Luke 12:15
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Study Note
Study Note
Jesus' warning 'take heed and beware of covetousness' (pleonexia) is prompted by a man asking Jesus to settle an inheritance dispute, and Jesus' refusal to serve as judge (v. 14) is itself a statement about the appropriate scope of his mission. The rationale — 'a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth' — constitutes a counter-cultural thesis in a Mediterranean honor-economy where material abundance publicly signified divine favor and social worth. The immediately following parable of the rich fool (vv. 16–21) illustrates the thesis with a narrative of fatal category error: mistaking accumulated goods for security while being 'not rich toward God.' The verse stands as a concise summary of Jesus' consistent teaching on the theological danger of wealth and the incompatibility of covetousness with the kingdom's logic of sufficiency.
Other Translations
And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he said unto them, `Observe, and beware of the covetousness, because not in the abundance of one's goods is his life.'
And he said to them, Take care to keep yourselves free from the desire for property; for a man's life is not made up of the number of things which he has.
Cross References
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from …
But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for …
Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, …
When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of …
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there …
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also …
And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what …
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; …