Luke 6:25 (KJV)

What does Luke 6:25 mean?

Luke 6:25 warns that present comfort and happiness are not a sure sign of what lies ahead. Jesus addresses people who have plenty to eat and who are laughing, telling them that their circumstances will be reversed: hunger and grief will come.

Jesus speaks to his disciples with a large crowd listening. Following his warning to the rich in verse 24, he pictures people whose immediate needs and pleasures are satisfied. His words turn their attention from what they enjoy now to what awaits them.

The Greek behind Luke 6:25

• “Woe” — οὐαί (ouai): This word expresses distress or grief. Here it introduces a warning about a painful future, rather than simply an insult.
• “full” — ἐμπίπλημι (empiplēmi): This word carries the sense of being filled or having enough. Paired with “hunger,” it suggests people whose appetite is satisfied.
• “mourn” — πενθέω (pentheō): This word means to grieve or lament. Alongside “weep,” it gives the coming sorrow an outward expression.

Why Luke 6:25 matters

• The word “now” marks the contrast in time. The laughter belongs to the present, while the mourning and weeping belong to the future Jesus describes.
• The warning also forms a contrast with Jesus’ earlier words to the hungry and those who weep in verse 21. The two groups face opposite changes, giving the passage its repeated pattern of reversal.