 12:19 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 12:19

And I will say to my soul
Himself, see ( Psalms 49:18 ) or to his sensual appetite, which he sought to indulge and gratify, for he was wholly a sensual and carnal man:

soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years:
he foolishly promises himself a long life, when no man can boast of tomorrow, or knows what a day will bring forth; or can assure himself he shall live a day, an hour, or moment longer: and he also depended upon the safety of his goods, thus laid up; whereas his barns might be consumed by fire at once, or his goods be devoured by vermin, or plundered by thieves, and by various ways taken out of his hands; for riches are uncertain things, and make themselves wings and fly away:

take thine case, eat, drink, and be merry;
spend thy life in ease, luxury, and mirth; put away the evil day far from thee: never trouble thyself about a future state, tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundantly; and thou hast enough to make thyself happy, and let nothing disturb thee, and give a loose to all sensual pleasures, and carnal joys. This is the language of epicure among the Jews, and is forbidden to be used, especially on fast days; for so it is said, ^F9

``let not a man say I will go to my house, "and I will eat and drink", (and say) (yvpn Kyle Mylv) , "peace to thee, O my soul"; if he does so, of him the Scripture says, ( Isaiah 22:13 Isaiah 22:14 ) "Behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die---surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you, till ye die"''

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 11. 1.

Luke 12:19 In-Context

17 So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’

18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods.

19 Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

21 This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”