Luke 14:23

23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.

Luke 14:23 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
English Standard Version (ESV)
23 And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.
New Living Translation (NLT)
23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.
The Message Bible (MSG)
23 "The master said, 'Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full!
American Standard Version (ASV)
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain [them] to come in, that my house may be filled.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
23 "Then the master told his servant, 'Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
23 "Then the master told the slave, 'Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
23 "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full.

Luke 14:23 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 14:23

And the Lord said unto the servant
A second time; that since the Jews put away the word of eternal life from them, and judged themselves unworthy of it by their contradicting and blaspheming it, he commanded his apostles to turn from them to the Gentiles; see ( Acts 13:45-47 ) ,

go out into the highways and hedges:
the Persic version adds, "of the vineyards"; see ( 1 Chronicles 4:23 ) and may in general design the mean, base, vile, and sinful state of the Gentiles; who might be said to be "in the highways", because they were without the commonwealth and church of the Jews; were not admitted to civil conversation, nor to religious worship with them; and were left to walk on in their own ways, of their own devising and choosing, in which they delighted: they were not in God's highway, which is a way of holiness, ( Isaiah 35:8 ) but in their own highways; either following the various sects of the philosophers, which were vain and foolish; or going into different practices of idolatry, and walking in very sinful and vicious courses; and so were in the broad road and highway to destruction: and their being in, and under "the hedges", may denote their state of separation from God; being without him, alienated from the life of him, and afar off from him; being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, ( Ephesians 2:12 ) they were not in the gardens and enclosures, but under the hedges:

and compel them to come in;
to the house of God, and church of Christ; to come and hear the word, and quit their former course of living, and attend the word and worship of God; and upon an evidence of the truth of grace upon their souls, to come into a Gospel church state, and partake of all privileges and ordinances in it; to which they are to be compelled, not by outward force, but by forcible words, by powerful arguments, and by the strength of persuasion; which expresses the nature of the Gospel ministry, which is to persuade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem; and the power that attends it by the divine Spirit; the case and condition of souls, who are generally bashful and backward, judging themselves unworthy; as also the earnest desire, and great liberality of Christ, the master of the feast, whose end in it is as follows:

that my house may be filled;
with men, like a flock, and these with gifts and grace; with such as shall be saved, as with elect Jews, so with the fulness of the Gentiles.

Luke 14:23 In-Context

21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.
24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
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