Luke 6:33

New Century Version

If you do good only to those who do good to you, what praise should you get? Even sinners do that!

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
If you do good only to those who do good to you, should you get any special praise for doing that? No, even sinners do that!

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And yf ye do for them which do for you: what thanke are ye worthy of? For the very synners do even the same.

Hebrew Names Version
If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

International Standard Version
If you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you deserve? Even sinners do that.

New American Standard Bible
"And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Update Bible Version
For even if you do good to those that do good to you, what thanks do you have? Even sinners do the same.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if ye do good to them who do good to you, what thanks have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

Amplified Bible
"If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

English Standard Version
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

World English Bible
If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? For even sinners do the same.

Weymouth's New Testament
And if you are kind to those who are kind to you, what credit is it to you? Even bad men act thus.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if ye don wel to hem that don wel to you, what grace is to you? synful men don this thing.

English Revised Version
And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same.

Berean Standard Bible
If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

Contemporary English Version
If you are kind only to someone who is kind to you, will God be pleased with you for that? Even sinners are kind to people who are kind to them.

American Standard Version
And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same.

Bible in Basic English
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is it to you? for even sinners do the same.

Complete Jewish Bible
What credit is it to you if you do good only to those who do good to you? Even sinners do that.

Darby Translation
And if ye do good to those that do good to you, what thank is it to you? for even sinners do the same.

Etheridge Translation
And if you do good to those who benefit you, what is your grace? for the sinners also thus do.

Murdock Translation
And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what goodness is it in you? For even sinners do the same.

King James Version (1611)
And if ye doe good to them which doe good to you, What thanke haue ye? for sinners also doe euen the same.

New Living Translation
And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!

New Life Bible
If you do good to those who do good to you, what pay can you expect from that? Sinners also do good to those who do good to them.

New Revised Standard
If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And if ye do good for them which do good for you, what thanke shall ye haue? for euen the sinners doe the same.

George Lamsa Translation
And if you do good only to those who do good to you, what is your favor? for sinners also do the same.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, if ye even do good unto them that do good unto you, what sort of thanks are there for you? Even sinners, the same, are doing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if you do good to them who do good to you, what thanks are to you? For sinners also do this.

Revised Standard Version
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yf ye do good for them which do good for you, what thanke haue ye? For sinners also do euen the same.

Good News Translation
And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that!

Christian Standard Bible®
If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

King James Version
And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

Lexham English Bible
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same!

Literal Translation
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks is there to you? For even the sinners do the same.

Young's Literal Translation
and if ye do good to those doing good to you, what grace have ye? for also the sinful do the same;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yf ye do good for youre good doers, what thanke haue ye therfore? For synners also do euen the same.

Mace New Testament (1729)
if you return one kind office by another, where's the obligation? the heathen themselves do as much.

New English Translation
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

New King James Version
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you only help those who help you, what do you expect? Even sinners do that!

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Legacy Standard Bible
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Contextual Overview

²⁷ "But I say to you who are listening, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who are cruel to you. ²⁹ If anyone slaps you on one cheek, offer him the other cheek, too. If someone takes your coat, do not stop him from taking your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and when someone takes something that is yours, don't ask for it back. ³¹ Do to others what you would want them to do to you. ³² If you love only the people who love you, what praise should you get? Even sinners love the people who love them. ³³ If you do good only to those who do good to you, what praise should you get? Even sinners do that! ³⁴ If you lend things to people, always hoping to get something back, what praise should you get? Even sinners lend to other sinners so that they can get back the same amount! ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. ³⁶ Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Proverbs 22:16 - he that giveth Isaiah 32:8 - the liberal 1 Timothy 6:18 - they do

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if ye do good to them which do good to you,.... As one good turn deserves another:

what thank have ye? what grace or goodness is there in such an action? what glory or merit is there in it?

for sinners also do even the same: wherefore no man should conclude himself a righteous man, or better than sinners, on such an account: this is to be found among the worst of men, and is natural to them, unless they are brutes indeed, to be kind to such as are kind to them. And yet, this was the whole of the doctrine of the Jews about doing good to men: for so they say u,

"an Israelite is obliged to do good to an Israelite his companion, and to lend without usury: this is kindness and goodness, and a greater good it is than a gift; for many men are ashamed to take a gift, and are not ashamed to take a loan: but not so an Israelite to a Gentile; for he is not bound to do good, or show kindness to him, or to lend him his money freely; for many of them hate the Israelites; but it must be owned, that if a Gentile does a kindness, or good, to an Israelite; the Israelite is also bound to show kindness to him, and do him good.''

In direct opposition to such narrow sentiments does our Lord deliver himself in this, and the following verses.

u Kimchi in Psal. xv. apud Huls. Theolog. Jud. par. 1. p. 420.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage fully illustrated in the sermon on the mount, in Matt. 5–7.

Luke 6:21

That hunger now - Matthew has it, “that hunger and thirst after righteousness.” Matthew has expressed more fully what Luke has briefly, but there is no contradiction.

Luke 6:24-26

These verses have been omitted by Matthew. They seem to have been spoken to the Pharisees.

Who are rich - In this world’s goods. They loved them; they had sought for them; they found their consolation in them. It implies, farther, that they would not seek or receive consolation from the gospel. They were proud, and would not seek it; satisfied, and did not desire it; filled with cares, and had no time or disposition to attend to it. All the consolation which they had reason to expect they had received. Alas! how poor and worthless is such consolation, compared with that which the gospel would give!

Woe unto you that are full! - Not hungry. Satisfied with their wealth, and not feeling their need of anything better than earthly wealth can give. Many, alas! are thus “full.” They profess to be satisfied. They desire nothing but wealth, and a sufficiency to satisfy the wants of the body. They have no anxiety for the riches that shall endure forever.

Ye shall hunger - Your property shall be taken away, or you shall see that it is of little value; and then you shall see the need of something better. You shall feel your want and wretchedness, and shall “hunger” for something to satisfy the desires of a dying, sinful soul.

That laugh now - Are happy, or thoughtless, or joyful, or filled with levity.

Shall mourn and weep - The time is coming when you shall sorrow deeply. In sickness, in calamity, in the prospect of death, in the fear of eternity, your laughter shall be turned into sorrow. “There is” a place where you cannot laugh, and there you will see the folly of having passed the “proper time” of preparing for such scenes in levity and folly. Alas! how many thus spend their youth! and how many weep when it is too late! God gives them over, and “laughs” at their “calamity,” and mocks when their fear comes, Proverbs 1:26. To be happy in “such scenes,” it is necessary to be sober, humble, pious in early life. “Then” we need not weep in the day of calamity; then there will be no terror in death; then there will be nothing to fear in the grave.

Luke 6:26

When all men shall speak well of you - When they shall praise or applaud you. The people of the world will not praise or applaud “my” doctrine; they are “opposed” to it, and therefore, if they speak well of “you” and of “your teachings,” it is proof that you do not teach the true doctrine. If you do “not” do this, then there will be woe upon you. If men teach false doctrines for true; if they declare that God has spoken that which he has not spoken, and if they oppose what he “has” delivered, then heavy punishments will await them.

For so did their fathers - The fathers or ancestors of this people; the ancient Jews.

To the false prophets - Men who pretended to be of God - who delivered their “own” doctrines as the truth of God, and who accommodated themselves to the desires of the people. Of this number were the prophets of Baal, the false prophets who appeared in the time of Jeremiah, etc.

Luke 6:27, Luke 6:28

See Matthew 5:44-45.

Luke 6:29

See Matthew 5:39-40.

Luke 6:30

See Matthew 5:42.

Luke 6:31

See Matthew 7:12.

Luke 6:32-36

See Matthew 5:46-48.

Luke 6:37-42

See Matthew 7:1-9.

Luke 6:38

Good measure - They shall give you good measure, or “full” measure.

Pressed down - As figs or grapes might be, and thus many more might be put into the measure.

Shaken together - To make it more compact, and thus to give more.

Running over - So full that the measure would overflow.

Shall men give - This is said to be the reward of “giving” to the poor and needy; and the meaning is that the man who is liberal will find others liberal to him in dealing with them, and when he is also in circumstances of want. A man who is himself kind to the poor - who has that “character” established - will find many who are ready to help “him” abundantly when he is in want. He that is parsimonious, close, niggardly, will find few or none who will aid him.

Into your bosom - That is, to you. The word “bosom” here has reference to a custom among Oriental nations of making the bosom or front part of their garments large, so that articles could be carried in them, answering the purpose of our pockets. Compare Exodus 4:6-7; Proverbs 6:27; Ruth 3:15.

Luke 6:39

A parable - A proverb or similitude.

Can the blind lead the blind? - See the notes at Matthew 15:14.

Luke 6:40

The disciple is not ... - The learner is not above his teacher, does not know more, and must expect to fare no better. This seems to have been spoken to show them that they were not to expect that their disciples would go “beyond them” in attainments; that if they were blind, their followers would be also; and that therefore it was important for them to understand fully the doctrines of the gospel, and not to be blind leaders of the blind.

Every one that is perfect - The word rendered “is perfect” means sometimes to repair or mend, and is thus applied to mending nets, Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19. Hence, it means to repair or amend in a moral sense, or to make whole or complete. Here it means, evidently, “thoroughly instructed” or “informed.” The Christian should be like his Master - holy, harmless, and undefiled, and separate from sinners. He should copy his example, and grow into the likeness of his Redeemer. Nor can any other be a Christian.

Luke 6:41, Luke 6:42

See the notes at Matthew 7:3-5.

Luke 6:43, Luke 6:44

See the notes at Matthew 7:16-18.

Luke 6:45

This verse is not found in the sermon on the mount as recorded by Matthew, but is recorded by him in Matthew 12:35. See the notes at that passage.

Luke 6:46-49

See the notes at Matthew 7:21-27.