^12:49“I have come¹²⁸ to bring¹²⁹ fire on the earth—and how I wish it were already kindled! ^12:50I have a baptism¹³⁰ to undergo,¹³¹ and how distressed I am until it is finished! ^12:51Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!¹³²^12:52For from now on¹³³ there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. ^12:53They will be divided,¹³⁴ father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Reading the Signs

^12:54Jesus¹³⁵ also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west,¹³⁶ you say at once, ‘A rainstorm¹³⁷ is coming,’ and it does. ^12:55And when you see the south wind¹³⁸ blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and there is. ^12:56You hypocrites!¹³⁹ You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how¹⁴⁰ to interpret the present time?

Clear the Debts

^12:57“And¹⁴¹ why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

Read in Logos

Luke 12:51: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

Footnotes

128 This mission statement, “I have come to bring fire on the earth,” looks to the purging and division Jesus causes: See Luke 3:9, 17; 9:54; 17:29 for fire, 5:32; 7:34; 9:58; 12:51 for the topic of mission.
129 Grk “cast.” For βάλλω (ballō) in the sense of causing a state or condition, see L&N 13.14.
130 The figure of the baptism is variously interpreted, as some see a reference (1) to martyrdom or (2) to inundation with God’s judgment. The OT background, however, suggests the latter sense: Jesus is about to be uniquely inundated with God’s judgment as he is rejected, persecuted, and killed (Ps 18:4, 16; 42:7; 69:1–2; Isa 8:7–8; 30:27–28; Jonah 2:3–6).
131 Grk “to be baptized with.”
132 Or “hostility.” This term pictures dissension and hostility ( διαμερισμός).
133 From now on is a popular phrase in Luke: 1:48; 5:10; 22:18, 69; see Mic 7:6.
134 There is dispute whether this phrase belongs to the end of v. 52 or begins v. 53. Given the shift of object, a connection to v. 53 is slightly preferred.
135 Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “also” and δέ (de) has not been translated.
136 A cloud rising in the west refers to moisture coming from the Mediterranean Sea.
137 The term ὄμβρος (ombros) refers to heavy rain, such as in a thunderstorm (L&N 14.12).
138 The south wind comes from the desert, and thus brings scorching heat.
139 In Luke, the term hypocrites occurs here, in 6:42, and in 13:15.
140 Most (𝔓45 A W Ψ f1, 13 𝔐 lat) have a syntax here that reflects a slightly different rhetorical question: “but how do you not interpret the present time?” The reading behind the translation, however, has overall superior support: 𝔓75 א B L Θ 33 892 1241 .
141 Jesus calls for some personal reflection. However, this unit probably does connect to the previous one—thus the translation of δέ (de) here as “And”—to make a good spiritual assessment, thus calling for application to the spiritual, rather than personal, realm.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“I came to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already set ablaze! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how it consumes me until it is finished! Do you think that I came here to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, five in one household will be divided: three against two, and two against three.

They will be divided, father against son,

son against father,

mother against daughter,

daughter against mother,

mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law,

and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

NLTNew Living Translation

“I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.

‘Father will be divided against son

and son against father;

mother against daughter

and daughter against mother;

and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law

and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right. When the south wind blows, you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is. You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.

“Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish that it had been kindled already! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am distressed until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to grant peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! For from now on there will be five in one household, divided three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

And he also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say at once, ‘A rainstorm is coming,’ and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be burning heat,’ and it happens. Hypocrites! You know how to evaluate the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it you do not know how to evaluate this present time?

And why do you not also judge for yourselves what is right?

KJV 1900King James Version

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

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