Luke 12:5 · Bible study
Luke 12:5 Commentary: The Proper Object of Holy Fear
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Jesus' command to fear the One who can cast into Gehenna. Is this God or Satan? What does he teach believers about fear?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus commands his disciples to fear God, who holds ultimate authority over body and soul after death, rather than fearing human persecutors.
- Key words: G5399 phobeō (fear, reverent awe), G1067 geenna (Gehenna, place of final judgment), G1849 exousia (authority, God's sovereign power after death).
- Main debate: Whether 'him' refers to God or Satan; the overwhelming consensus from the early church through modern commentators is God, based on the consistent biblical usage of 'fear' and the scope of divine judgment.
- Theological theme: The fear of God as the antidote to the fear of man; a holy reverence that leads to faithful witness, not paralyzing terror.
- Best use: Preaching on courage in persecution, the reality of judgment, and the pastoral need to distinguish healthy fear from anxiety.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!
WEB World English Bible 2000
But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
KJV King James Version 1769
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But I will warn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
but I will show to you, whom ye may fear; Fear him who, after the killing, is having authority to cast to the gehenna; yes, I say to you, Fear ye Him.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But I will shew you whom ye shall fear: Fear him who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, Fear him.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But I will shew you whom you shall fear: Fear ye him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you: Fear him.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas os enseñaré á quién temáis: temed á aquel que después de haber quitado la vida, tiene poder de echar en la Gehenna: así os digo: á éste temed.
Mas eu vos mostrarei a quem deveis temer; temei a aquele, que depois de matar, também tem poder para lançar no inferno; sim, a este temei.
Je vous montrerai qui vous devez craindre. Craignez celui qui, après avoir tué, a le pouvoir de jeter dans la géhenne; oui, je vous le dis, c’ est lui que vous devez craindre.
Ich will euch aber zeigen, vor welchem ihr euch fürchten sollt: Fürchtet euch vor dem, der, nachdem er getötet hat, auch Macht hat, zu werfen in die Hölle. Ja, ich sage euch, vor dem fürchtet euch.
Maar Ik zal u tonen, Wien gij vrezen zult: vreest Dien, Die, nadat Hij gedood heeft, ook macht heeft in de hel te werpen; ja, Ik zeg u, vreest Dien!
ma io vi mostrerò chi dovete temere: Temete colui che, dopo aver ucciso, ha potestà di gettar nella geenna. Sì, vi dico, temete Lui.
Ale wam okażę, kogo się bać macie: Bójcie się tego, który, gdy zabije, ma moc wrzucić do piekielnego ognia; zaiste powiadam wam, tego się bójcie.
но скажу вам, кого бояться: бойтесь того, кто, по убиении, может ввергнуть в геенну: ей, говорю вам, того бойтесь.
我要指示 你們 當怕 的是誰：當怕 那殺了 以後 又有 權柄 丟 在 地獄裡的。我實在 告訴 你們，正要怕 他。
But I will make clear to you of whom you are to be in fear: of him who after death has power to send you to hell; yes, truly I say, Have fear of him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 12:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jesus here refers to God, not Satan. The Cambridge Bible notes that the command to 'fear' is never used of the devil in Scripture, and Satan has no power to cast into Gehenna. Gill and Calvin point out that the phrase describes one who has authority over the soul after the body is killed, authority that belongs to God alone. The Greek verb echonta (present participle: 'has') combined with the aorist infinitive apokteinai ('to kill') highlights God's ongoing, settled power beyond physical death. Wesley and Clarke both stress that this fear is appropriate even for Christ's 'friends,' not as a servile terror but as a holy reverence that frees believers from the fear of human threats. The demonstrative pronoun touton ('this one') at the end adds emphasis: this God, and no one else, is to be feared.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus is commanding his disciples to fear God, who alone holds ultimate authority over life, death, and eternal judgment—a fear that liberates them from the fear of human threats.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'Him' (God or Satan) | Almost all commentators agree the verse refers to God, who alone has authority to judge both body and soul in Gehenna. | A very small number of early interpreters (one Church Father mentioned by the Cambridge Bible) wondered if it might refer to the Devil, but this view is not supported by the broader biblical pattern of 'fear' language or by the scope of power ascribed here. |
| Fear for believers | Christians agree that this command to fear is directed at Jesus' own disciples (his 'friends'), not just unbelievers. | Some traditions (e.g., Wesleyan/Arminian) stress that this fear includes the possibility of final apostasy; others (Reformed) see it as a means God uses to preserve his people in faith, not as a threat to their ultimate security. |
| Gehenna as literal or symbolic | All agree Gehenna denotes a place of divine punishment, drawing on the actual Valley of Hinnom as a historical and cultural image. | Some read it as a literal place of unending conscious torment; others as a symbol of final, irreversible judgment (e.g., annihilationist views). |
| Relationship to Matthew 10:28 | Both passages teach that God, not human persecutors, is the one to fear, and that he has power over both body and soul. | Matthew 10:28 adds 'destroy both soul and body,' while Luke 12:5 says 'has power to cast into Gehenna.' Some see a difference in nuance: 'destroy' may refer to ruin or loss of well-being, not necessarily cessation of existence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke 12 sits within a larger discourse where Jesus warns his disciples against hypocrisy (v.1) and the fear of human opposition. The immediate background is persecution: religious leaders and civil authorities may kill the body, but God alone holds authority over the soul. Gehenna (Greek: geenna) refers to the Valley of Hinnom, a ravine south of Jerusalem. In the Old Testament, it was the site of child sacrifice to Molech (Jeremiah 7:31), later defiled by King Josiah (2 Kings 23:10). By Jesus' time, it had become the city's garbage dump, where fires burned continuously to consume refuse, a vivid image for divine judgment. The Cambridge Bible notes that the term is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew, not an attempt to translate it into an equivalent Greek term, preserving its distinct cultural and theological weight. Jesus uses Gehenna to describe a reality far worse than physical death: God's final judgment. The cultural practice of making proclamations from housetops (mentioned in v.3, with background from Barnes via Thomson) frames the urgency: what is whispered in fear will be shouted openly. Jesus is telling his disciples that the only fear worth holding is the fear of the One who will have the last word over every person.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 12:5. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts. The only minor variation is the presence or absence of the article before geennan in some early witnesses, but this does not affect the sense.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Luke 12:5 has been read primarily as a warning to fear God rather than human opponents. A few early interpreters, including one Church Father noted by the Cambridge Bible, cautiously raised the possibility that 'him' might refer to Satan, but this never gained traction. Protestant Reformers like Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasized the pastoral purpose: holy fear is the cure for slavish fear of people. Methodist writers Wesley and Clarke applied the verse to believers, insisting that even the most mature Christian needs to maintain reverence for God's power to judge. In the modern era, the verse is often cited in discussions of the reality of hell and the cost of discipleship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The wrong fear: Fear of those who can only kill the body (v.4). Human threats are real but limited.
- The right fear: Fear of the One who has authority to cast into Gehenna (v.5). This fear expels all lesser fears.
- The shape of holy fear: Not a cowering terror but a reverent trust that leads to faithful confession (vv.8, 9).
Five-point outline
- Jesus speaks to friends: This warning is for his disciples, not outsiders (v.4).
- Human power has a limit: They can take life, but nothing more (v.4).
- God's power has no limit: He has authority after death (v.5a).
- The place of judgment: Gehenna, a real and terrible prospect (v.5b).
- The threefold emphatic call: 'Yes, I tell you, fear him', driving home the point (v.5c).
Illustration hooks
- A parent warns a child about a hot stove, not because they want the child to live in terror, but because they want them to live. The warning is an act of love.
- A doctor tells a patient a hard truth about their health to save their life. The truth is painful, but the intent is mercy.
- During a storm, the anchor holds not because the sea is calm, but because it reaches below the surface. Fear of God is the anchor that holds when everything around us shakes.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it healthy for a Christian to fear hell? Doesn't the Bible say love drives out fear (1 John 4:18)?
- How can I tell the difference between a holy fear of God and a fearful, anxious faith?
- Does this verse mean I should live in constant dread of judgment? Where is the good news?
Leading a Discussion
This verse comes in the middle of a passage where Jesus is preparing his disciples for opposition. He begins with a warning about hypocrisy, then moves to the fear of human threats, and finally calls them to a holy fear that leads to faithful confession. The question is not whether we should fear, but who we should fear.
Discussion questions
- Read Luke 12:1, 5. Why does Jesus link hypocrisy with fear of human opinion?
- What does the word 'Gehenna' mean, and why does Jesus use that specific image here?
- Why do you think Jesus repeats 'fear him' three times in v.5? What does that repetition tell us about the point?
- Some early interpreters wondered whether this verse referred to God or Satan. What clues in the text, and in the rest of Scripture, help us decide?
- In v.4 Jesus calls the disciples 'friends.' How does being a friend of Jesus change the way we hear this warning?
- How does a proper fear of God actually free us from fear of other people? Can you give a real-life example?
- What practical difference would it make in your week if you woke up each morning with a healthy fear of God and a loosened grip on what others think of you?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 9:17 | The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God. |
| Proverbs 14:26 | In the fear of Yahweh is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children. |
| Jeremiah 5:22 | Don’t you fear me?’ says Yahweh; ‘Won’t you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? Though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail. Though they roar, they still can’t pass over it.’ |
| Jeremiah 10:7 | Who shouldn’t fear you, King of the nations? For it belongs to you. Because among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is no one like you. |
| Matthew 5:22 | But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. |
| Matthew 10:28 | Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. |
| Matthew 25:41 | Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; |
| Matthew 25:46 | These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that even God's closest friends must maintain a holy fear of Him, because He holds authority to destroy both body and soul in hell. A person has only one life to lose and one soul to save; sacrificing eternal salvation for temporary safety is sheer madness.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes grounds Jesus' image of proclamation from the housetops in a known Eastern custom. He cites a firsthand account of local governors still having their commands announced by a crier who climbs the highest roof and calls out in a set form, making the metaphor vivid and concrete.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin draws a sharp contrast between fearing men and fearing God. Fearing men shows disrespect to God, while a devout fear of God gives victory over human threats. Men can only kill the body, but God has power over both body and soul, making holy fear the cure for cowardice.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary insists the command to fear refers to God, not Satan, because Scripture never tells us to fear the Devil nor says he has power to cast into Gehenna. It also stresses that Gehenna should be kept as a transliteration rather than rendered "hell," since it refers to a distinct Hebrew concept involving the Valley of Hinnom.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes stress the sharp distinction between fearing human enemies and fearing God. The real threat is not the one who can only kill the body, but the one who holds the power to cast into hell after death. This is why Christ repeats the command so emphatically.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that Jesus acts as a monitor, directing believers to the only One they should fear: God, who not only can kill the body but also has power to cast the soul into hell. The fear called for is not a slavish terror but a reverent, filial fear of displeasing Him.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the Greek word behind "forewarn," noting it carries the force of a pointed warning rather than a simple prediction. He also connects the mention of hell to his earlier note on Matthew 5:22, implying a deliberate link between this warning and that severe judgment.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that Christ gave the warning about fearing the one who can cast into hell even to his own close friends and followers. Consequently, Wesley insists this fear of God's power to condemn is not only for unbelievers but must be urged on true believers themselves.