Lectionary Calendar
Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Webster's Bible Translation

Luke 19:31

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.

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.'"
Complete Jewish Bible
If anyone asks why you are untying it, tell him, ‘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.
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 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending towards Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when he had come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called [the mount] of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against [you]; in which at your entering ye will find a colt tied, on which yet never man sat: loose him, and bring [him hither]. 31 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. 32 And they that were sent, went and found even as he had said to them. 33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, Why loose ye the colt? 34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him. 35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus upon him. 36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37 And when he had come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works that 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
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
Genesis 6:4
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore [children] to them: the same [became] mighty men, who [were] of old, men of renown.
Genesis 16:2
And Sarai said to Abram, Behold, now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee go in to my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Genesis 16:4
And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Genesis 19:8
Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out to you, and do ye to them as [is] good in your eyes: only to these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
Genesis 19:9
And they said, Stand back. And they said [again], This one [man] came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: Now will we deal worse with thee than with them. And they pressed hard upon the man, Lot, and came near to break the door.
Genesis 19:14
And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Arise, depart from this place; for the LORD will destroy this city: but he seemed to his sons-in-law as one that mocked.
Genesis 19:28
And he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and towards all the land of the plain, and beheld, and lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
Genesis 19:30
And Lot went up from Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he, and his two daughters.
Deuteronomy 25:5
If brethren shall dwell together, and one of them shall die and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without to a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in to her, and take her to him for a wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to 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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