And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

LUKE 12:18KJV
Know the Bible

Luke 12:18 (KJV)

What does Luke 12:18 mean?

Luke 12:18 describes a man deciding to tear down his barns and build bigger ones so he can store all his crops and possessions. The verse shows the man’s plan to handle his abundance by focusing on keeping and securing his wealth for himself.

In this part of Jesus’ parable, Jesus is telling a story to a crowd, using the example of a rich man who has had a great harvest. The man is speaking to himself, planning how to manage his unexpected surplus. The verse highlights his self-centered thinking and sets up the lesson Jesus will draw about the dangers of greed and misplaced priorities.

The Greek behind Luke 12:18

  • The word for "barns" is ἀποθήκας (apothēkas), which refers to storage places or storehouses. This shows the man is thinking about physical security and accumulation.
  • The verb "bestow" is συνάξω (synaxō), meaning to gather together or store up. The Greek emphasizes the act of collecting and keeping everything for himself, not sharing or distributing.
  • The word for "greater" is μείζονας (meizonas), meaning larger or greater in size. The man’s focus is not just on replacing his barns, but on expanding his capacity for more.

Why Luke 12:18 matters

  • Luke 12:18 clears up the misunderstanding that having more always leads to security or satisfaction; the verse shows the man’s anxiety and effort to protect his wealth.
  • The verse emphasizes how the man’s thinking is centered on himself, using "my barns," "my fruits," and "my goods," which sets up Jesus’ warning against selfishness and greed in the following verses.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by illustrating the mindset Jesus warns about: trusting in possessions rather than in God, and missing the bigger purpose of life.

Where else these words appear

“barns” Greek G596 · used in 6 verses

  • Matthew 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
  • Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
  • Luke 3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

“down” Greek G2507 · used in 9 verses

  • Mark 15:36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
  • Luke 1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
  • Acts 13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

“fruits” Greek G1081 · used in 9 verses

  • Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
  • Matthew 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
  • Luke 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

“build” Greek G3618 · used in 38 verses

  • Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
  • Luke 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
  • Acts 7:47 But Solomon built him an house.