Luke 9:62

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:62 in Other Translations

62 And Jesus said unto him,No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

62 Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day."

62 But Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Luke 9:62 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 9:62

And Jesus said unto him
The copulative "and", is left out in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions:

no man having put his hand to the plough;
or "ploughshare", as reads the Syriac version; or "plough handle", as the Persic; referring, as Beza thinks, to the business of Elisha, in ( 1 Kings 19:19 )

And looking back;
behind him; for the ploughman ought to look before him, on his plough, and the ground he is ploughing, or he is not fit to be a ploughman; nor will he make proper furrows, or do his work well; and so he that enters upon the ministerial work, and looks back, and engages himself in the affairs of the world, sets his heart on them, and spends his time in them,

is not fit for the kingdom of God:
that is, to preach the kingdom of God, as in ( Luke 9:60 ) . He cannot serve God and mammon, his own interest, and the interest of Christ; he cannot rightly perform the work of the ministry, whilst his thoughts and time are taken up in the affairs of the world.

Luke 9:62 In-Context

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”