And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.

LUKE 14:9KJV
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Luke 14:9 (KJV)

What does Luke 14:9 mean?

Luke 14:9 describes a situation where someone who invited you to a feast comes and asks you to give up your seat for another guest, and you are embarrassed as you move to the least important place. The verse warns about the shame that can come from seeking honor for yourself rather than waiting to be honored by others.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to people at a meal, using a story about a wedding feast to teach about humility. He describes how, if you take a prominent seat and someone more important arrives, the host might ask you to move, causing public embarrassment. The lesson is about not assuming your own importance and letting others recognize your value instead.

The Greek behind Luke 14:9

  • "κατασχέιν" (kataschein, G2722) — "to take" or "to occupy." The word here suggests not just sitting somewhere, but actively taking possession of a place, which adds to the sense of presumption in the story.
  • "ἐσχάτην" (eschatēn, G2078) — "lowest" or "last." This word highlights the contrast between aiming for a high position and ending up in the least desirable one, sharpening the warning about pride.
  • "μετὰ αἰσχύνης" (meta aischunēs, G3326 G152) — "with shame." The Greek phrase carries the sense of public embarrassment or disgrace, emphasizing the social consequences of overestimating your own status.

Why Luke 14:9 matters

  • Luke 14:9 clarifies that seeking honor for yourself can backfire and lead to embarrassment, especially in public or social settings.
  • The verse highlights the importance of humility, which is a key theme in Jesus’ teachings throughout this chapter.
  • Understanding this verse helps make sense of the broader lesson Jesus gives about how God values humility over self-promotion, connecting it to the kingdom of God and how people should treat each other.

Where else these words appear

“shame” Greek G152 · used in 6 verses

  • 2 Corinthians 4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
  • Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
  • Jude 1:13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

“take” Greek G2722 · used in 19 verses

  • Matthew 21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
  • Romans 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

“lowest” Greek G2078 · used in 49 verses

  • Matthew 5:26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
  • John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
  • 2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

“say” Greek G2046 · used in 71 verses

  • Matthew 7:4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
  • Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
  • Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?