Luke 12:49

New American Standard Bible (1995)

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“I came

King James Version (1611)
I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled?

King James Version
I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

English Standard Version
"I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!

New American Standard Bible
"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!

New Century Version
"I came to set fire to the world, and I wish it were already burning!

Amplified Bible
"I have come to cast fire (judgment) on the earth; and how I wish that it were already kindled!

Legacy Standard Bible
"I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

Berean Standard Bible
I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

Contemporary English Version
I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already on fire!

Complete Jewish Bible
"I have come to set fire to the earth! And how I wish it were already kindled!

Darby Translation
I have come to cast a fire on the earth; and what will I if already it has been kindled?

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus continued speaking: "I came to bring fire to the world. I wish it were already burning!

Geneva Bible (1587)
I am come to put fire on the earth, and what is my desire, if it be already kindled?

George Lamsa Translation
I came to set the earth on fire; and I wish to do it, if it has not already been kindled.

Good News Translation
"I came to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already kindled!

Lexham English Bible
"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish that it had been kindled already!

Literal Translation
I came to hurl fire into the earth, and what will I if it already has been lit?

American Standard Version
I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled?

Bible in Basic English
I came to send a fire on the earth, and it may even now have been lighted.

Hebrew Names Version
"I came to throw fire on the eretz. I wish it were already kindled.

International Standard Version
"I have come to bring fire on earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!Luke 12:51;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
FIRE have I come to send forth upon the earth, and I would that it already burned:

Murdock Translation
I have come to cast fire on the earth; and I would, that it already burned.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I am come to sende fire on ye earth, and what is my desire, but that it be alredye kindled?

English Revised Version
I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what will I, if it is already kindled?

World English Bible
"I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
I am come to send fire on the earth.

Weymouth's New Testament
"I came to throw fire upon the earth, and what is my desire? Oh that it were even now kindled!

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y cam to sende fier `in to the erthe, and what wole Y, but that it be kyndlid?

Update Bible Version
I came to cast fire on the earth; and how I want that it were already kindled!

Webster's Bible Translation
I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I, if it is already kindled?

New English Translation
"I have come to bring fire on the earth—and how I wish it were already kindled!

New King James Version
Matthew 10:34-39">[xr] "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

New Living Translation
"I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning!

New Life Bible
"I have come to bring fire down to the earth. I wish it were already started!

New Revised Standard
"I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Fire, came I to cast upon the earth, - and what can I wish, if, already, it hath been, kindled?

Douay-Rheims Bible
I am come to cast fire on the earth. And what will I, but that it be kindled?

Revised Standard Version
"I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
I am come to sende fyre on erth: and what is my dysyre but that it were all redy kyndled?

Young's Literal Translation
`Fire I came to cast to the earth, and what will I if already it was kindled?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I am come to kyndle fyre vpo earth, and what wolde I rather, the that it were kyndled allready.

Mace New Testament (1729)
I am come to purify the earth with fire, and how do I wish it were already kindled?

THE MESSAGE
"I've come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished! Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront! From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be— Three against two, and two against three; Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law."

Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus said, "I have come to start the prescribed burn over the dead patches of this world.

Contextual Overview

⁴¹ Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" ⁴² And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? ⁴³ "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ "But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; ⁴⁶ the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. ⁴⁷ "And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, ⁴⁸ but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. ⁴⁹ "I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!⁵⁰ "But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

come: Luke 12:51, Luke 12:52, Isaiah 11:4, Joel 2:30, Joel 2:31, Malachi 3:2, Malachi 3:3, Malachi 4:1, Matthew 3:10-12

and: Luke 11:53, Luke 11:54, Luke 13:31-33, Luke 19:39, Luke 19:40, John 9:4, John 11:8-10, John 12:17-19

Reciprocal: Matthew 10:34 - that I John 12:27 - what Revelation 8:5 - and filled

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I am come to send fire on the earth,.... Meaning either the Gospel, which is as fire, that gives both light and heat, warms the hearts of God's people, and causes them to burn within them; though very distressing and torturing to wicked men; so the word of God is compared to fire, in Jeremiah 20:9. Or else zeal for it, and which would be opposed with sharp contentions by others; or rather persecution for the sake of the Gospel, called sometimes the fiery trial; which tries men, as gold is tried in the fire, what they are, and what their principles and profession be; unless the Holy Ghost, and baptizing with him, and with fire, should be meant; since Christ in the next verse, speaks of the baptism of his sufferings, which that was to follow:

and what will I? what shall I say concerning this fire? what shall I wish and pray for? what would be pleasing and agreeable to me? even this,

if it be already kindled; or "that it were already kindled", or "O that it were already kindled"; meaning either that the Gospel was warmly preached by his disciples, and zealously defended by them, as it was after his death and resurrection; or that hot persecution was raised against it which was now beginning, since the advantage of it would be far greater than the evil in it: or that the Holy Ghost was come down in cloven tongues, like as of fire.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I am, come ... - The result of my coming will be that there will be divisions and contentions. He does not mean that he came “for” that purpose, or that he “sought” and “desired” it; but that such was the state of the human heart, and such the opposition of people to the truth, that that would be the “effect” of his coming. See the notes at Matthew 10:34.

Fire - Fire, here, is the emblem of discord and contention, and consequently of calamities. Thus it is used in Psalms 66:12; Isaiah 43:2.

And what will I ... - This passage might be better expressed in this manner: “And what would I, but that it were kindled. Since it is “necessary” for the advancement of religion that such divisions should take place; since the gospel cannot be established without conflicts, and strifes, and hatreds, I am even desirous that they should come. Since the greatest blessing which mankind can receive must be attended with such unhappy divisions, I am willing, nay, desirous that they should come.” He did not wish evil in itself; but, as it was the occasion of good, he was desirous, if it “must” take place, that it should take place soon. From this we learn:

1. That the promotion of religion may be expected to produce many contests and bitter feelings.
2. That the heart of man must be exceedingly wicked, or it would not oppose a work like the Christian religion.
3. That though God cannot look on evil with approbation, yet, for the sake of the benefit which may grow out of it, he is willing to permit it, and suffer it to come into the world.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 49. I am come to send fire — See this subject largely explained on Matthew 10:34, &c. From the connection in which these words stand, both in this place and in Matthew, it appears as if our Lord intended by the word fire, not only the consuming influence of the Roman sword, but also the influence of his own Spirit in the destruction of sin. In both these senses this fire was already kindled: as yet, however, it appeared but as a spark, but was soon to break out into an all-consuming flame.