Luke 14:25-35 · Bible study
Luke 14:25-35 Commentary: Counting the Cost
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Jesus warn the crowds about the cost of following him?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus calls would-be disciples to count the cost, prioritize him above every human tie, and commit wholeheartedly, or else risk being like salt that has lost its flavor, useless.
- Key words: μισέω (hate), comparative rejection; βαστάζω (bear), to carry a cross; ψηφίζω (count), compute with pebbles; ἀποτάσσομαι (renounce), take leave of, bid farewell.
- Main debate: Whether “hate” and “renounce all” demand literal family rejection and poverty, or are hyperbolic calls to supreme loyalty.
- Theological theme: The cost of discipleship: Jesus demands total surrender, not enthusiastic crowds who follow on their own terms.
- Best use: A sobering check for comfortable Christianity; a call to deliberate, self-denying commitment.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
25Large crowds were now traveling with Jesus, and He turned and said to them,
26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
27And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
28Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
29Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
30saying, ‘This man could not finish what he started to build.’
31Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.
33In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.
34Salt is good, but if the salt loses its savor, with what will it be seasoned?
35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
25Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them,
26“If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.
27Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross and come after me, can’t be my disciple.
28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?
29Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation and isn’t able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,
30saying, ‘This man began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks for conditions of peace.
33So therefore, whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.
34“Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it?
35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
KJV King James Version 1769
25And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
34Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
25Now there went with him great multitudes: and he turned, and said unto them,
26If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have wherewith to complete it?
29Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him,
30saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace.
33So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
34Salt therefore is good: but if even the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill: men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
25And there were going on with him great multitudes, and having turned, he said unto them,
26`If any one doth come unto me, and doth not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yet even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple;
27and whoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.
28`For who of you, willing to build a tower, doth not first, having sat down, count the expence, whether he have the things for completing?
29lest that he having laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all who are beholding may begin to mock him,
30saying--This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31`Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, doth not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him?
32and if not so--he being yet a long way off--having sent an embassy, he doth ask the things for peace.
33`So, then, every one of you who doth not take leave of all that he himself hath, is not able to be my disciple.
34`The salt is good, but if the salt doth become tasteless, with what shall it be seasoned?
35neither for land nor for manure is it fit--they cast it without. He who is having ears to hear--let him hear.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
25And great crowds went with him; and, turning round, he said to them,
26If any man come to me, and shall not hate his own father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yea, and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple;
27and whoever does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
28For which of you, desirous of building a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, if he have what [is needed] to complete it;
29in order that, having laid the foundation of it, and not being able to finish it, all who see it do not begin to mock at him,
30saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish?
31Or what king, going on his way to engage in war with another king, does not, sitting down first, take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him coming against him with twenty thousand?
32and if not, while he is yet far off, having sent an embassy, he asks for terms of peace.
33Thus then every one of you who forsakes not all that is his own cannot be my disciple.
34Salt [then] [is] good, but if the salt also has become savourless, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35It is proper neither for land nor for dung; it is cast out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
25And there went great multitudes with him. And turning, he said to them:
26If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27And whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
28For which of you, having a mind to build a tower, doth not first sit down and reckon the charges that are necessary, whether he have wherewithal to finish it:
29Lest, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that see it begin to mock him,
30Saying: This man began to build and was not able to finish.
31Or, what king, about to go to make war against another king, doth not first sit down and think whether he be able, with ten thousand, to meet him that, with twenty thousand, cometh against him?
32Or else, while the other is yet afar off, sending an embassy, he desireth conditions of peace.
33So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth cannot be my disciple.
34Salt is good. But if the salt shall lose its savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
35It is neither profitable for the land nor for the dunghill: but shall be cast out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 14:25
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 deliberately turned to the enthusiastic but unprepared crowds to sift them. The great multitudes (v.25) were likely Passover pilgrims expecting a triumphant Messiah (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown; Gill). Jesus cuts through that expectation. The word translated “hate” (μισέω) is understood by Clarke, Calvin and others as a Semitic comparative, to love less, as in Matthew 10:37 and Genesis 29:31. “Bear his own cross” (v.27) means willingness to endure disgrace and death (Vincent: each his own cross). The two parables (vv.28-32) teach the necessity of counting the cost before commitment (Barnes; Calvin). Verse 33, “renounce all,” does not require literal abandonment of possessions but an inner readiness to hold nothing back (Calvin: the affections, not outward conduct). The salt saying (vv.34-35) warns that a disciple who loses distinctive faithfulness becomes useless and will be rejected (Lange; Cambridge Bible).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Comparative priority (most commentators): Clarke, Calvin, and others note the Hebrew idiom of 'hate' meaning 'love less,' citing Genesis 29:31 and Matthew 10:37. This view softens the literal harshness while maintaining the radical demand.
- Radical literal hatred (monastic tradition): Some early monastics took 'hate' as a call to literally break family ties and renounce all goods, forming the basis for ascetic communities.
- Inner posture of detachment (Reformed tradition): Calvin emphasizes that 'renouncing all' means the affections, not outward conduct — a heart prepared to leave everything without actually doing so unless called.
What is clear: Jesus demands total, uncompromising loyalty that places him above family, possessions, and even life itself.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of “hate” (μισέω) in v.26 | All traditions agree Jesus does not command emotional hatred of family. The word is used as a Semitic comparative (love less). | Some traditions (e.g., certain monastic movements) have taken the language more literally as a call to abandon family ties. Most Protestants and Catholics see it as hyperbole for supreme loyalty. |
| Renouncing all possessions (v.33) | Every Christian tradition agrees that discipleship requires freedom from attachment to material things. | Catholics and some Protestants point to the monastic vow of poverty as one application, while other Protestants (e.g., Calvin) interpret it as inner detachment, not required physical sale of goods. |
| The salt metaphor (vv.34-35) | Salt represents the disciple’s preserving and seasoning influence in the world. | Some see the warning primarily for Israel (Lange: Israel as salt that lost its savor and was rejected), others for individual believers. All agree that losing saltiness forfeits usefulness. |
| The identity of the warring king (v.31) | The king is an example from everyday life, not an allegory for God or Satan. | A minor interpretive question: some early allegorizers saw the king as Christ and the opposing king as Satan, but most commentators (Barnes, Cambridge Bible) reject this as pushing the parable beyond its point. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke places these verses on Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51; 13:22). Great crowds from Galilee and beyond traveled together for Passover, a feast that stirred nationalistic hopes of liberation from Rome (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). Many saw Jesus as a potential deliverer who would inaugurate God's kingdom visibly and politically. Gill notes that the multitudes likely expected him to set up a temporal kingdom in Jerusalem.
Against this backdrop, Jesus turns to confront their assumptions. Building a tower was a familiar image: wealthy landowners erected watchtowers in vineyards for defense and storage (Barnes; Clarke). The Herodian family had undertaken massive building projects, so failed construction was a recognizable embarrassment. Warfare imagery was equally current: local kings (like Herod Antipas) and Roman forces frequently maneuvered, and small kingdoms faced impossible odds (Cambridge Bible notes the historical allusion to such conflicts). Both parables draw on common sense from everyday experience, no one starts without planning.
The salt metaphor was well known. Salt preserved food, enhanced flavor, and was used as fertilizer (Vincent; Lange). In the ancient world salt could lose its potency if mixed with impurities; such salt was worthless even for the manure pile. Jesus warns that disciples who lose their distinctiveness, their saltiness, become fit only to be thrown out.
Jesus’ turn to the crowd is a turning point: he deliberately corrects popular messianic expectations with the hard truth that following him means potential loss of family, possessions, and life itself.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants that affect the interpretation of this passage. The Greek text is well established. The word order and presence of οὖν (“therefore”) in verse 34 is attested in major manuscripts and connects the salt saying to the preceding context (Cambridge Bible).
Reception History
This passage has been read in diverse ways across church history. Early monastic communities took Jesus’ words about hating family and renouncing all as a literal call to leave home and possessions, forming the basis for ascetic withdrawal. Fathers like Augustine interpreted the “hate” as a detachment that loves God more, not as the emotion of hatred. In the Reformation, Calvin and others stressed that the renunciation is primarily inward, a readiness of heart, and warned against the error of monastic literalism that “led foolish people to adopt a monastic life” (Calvin). Wesley applied the passage to the heart: withdrawing affection from all creatures so that Christ has first place. The salt saying has often been linked to Matthew 5:13 and Mark 9:50, emphasizing the distinctive, preserving role of believers in society. Throughout the centuries, this passage has been used to challenge nominal Christianity and call for deliberate, counted-cost discipleship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Cost of Discipleship (vv.26-27). Jesus demands a loyalty so absolute that every other allegiance, even to family or one’s own life, looks like “hatred” by comparison. This includes readiness to bear a cross, a symbol of shame and death.
- The Calculation Required (vv.28-32). Two parables show that sensible people count the cost before building or going to war. Discipleship demands the same sober assessment: do you have what it takes to finish?
- The Consequence of Failure (vv.33-35). Those who start but do not renounce all become like salt that has lost its saltiness, good for nothing. The call is to hear and obey.
Five-point outline
- Jesus confronts enthusiastic crowds who follow for the wrong reasons (v.25).
- Discipleship demands a comparative “hate” for family and self (v.26).
- Cross-bearing is non-negotiable (v.27).
- Counting the cost is essential, illustrated by two parables (vv.28-32).
- Renouncing all is the mark of true discipleship; saltiness is the warning (vv.33-35).
Illustration hooks
- Home renovation budget. A couple decides to build an addition without calculating the full cost. They run out of money midway. The unfinished project becomes a neighborhood joke. Every decision to follow Christ needs the same kind of realistic planning.
- Starting a new job that demands relocation. You weigh leaving extended family, familiar community, and comfortable routines. The decision forces a choice about what matters most.
- Salt that has been contaminated. A container of salt left open near moisture cakes up and loses its ability to season. You can't restore it. Disciple who give in to the pressures of the world lose their distinctiveness.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does “hate your father and mother” mean I have to cut ties with my family?
- I surrendered my life to Jesus years ago, does this mean I have to renounce all my possessions now?
- What if I feel like I started well but am struggling to continue, am I the saltless salt?
Leading a Discussion
Luke 14:25-35 is one of Jesus’ most demanding passages. He turns to the large crowds following him and spells out the terms of discipleship in stark terms. Use these questions to help your group move from what the text says to what it means for their lives today.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Jesus waited until he had a large crowd before giving this teaching? What does that say about his intentions (see v.25 and the surrounding context)?
- The word “hate” in verse 26 is strong. How do the cross-references in Matthew 10:37 and Genesis 29:31 help clarify what Jesus meant? What does “comparative hate” look like in real relationships?
- Verse 27 says each person carries “his own cross.” How has your understanding of “cross” in the Christian life changed over time? What is your “own” cross right now?
- Both parables (vv.28-32) involve a leader who “sits down” to plan. What spiritual discipline does this picture? Why is it so important before making a commitment to follow Jesus?
- Verse 33 says “renounce all that he has.” Is this a one-time decision or a daily posture? What does renouncing look like for someone who still has a job, a house, and family obligations?
- Jesus compares disciples to salt (vv.34-35). What makes a disciple “salty”? What causes a disciple to lose his or her saltiness? How would you know if it’s happening to you?
- Jesus ends with “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” What is the single most serious question this passage is asking you to consider this week?
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)
| Luke 12:1 | Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. |
| John 6:24 | When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. |
| John 6:27 | Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.” |
| Genesis 29:30 | He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him seven more years. |
| Genesis 29:31 | Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. |
| Deuteronomy 13:6 | If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods”—which you have not known, you, nor your fathers; |
| Deuteronomy 13:8 | you shall not consent to him nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him; |
| Deuteronomy 21:15 | If a man has two wives, the one beloved and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and if the firstborn son is hers who was hated, |
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 explains that "hate" in this verse follows a Hebrew idiom meaning to love less, not to feel animosity. He illustrates this with examples like Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel. The parable of building a tower shows how foolish it is to become Christ's disciple without counting the cost, since the task demands nothing less than God's power.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that becoming a follower of Jesus demands the same sober forethought a man uses before building a tower or entering a war. A mere profession without genuine, persevering piety is as useless as salt that has lost its saltiness and is fit only to be thrown away.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin warns that Christians must honestly prepare for hardship, not expect an easy path. He clarifies that "forsaking all" means being ready in heart to leave everything for Christ, not literally abandoning possessions or family. This internal readiness distinguishes true discipleship.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary highlights that Christ used bold, paradoxical language to impress the cost of discipleship as a lasting principle. "Hate" means setting aside even family when they block following Christ, not simply loving them less. The parables warn against making a profession without counting the cost, and against forcing every detail into an allegory.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes stress that Christ’s demand to “hate” family and one’s own life means to love them far less than Him, even to the point of forsaking all. True discipleship is not casual; it demands a deliberate, costly decision to give up everything, or else the disciple will be like tasteless salt, thrown away.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues the parable of the king going to war is about counting the cost of discipleship, not about making peace with God. The point is that though the contest is unequal, faith strengthened by divine power makes victory possible, but only through total surrender of self. Better not to start than to start and fail.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists the word "hate" here keeps its full force and should not be softened to mean "love less." For him, hatred is not unchristian in itself, only when it conflicts with the supreme love for God. What must be hated in family or in one's own life is whatever irreconcilably opposes the kingdom.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry's distinctive observation is that Christ tailored his message to each audience: to Pharisees he spoke of humility and charity, but to the eager crowds he preached self-denial and the hard cost of discipleship. Many followed him out of mere company rather than true love, so Christ warned them to count the price before professing.