What Does Luke 3:11 Mean?
He answered and said to them, Whoever has two tunics, let him give a share to the one who has none; and whoever has food, let him do likewise.
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
He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.THE KEY
The extra garment is already another person’s covering.
THE MEANING
The verse speaks through ordinary necessities: a garment covers, and food feeds. “Impart” means to share a portion, so what you have connects directly to what another person lacks. Turning takes shape in what moves between people.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that turning can remain private while someone nearby lacks clothing or food.
THE ROOT
μεταδότω
metadotō
GROWS FROM
δίδωμι
didōmi
To give or grant; in μεταδίδωμι, to share or give a portion.
The verb translated “impart” means to share a portion, with δίδωμι (didōmi, “give”) at its center. English “impart” can sound like passing along an idea, but here the sharing is concrete: one person’s extra becomes another person’s share.
ALSO GROWS
didōmi: To give or grant.
δίδωμι
This is the base verb inside “impart”: the sharing begins with something given.
apodidōmi: To give back or repay.
ἀποδίδωμι
This related form shows the same giving family in a movement of goods back between people.
paradidōmi: To hand over or deliver.
παραδίδωμι
Like sharing a garment or food, this branch makes giving a concrete transfer from one person to another.
βρώματα
brōmata
GROWS FROM
βρω- / βρωσκ- (brō- / brōsk-)
The word family concerns eating and what is eaten.
“Meat” here means food in general, not specifically flesh. The Greek places nourishment beside clothing, making both what feeds and what covers part of the same pattern of sharing.
ALSO GROWS
brōskō: To eat.
βρώσκω
The food in the verse is what can be eaten and sustain someone.
brōsis: Eating or food.
βρῶσις
This related word keeps the focus on nourishment rather than a particular kind of meat.
THE PATTERN
What one person has in abundance becomes provision where another person lacks.
But you shall open your hand wide to him, and you shall surely lend him enough for what he lacks.The one with a good eye is blessed, for he does give of his bread to the emptied.But through evenness, that in this present season your overflow may fill their lack, and their overflow may fill your lack, that there may be evenness.THE THREAD
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and spilling over, they will give into your lap. For with the same measure you measure out, it will be measured back to you.Luke 6:38 uses the same Greek give-family carried by the verb translated “impart” here: give, be given, and give to another. The movement from a garment or meal changing hands opens into a measure of giving that returns into the giver’s life.
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