What Does Luke 1:53 Mean in the King James?
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse overturns possession as proof of fullness: the hungry are filled, while the rich leave empty.
THE MEANING
Your hunger does not put you beyond good things; here, it is met with fullness. The verse also shows that wealth cannot secure fullness: the rich are sent away empty. Abundance arrives as something received, not guaranteed by what you possess.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that having more means you are already full, or that lacking means nothing good can reach you.
THE ROOT
ἐνέπλησεν
eneplēsen
GROWS FROM
πληθ-
plēth-
To fill, make full, or bring to fullness.
“filled” in this verse is eneplēsen. This verb carries the sense of filling up, and its word-family can describe abundance as a multitude. The hungry receive more than a token portion: the image is of fullness gathered around them.
ALSO GROWS
plēthō: To be full or abound.
πλήθω
It carries the verse’s movement from hunger into fullness.
plēthos: A multitude, a great number.
πλῆθος
It shows how this word-family connects fullness with abundance.
plēthynō: To increase or multiply.
πληθύνω
It extends fullness into increase, fitting the image of good things given in abundance.
κενούς
kenous
GROWS FROM
κεν-
ken-
Empty, void, or lacking content.
“empty” in this verse is kenous. This word-family can name actual emptiness and hollowness beneath an appearance of honor. Here, wealth does not keep its holders from being sent away without fullness.
ALSO GROWS
kenoō: To empty or make void.
κενόω
It turns emptiness from a condition into an action, a connection echoed in the thread verse.
kenodoxia: Empty glory or vainglory.
κενοδοξία
It joins emptiness with outward honor, sharpening the verse’s contrast between wealth and fullness.
THE PATTERN
God answers hunger with fullness while overturning the assumption that existing abundance guarantees it.
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.THE THREAD
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:Luke’s κενός (kenos, “empty”) and Philippians’ κενόω (kenoō, “empty” or “make void”) share the same root. Luke names the rich leaving empty; Philippians describes Christ emptying himself, setting a reversal of status beside chosen self-emptying without making them the same event.
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