What Does Luke 18:22 Mean?
When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, One thing is still left behind for you. Sell all that you hold, and hand it out to the emptied, and you will hold treasure in the heavens, and come, follow me.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.THE KEY
The thing still lacking is revealed as wealth held back from release: what is given to the poor becomes treasure in another storehouse.
THE MEANING
The lack becomes visible in a call to sell what is held and distribute it to the poor. Treasure in the heavens names a different storehouse, and the invitation to follow draws the reader into that movement of release.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that having much means nothing is lacking is undone: the man has much, yet one thing remains.
THE ROOT
θησαυρόν
thēsauron
GROWS FROM
θησαυρ-
thēsaur-
Stored wealth; what is kept in a storehouse.
“Treasure” can sound like a prize, but the Greek word carries the sense of stored wealth. Here, that storehouse is joined to giving: possessions leave the hand, while treasure is held in the heavens.
ALSO GROWS
thēsaurizō: To store up or treasure.
θησαυρίζω
This related verb makes the image active: treasure is something stored, and this verse connects that storing with distributing wealth to the poor.
apothēsaurizō: To store up for the future.
ἀποθησαυρίζω
This related verb appears in the language of laying up a reserve; it illuminates how the verse presents treasure as held in a different order.
THE PATTERN
Possessions are opened toward the poor, and their value is revealed as they become provision.
But you shall open your hand wide to him, and you shall surely lend him enough for what he lacks.Whoever lends to the LORD shows favor to the emptied one, and what his hands have done, he makes whole for him.For none among them lacked, for as many as owned fields or houses sold them and carried the prices of what was sold,THE THREAD
Sell what you have, and give compassion. Make for yourselves purses that do not wear out, a treasure in the heavens that does not run out, where no thief draws near and no moth destroys.Luke 12:33 uses the same Greek word for “treasure” beside selling and giving alms. It makes explicit the movement in this verse: released possessions are joined to a storehouse that does not fail.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us