Luke 12:19

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up ¹for many years; relax, ²eat, drink, be merry.'

Luke 12:19 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 12:19

And I will say to my soul
Himself, see ( Psalms 49:18 ) or to his sensual appetite, which he sought to indulge and gratify, for he was wholly a sensual and carnal man:

soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years:
he foolishly promises himself a long life, when no man can boast of tomorrow, or knows what a day will bring forth; or can assure himself he shall live a day, an hour, or moment longer: and he also depended upon the safety of his goods, thus laid up; whereas his barns might be consumed by fire at once, or his goods be devoured by vermin, or plundered by thieves, and by various ways taken out of his hands; for riches are uncertain things, and make themselves wings and fly away:

take thine case, eat, drink, and be merry;
spend thy life in ease, luxury, and mirth; put away the evil day far from thee: never trouble thyself about a future state, tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundantly; and thou hast enough to make thyself happy, and let nothing disturb thee, and give a loose to all sensual pleasures, and carnal joys. This is the language of epicure among the Jews, and is forbidden to be used, especially on fast days; for so it is said, ^F9

``let not a man say I will go to my house, "and I will eat and drink", (and say) (yvpn Kyle Mylv) , "peace to thee, O my soul"; if he does so, of him the Scripture says, ( Isaiah 22:13 Isaiah 22:14 ) "Behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die---surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you, till ye die"''

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 11. 1.

Luke 12:19 In-Context

17 and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'

18 And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'

20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Cross References

• 1. [Proverbs 27:1; James 4:13-15]
• 2. Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 11:9; 1 Corinthians 15:32; [Luke 15:23]