Luke 8:3 · Bible study
Luke 8:3 Commentary: Women Ministering from Their Possessions
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Luke highlights women like Joanna, wife of Herod's steward, who supported Jesus from their possessions, and what this reveals about the early
Research Summary
- Meaning: Grateful women, healed by Jesus, used their financial resources to support his itinerant ministry and the Twelve.
- Key words: ἐπίτροπος (steward/manager), διακονέω (serve/minister), ὑπάρχω (possessions, what one already has).
- Main debate: Textual variant: “to him” (αὐτῷ) vs. “to them” (αὐτοῖς), whether support was for Jesus alone or the whole group. Most witnesses favour “to them.”
- Theological theme: Partnership in the gospel, women as co-labourers whose material gifts made preaching possible.
- Best use: Teaching on stewardship, gratitude, and the often-unsung contributions of women in the early church.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Joanna the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza, Susanna, and many others. These women were ministering to them out of their own means.
WEB World English Bible 2000
and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who served them from their possessions.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and Joanna the wife of Chuzas Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered unto them of their substance.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and Joanna wife of Chuza, steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others, who were ministering to him from their substance.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to him of their substance.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Joanna the wife of Chusa, Herod's steward, and Susanna and many others who ministered unto him of their substance.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y Juana, mujer de Chuza, procurador de Herodes, y Susana, y otras muchas que le servían de sus haciendas.
e Joana, a mulher de Cuza, mordomo de Herodes; e Susana, e muitas outras, que lhe serviam com seus bens.
Jeanne, femme de Chuza, intendant d’ Hérode, Susanne, et plusieurs autres, qui l’ assistaient de leurs biens.
und Johanna, das Weib Chusas, des Pflegers des Herodes, und Susanna und viele andere, die ihm Handreichung taten von ihrer Habe.
En Johanna, de huisvrouw van Chusas, den rentmeester van Herodes, en Susanna, en vele anderen, die Hem dienden van haar goederen.
e Giovanna, moglie di Cuza, amministratore d’Erode, e Susanna ed altre molte che assistevano Gesù ed i suoi coi loro beni.
I Joanna, żona Chuzego, urzędnika Herodowego, i Zuzanna, i inszych wiele, które mu służyły z majętności swoich.
и Иоанна, жена Хузы, домоправителя Иродова, и Сусанна, и многие другие, которые служили Ему имением своим.
又 有希律 的家宰 苦撒 的妻子 約亞拿，並 蘇撒拿，和 好些 別的婦女， 都是用 自己的 財物 供給 耶穌和門徒。
And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's chief house-servant, and Susanna and a number of others, who gave him of their wealth for his needs.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 8:3
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Luke names these women to underscore the practical, financial support that sustained Jesus’ itinerant ministry. Barnes notes that early Christians believed it proper to give their property to Christ’s disposal. Calvin emphasizes that Joanna, being the wife of Herod’s steward, came from a high-ranking household, making her willingness to leave comfort and follow Jesus especially commendable. The Cambridge Bible points out that the preferred reading “to them” (αὐτοῖς) broadens the recipients to include the apostles, not just Jesus. Clarke observes that Jesus accepted this help to honor poverty and to model dependence on God’s provision. The consensus is clear: these women, healed and grateful, used their material resources to support the entire travelling company, demonstrating that the gospel movement relied on the generosity of those it touched.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Luke clearly indicates that these women, grateful for healing, used their financial resources to support Jesus and the apostles during his Galilean ministry.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Textual variant: “to him” vs. “to them” | Both readings appear in ancient manuscripts; the women provided material support. | Some traditions favour “to him” (Christ alone), while others follow the majority reading “to them” (Christ and the apostles). Both sides agree the meaning is not fundamentally altered. |
| Identity of Chuza | Chuza was clearly the steward (ἐπίτροπος) of Herod Antipas. | Some commentators, following an ancient tradition, identify Chuza with the nobleman whose son Jesus healed (John 4:46, 54). Others see no evidence for this identification. |
| Nature of the women's ministry | The women served financially, out of their own property. | Christians across traditions agree this was financial support, but some emphasize it as a model for all believers to give generously, while others see it as a distinct role for wealthy patrons. |
| Women in public ministry | Luke highlights women as active, generous participants in Jesus’ mission. | Traditions differ on whether this passage supports women in formal leadership or only in supportive roles, but all recognize that these women were public disciples who used their resources for the gospel. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, ruled as a client king under Rome. His household operated on a scale that made the position of “steward” (ἐπίτροπος, epitropos) a high office. As Clarke explains, the word designates an overseer of domestic affairs, akin to a modern lord steward. Chuza, Joanna’s husband, held this role, placing Joanna within the elite of Galilean society. The Cambridge Bible notes that the Herodian court was well aware of Jesus; John the Baptist had been a figure there, and Manaen, Herod’s foster-brother, later became a Christian (Acts 13:1). Some commentators speculate that Chuza might have been the courtier whose son Jesus healed (John 4:46, 54).
Women in first-century Judaism had limited legal independence, but those with resources could manage property. For a woman of Joanna’s standing to leave her household and travel with a rabbi was an act of social risk and personal conviction. The mention of “many others” (ἕτεραι πολλαί) shows that this support network was substantial. The needs of Jesus and the Twelve were small by modern standards. The Cambridge Bible describes a Palestinian itinerant’s cost of living as minimal: dates, parched corn, water, and open-air sleeping. Yet even that required a reliable source of funds, and the women provided it.
Luke’s placement of this list just before the Parable of the Sower is intentional. The same chapter that teaches about fruitfulness begins by showing fruitfulness in action: grateful hearts producing tangible, financial fruit. The women’s support made the preaching tour possible, and Luke wants his readers to see the kingdom advancing not only through proclamation but through partnership.
Textual Notes
The main textual variant in this verse is the pronoun after “ministered.” Significant manuscripts (including Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus) read “to them” (αὐτοῖς), while others have “to him” (αὐτῷ). The Cambridge Bible, Clarke and Lange note this variant. The preferred reading “to them” indicates the women supported the whole travelling group of Jesus and the Twelve. The variant does not change the essential meaning: the women were providing material support for the mission.
Reception History
Early Christian writers pointed to these women as models of grateful stewardship. In the Reformation, Calvin highlighted Joanna’s piety, noting that she left a luxurious home to share hardship with Christ. Adam Clarke in the Wesleyan tradition used the verse to teach that Jesus accepted help to encourage ministers to rely on God’s provision through his people. In modern times, the passage is frequently cited to affirm women’s financial agency and their indispensable role in sustaining the early church. The mention of “many others” reminds readers that behind every public ministry stands a network of quiet, generous supporters.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Healed to Help. Each woman named had been delivered from evil spirits or infirmities. Their service flowed from gratitude for healing.
- Resources Released for the Kingdom. They served “out of their possessions” (ὑπαρχόντων), not from surplus alone but from their actual substance. This was sacrificial giving.
- The Cost of Following. Joanna’s connection to Herod’s court meant she left a comfortable, possibly hostile, environment. Calvin notes she overcame opposition by the “ardour and constancy of her zeal.”
Five-point outline
- Diverse Healers. The women include Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, a high-ranking wife; Susanna; and many unnamed others.
- Gratitude in Action. Their healing led them to minister (διακονέω), a word often used of table service and practical help.
- A Partnership Model. The variant reading “to them” shows they supported the whole apostolic team, not only Jesus.
- Social Risk. Traveling with an unmarried male teacher was unconventional. These women willingly sacrificed reputation for the kingdom.
- Sustaining the Mission. Their financial provision allowed Jesus to preach without charging the poor, keeping the gospel free.
Illustration hooks
- A church secretary whose salary is paid by an anonymous donor, the giver never takes credit but the work continues.
- A retired teacher who uses her pension to support two missionary families abroad, reading their prayer letters each month.
- A small group that pools grocery money to buy supplies for a homeless ministry, discovering that their “small” gifts add up.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does Jesus expect us to give away everything, or is there a balance?
- Why does Luke bother to name these women if they appear only briefly?
- How can I support gospel work when my own resources feel limited?
Leading a Discussion
This short verse sits between Jesus’ healing ministry and the Parable of the Sower. It shows that the kingdom advances not only through preaching but through the practical partnership of grateful people. As you discuss, notice how Luke highlights the financial role of women, a detail the other Gospels omit.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about each woman from the details Luke provides? Why might he include their names?
- The verb “ministered” (διηκόνουν) is the same word used for table service. How does that shape your understanding of their role?
- Joanna is identified by her husband’s position. Why might that detail be important to Luke’s original readers?
- The text says they served “out of their possessions.” What does this phrase suggest about the extent of their giving?
- How did Jesus’ acceptance of this financial help demonstrate his full humanity and his dependence on others?
- What would it have cost Joanna, socially, to follow Jesus? How does her example challenge us?
- In what practical ways can we “minister to Christ” with our resources today? How does Matthew 25:40 connect here?
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)
| I Chronicles 29:14 | But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and we have given you of your own. |
| Isaiah 23:18 | Her merchandise and her wages will be holiness to Yahweh. It will not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise will be for those who dwell before Yahweh, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing. |
| Matthew 2:11 | They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. |
| Matthew 14:1 | At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, |
| Matthew 25:40 | “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ |
| Matthew 26:11 | For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me. |
| Luke 9:7 | Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, |
| Luke 9:9 | Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke clarifies that Herod's steward managed the king's domestic household, not a province. He notes that the best manuscripts read "unto them" instead of "unto him," meaning these women ministered to both Jesus and the twelve apostles, not to Christ alone.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the early Christians saw giving to Christ's cause as turning over everything they owned, not just a portion. The word steward originally meant a trusted slave, and this points to the complete surrender of property and heart that Jesus still requires from every follower.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that Joanna and Susanna were wealthy women of high rank who had been cured of ordinary diseases, not dramatic deliverance like Mary Magdalene. Their devotion stands out because they left comfortable homes to follow Christ, supported his ministry from their own property, and likely faced opposition from Chuza, Herod's steward, yet overcame it through unwavering zeal.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge note draws attention to the practical way Jesus and the Apostles supported themselves. These women, including Joanna whose husband managed Herod's household, gave from their own resources. Even in a land where daily needs were small, Jesus was so poor He could not pay the Temple tax.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that these women supported Jesus from their own personal wealth, including Joanna, wife of a high-ranking official in Herod's court. Their ministry of material provision models how faithful disciples use their resources practically to sustain the Lord's work.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that Chuza, Joanna’s husband, was a Jewish name from a well-known Jewish family, not an Idumean one as some claimed. He then highlights that these women, including Susannah, supported Jesus and his disciples from their own personal wealth, demonstrating gratitude for Christ’s healing and revealing his humble earthly circumstances.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees Jesus accepting women's material support as a deliberate act that elevates women's status. For him, this marks the beginning of women's service in the church and a decisive break from Jewish Rabbinic restrictions, foretelling a new order of love and equality in Christ.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry notes that Christ made preaching his constant, orderly business, traveling through every city and village so that none could plead ignorance. He emphasizes Christ's regular, itinerant method as a deliberate pattern, setting an example for his disciples to traverse the nations with the same glad tidings.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the Greek word for steward, tracing it to a verb meaning to turn toward or transfer. The term literally refers to a person to whom the management of affairs has been turned over or entrusted. The steward is defined by this act of being entrusted with someone else's business.