Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, September 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 17 / Ordinary 22
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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

Luke 19:31

If anyone asks why you are untying it, tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.'"

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Olives, Mount of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Luke, Gospel of;   Triumphal Entry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Consciousness;   Dominion (2);   Entry into Jerusalem;   Names and Titles of Christ;   Owner ;   Poverty (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Olives;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Loose;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’”
King James Version (1611)
And if any man aske you, Why do ye loose him? Thus shall ye say vnto him, Because the Lord hath neede of him.
King James Version
And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
English Standard Version
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'"
New American Standard Bible
"And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'"
New Century Version
If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say that the Master needs it."
Amplified Bible
"If anybody asks you, 'Why are you untying the colt?' you will say, 'The Lord needs it.'"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say, 'The Lord has need of it.'"
Legacy Standard Bible
And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: ‘Because the Lord has need of it.'"
Berean Standard Bible
If anyone asks, 'Why you are untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'"
Contemporary English Version
If anyone asks why you are doing that, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.'"
Darby Translation
And if any one ask you, Why do ye loose [it]? thus shall ye say to him, Because the Lord has need of it.
Easy-to-Read Version
If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkey, you should say, ‘The Master needs it.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And if any man aske you, why ye loose him, thus shall ye say vnto him, Because the Lord hath neede of him.
George Lamsa Translation
And if any man should ask you, Why do you untie it? tell him this: Our lord needs it.
Good News Translation
If someone asks you why you are untying it, tell him that the Master needs it."
Lexham English Bible
And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you will say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'"
Literal Translation
And if anyone asks, Why do you untie it ? you shall say to them, The Lord has need of it.
American Standard Version
And if any one ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say, The Lord hath need of him.
Bible in Basic English
And if anyone says to you, Why are you taking him? say, The Lord has need of him.
Hebrew Names Version
If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say to him: 'The Lord needs it.'"
International Standard Version
If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say this: 'The Lord needs it.'"
Etheridge Translation
And if any man demand why you loose him, thus say: It is requested by our Lord.
Murdock Translation
And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? say to him: Our Lord needeth him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yf any man aske you, why do ye loose hym, thus shall ye say vnto hym: because the Lorde hath neede of hym.
English Revised Version
And if any one ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say, The Lord hath need of him.
World English Bible
If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say to him: 'The Lord needs it.'"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him, thus shall ye say to him, The Lord hath need of him.
Weymouth's New Testament
And if any one asks you, `Why are you untying the colt?' simply say, `The Master needs it.'"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if ony man axe you, whi ye vntien, thus ye schulen seie to hym, For the Lord desirith his werk.
Update Bible Version
And if any one asks you, Why do you loose him? thus you shall say, The Lord has need of him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And if any man shall ask you, Why do ye loose [him]? thus shall ye say to him, Because the Lord hath need of him.
New English Translation
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' just say, ‘The Lord needs it.'"
New King James Version
And if anyone asks you, "Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, "Because the Lord has need of it."'
New Living Translation
If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?' just say, ‘The Lord needs it.'"
New Life Bible
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you letting it loose?' say to him, ‘Because the Lord needs it.'"
New Revised Standard
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, if any one question you - Wherefore are ye loosing him? thus, shall ye say - His Lord, hath, need.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And if any man shall ask you: Why do you loose him? You shall say thus unto him: Because the Lord hath need of his service.
Revised Standard Version
If any one asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this, 'The Lord has need of it.'"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And if eny man axe you why that ye loowse him: thus saye vnto him ye lorde hath nede of him.
Young's Literal Translation
and if any one doth question you, Wherefore do ye loose [it]? thus ye shall say to him -- The Lord hath need of it.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yf eny ma axe you wherfore ye lowse it, saye thus vnto him. The LORDE hath nede therof.
Mace New Testament (1729)
if any one should ask you, why you untie it, let this be your answer, because the Lord has occasion for it.
Simplified Cowboy Version
And if anyone asks what you are doing, say, 'The Top Hand needs it.'"

Contextual Overview

28 After saying this, Yeshua went on and began the ascent to Yerushalayim. 29 As he approached Beit-Pagei and Beit-Anyah, by the Mount of Olives, he sent two talmidim, 30 instructing them, "Go into the village ahead; on entering it, you will find a colt tied up that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks why you are untying it, tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.'" 32 Those who were sent went off and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34 and they said, "Because the Lord needs it." 35 They brought it to Yeshua; and, throwing their robes on the colt, they put Yeshua on it. 36 As he went along, people carpeted the road with their clothing; 37 and as he came near Yerushalayim, where the road descends from the Mount of Olives, the entire band of talmidim began to sing and praise God at the top of their voices for all the powerful works they had seen:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Lord: Psalms 24:1, Psalms 50:10-12, Matthew 21:2, Matthew 21:3, Mark 11:3-6, Acts 10:36

Reciprocal: Mark 11:2 - General Luke 22:11 - The Master John 4:1 - the Lord

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
The man had sexual relations with Havah his wife; she conceived, gave birth to Kayin [acquisition] and said, "I have acquired a man from Adonai ."
Genesis 6:4
The N'filim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; these were the ancient heroes, men of renown.
Genesis 16:2
so Sarai said to Avram, "Here now, Adonai has kept me from having children; so go in and sleep with my slave-girl. Maybe I'll be able to have children through her." Avram listened to what Sarai said.
Genesis 16:4
Avram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she conceived. But when she became aware that she was pregnant, she looked on her mistress with contempt.
Genesis 19:8
Look here, I have two daughters who are virgins. Please, let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them what seems good to you; but don't do anything to these men, since they are guests in my house."
Genesis 19:9
"Stand back!" they replied. "This guy came to live here, and now he's decided to play judge. For that we'll deal worse with you than with them!" Then they crowded in on Lot, in order to get close enough to break down the door.
Genesis 19:14
Lot went out and spoke with his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, "Get up and leave this place, because Adonai is going to destroy the city." But his sons-in-law didn't take him seriously.
Genesis 19:28
and looked out toward S'dom and ‘Amora, scanning the entire plain. There before him the smoke was rising from the land like smoke from a furnace!
Genesis 19:30
Lot went up from Tzo‘ar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, because he was afraid to stay in Tzo‘ar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave.
Deuteronomy 25:5
"If brothers live together, and one of them dies childless, his widow is not to marry someone unrelated to him; her husband's brother is to go to her and perform the duty of a brother-in-law by marrying her.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if any man ask you, why do ye loose [him]?.... As our Lord, being God omniscient, knew this question would be asked by the owners, and therefore prepares his disciples with an answer to it:

thus shall ye say unto him, because the Lord hath need of him. The Syriac and Persic versions read "our Lord", yours, and ours; probably the owners of the colt might be such as knew the Lord Jesus Christ, and by this way of speaking of him, knew, at once, who was meant, and so made no scruple of sending him, as Christ told them they would not, and so they found it; :- and

:-

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 21:1-16.


 
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