Luke 5:27 · Bible study
Luke 5:27 Commentary: The Call of Levi
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Jesus call a tax collector like Levi? This study examines the Greek, context, and meaning of Christ's scandalous grace to sinners.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus sovereignly calls a despised tax collector to discipleship, demonstrating grace that reaches the unworthy.
- Key words: ἐθεάσατο (etheasato, contemplated), τελώνης (telōnēs, tax collector), ἀκολούθει (akolouthei, present imperative: 'keep on following')
- Main debate: Whether the call implies unconditional election (Grace alone) or a universal offer (human response). The text emphasizes Jesus' initiative.
- Theological theme: Divine grace overcomes social and moral barriers; calling leads to immediate obedience and communal witness.
- Best use: Evangelism, discipleship, and challenging church assumptions about who is 'reachable.'
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him,
WEB World English Bible 2000
After these things he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me!”
KJV King James Version 1769
And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And after these things he went forth, and beheld a publican, named Levi, sitting at the place of toll, and said unto him, Follow me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And after these things he went forth, and beheld a tax-gatherer, by name Levi, sitting at the tax-office, and said to him, `Be following me;'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And after these things he went forth and saw a tax-gatherer, Levi by name, sitting at the receipt of taxes, and said to him, Follow me.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And after these things, he went forth and saw a publican named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said to him: Follow me.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y después de estas cosas salió, y vió á un publicano llamado Leví, sentado al|strong="G1909, G3588" banco de los públicos tributos, y le dijo: Sígueme|strong="G0190, G3427".
Depois destas coisas, ele saiu; e viu um cobrador de impostos, chamado Levi, sentado na coletoria de tributos, e disse-lhe: Segue-me.
Après cela, Jésus sortit, et il vit un publicain, nommé Lévi, assis au lieu des péages. Il lui dit: Suis-moi.
Und darnach ging er aus und sah einen Zöllner mit Namen Levi am Zoll sitzen und sprach zu ihm: Folge mir nach!
En na dezen ging Hij uit, en zag een tollenaar, met name Levi, zitten in het tolhuis, en zeide tot hem: Volg Mij.
E dopo queste cose, egli uscì e notò un pubblicano, di nome Levi, che sedeva al banco della gabella, e gli disse: Seguimi.
A potem wyszedł i ujrzał celnika, imieniem Lewiego, siedzącego na cle, i rzekł mu: Pójdź za mną.
После сего Иисус вышел и увидел мытаря, именем Левия, сидящего у сбора пошлин, и говорит ему: следуй за Мною.
這事 以後，耶穌出去， 看見 一個稅吏，名叫 利未，坐 在 稅關上，就 對他 說：「你跟從 我來。」
And after these things he went out, and saw Levi, a tax-farmer, seated at the place where taxes were taken, and said to him, Come after me.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 5:27
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 this verse highlights the sovereignty and grace of Jesus in calling an unlikely disciple. Vincent notes that the Greek verb ἐθεάσατο (etheasato) means to look attentively, Jesus did not glance casually but observed with deliberate intent. This is no random encounter; Jesus specifically singles out Levi, a tax collector despised by pious Jews as a traitor and sinner. Gill emphasizes that this call is an instance of 'powerful, special, and distinguishing grace,' and that Jesus 'singled out' Levi from among others at the tax booth. Cambridge adds that Levi is almost certainly the same person as Matthew (the evangelist), making this call the origin of a gospel writer. Barnes observes that Levi's immediate response, leaving everything, shows genuine faith. The consensus is clear: Jesus calls the unworthy, and his call creates a radical, joyful obedience.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus directly and intentionally called a tax collector named Levi to become his disciple, and Levi responded by leaving his profession and following him.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Levi | Levi is the same person as Matthew the tax collector and apostle. | Some suggest Matthew was a new name given by Jesus (Lange); others argue it was Levi's other name, used interchangeably after the call. |
| Nature of the call | Jesus initiates the call without prior request from Levi. | Reformed traditions see this as an effectual call of the elect (Gill: 'distinguishing grace'); others emphasize the free response of Levi as a model of human decision (Barnes: Levi 'left everything' of his own will). |
| Meaning of the feast | Levi hosted a large banquet with Jesus and other tax collectors. | Barnes views it primarily as an evangelistic opportunity; others see it as a celebration of conversion and a model of Christian hospitality. |
| The call's relation to sin | Levi was a sinner in the eyes of the Pharisees and the public. | Some stress that Jesus came only to call the sick, implying a universal sinfulness; others note the specific context of tax collectors as particularly notorious sinners, highlighting the radical nature of grace. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Tax collectors in first-century Judea were among the most despised figures in Jewish society. They worked for the Roman occupying power or for puppet rulers like Herod Antipas, and they often extorted more than required for personal gain. The Cambridge Bible notes that Levi likely collected customs tolls on the busy trade route near the Sea of Galilee, possibly at Capernaum. The term 'publican' (KJV) comes from the Latin publicanus, referring to a tax farmer who bid for the right to collect taxes and then profited by overcharging. Such men were ritually unclean and socially ostracized, lumped together with 'sinners' in Jewish parlance. Luke's Gospel, more than the others, highlights Jesus' outreach to the marginalized: women, the poor, Samaritans, and tax collectors. The 'tax booth' (τελώνιον, telōnion) was a small station where tolls were taken from merchants and fishermen passing through. By calling Levi from that booth, Jesus reached into the heart of a system of corruption and declared that even its agents were not beyond redemption. This context underscores the scandal of the call: a rabbi choosing a collaborator as a disciple would have shocked his contemporaries.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 5:27. The verse is well-attested across manuscript traditions. The most notable variation appears in parallel passages (Mark 2:14; Matthew 9:9), but Luke's account is consistent in referring to Levi by name rather than Matthew.
Reception History
Across church history, this verse has been read as a vivid demonstration of Christ's sovereign call to sinners. Early church fathers, such as John Chrysostom, highlighted the sudden transformation of a tax collector into an apostle. In the medieval period, the story was often used to illustrate the power of conversion and the virtue of leaving worldly wealth behind, a model for monastic vocation. Reformation commentators like Luther and Calvin emphasized the initiative of divine grace, seeing Levi as a prototype of the justified sinner. More recently, the passage has been a cornerstone for evangelistic appeals, reminding churches that no one is beyond the reach of Jesus' call. The feast Levi gave has also inspired a tradition of evangelistic hospitality, where believers intentionally welcome the marginalized into their homes.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Jesus sees the overlooked. The verb ἐθεάσατο means he looked intently. Others saw a traitor; Jesus saw a potential disciple. God's grace often finds people in the places society ignores.
- Jesus calls the unworthy. Levi had no religious credentials. He was a publican, a sinner. But the call is not based on merit. It is an act of sovereign grace.
- Jesus transforms the outcast. Levi's response, leaving everything and throwing a feast, shows that grace creates both surrender and celebration. The call leads to community, not isolation.
Five-point outline
- Jesus takes the initiative, 'he went out and saw.'
- The call is specific and personal, 'named Levi.'
- The call is authoritative, 'Follow me.' (present imperative: 'be following me')
- The call requires total response, Levi 'left everything' (v.28).
- The call leads to mission, Levi's feast brings other sinners to Jesus (v.29).
Illustration hooks
- The toll booth: A workplace where cheating and cynicism are common. Imagine being called from a job no one respects into a life of purpose.
- The feast: When someone encounters grace, they naturally want to share it. Levi's party is not a distraction from mission; it is mission itself.
- The cost: Levi left a lucrative post for an uncertain future. What does 'leaving everything' look like in a modern context?
Questions your congregation is asking
- Am I too far from God for him to call me? (Levi's example says no.)
- What do I need to leave behind to truly follow Jesus?
- If I follow Jesus, will I lose my friends and social standing? (Levi used his network for good.)
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows that Jesus' call is not for the self-righteous but for those who know they are sinners. Levi's story invites us to examine our own assumptions about who belongs in God's kingdom.
Discussion questions
- What do you know about the social status of tax collectors in first-century Judaism? How does this shape your understanding of Jesus' action?
- Luke says Jesus 'saw' Levi. Why is the quality of that look important? (See Vincent on ἐθεάσατο.)
- Levi left 'everything' to follow Jesus. What does 'everything' refer to in his case? (v.28)
- Why did Levi make a great feast? What does this tell us about how grace affects our relationships? (v.29)
- The Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with sinners. How should Christians today balance purity and hospitality?
- In what areas of your life are you reluctant to hear Jesus say 'Follow me'?
- How can your small group create a 'feast' environment that welcomes people who feel unworthy?
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)
| Matthew 4:19 | He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.” |
| Matthew 4:21 | Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them. |
| Matthew 8:22 | But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” |
| Matthew 9:9 | As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him. |
| Matthew 9:17 | Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” |
| Matthew 10:3 | Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, who was also called Thaddaeus; |
| Matthew 16:24 | Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. |
| Mark 2:13 | He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them. |
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
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke directs the reader to his own notes on the parallel passages in Matthew and Mark for a fuller explanation of Levi's identity and calling. The verse itself offers only the name, so he sends readers elsewhere rather than adding comment here.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that Matthew omitted the detail about hosting a great feast for Jesus from his own gospel, showing how true religion avoids self-praise. He suggests Matthew gathered his fellow tax collectors to bring them into contact with Jesus, and the Lord used the occasion for good despite the risk of criticism.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary identifies Levi as the apostle Matthew, noting that Matthew's name means "gift of God" and was likely adopted after his call. It suggests Matthew may have collected taxes for Herod Antipas rather than Rome, but still faced the same public hatred as other tax collectors.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And after that, he went foorth and sawe a Publicane named Leui, sitting at the receite of custome, and sayd vnto him, Follow me.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Jesus went to the seaside not merely for rest after his work, but with the specific purpose of calling a disciple. From among the publicans there, he singled out Levi, marking this as a powerful act of special, distinguishing grace.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that this passage contains no physical miracle, yet its acts of grace -- the call of a despised tax collector and Christ's fellowship with sinners -- are no less powerful proofs that Jesus was sent by God. For Henry, these "wonders of his grace" carry the same weight as any healing.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the Greek verb in this verse denotes attentive, careful looking, not casual sight. He also cross-references the meanings of "publican" and "receipt of custom" from other passages.