Luke 16:17
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But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
it is easier, &c.--(See on Mat 5:17-18)
Open source ↗The scope of Christ's discourse in this chapter is to awaken and quicken us all so to use this world as not to abuse it, so to manage all our possessions and enjoyments here as that they may make for us, and may not make against us in the other world; for they will do either the one or the other, according as we use them now. I. If we do good with them, and lay out what we have in works of piety and charity, we shall reap the benefit of it in the world to come; and this he shows in the parable of the unjust steward, who made so good a hand of his lord's goods that, when he was turned out of his stewardship, he had a comfortable subsistence to betake himself to. The parable itself we have (Luk 16:1-8); the explanation and application of it (Luk 16:9-13); and the contempt which the Pharisees put upon the doctrine Christ preached to them, for which he sharply reproved them, adding some other weighty sayings (Luk 16:14-18). II. It, instead of doing good with our worldly enjoyments, we make them the food and fuel of our lusts, of our luxury and sensuality, and deny relief to the poor, we shall certainly perish eternally, and the things of this world, which were thus abused, will but add to our misery and torment. This he shows in the other parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which has likewise a further intention, and that is, to awaken us all to take the warning given us by the written word, and not to expect immediate messages from the other world (Luk 16:19-31).
Open source ↗16:17 that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force: Although the new covenant fulfilled the Old Testament law and prophets, the law has not passed away (however, cp. Acts 15:23-29). • Heaven and earth will be destroyed and replaced by a new heaven and earth at the end of the age (Rev 21:1), but God’s word endures forever (Ps 119:89, 160; Isa 40:8; 55:10-11).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like gnats. But My salvation will last forever, and My righteousness will never fail.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.