Luke 8:18
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Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
how ye--in Mar 4:24, "what ye hear." The one implies the other. The precept is very weighty. seemeth to have--or, "thinketh that he hath" (Margin). The "having" of Mat 13:12 (on which see), and this "thinking he hath," are not different. Hanging loosely on him, and not appropriated, it is and is not his.
Open source ↗Most of this chapter is a repetition of divers passages of Christ's preaching and miracles which we had before in Matthew and Mark; they are all of such weight, that they are worth repeating, and therefore they are repeated, that out of the mouth not only of two, but of three, witnesses every word may be established. Here is, I. A general account of Christ's preaching, and how he had subsistence for himself and his numerous family by the charitable contributions of good people (Luk 8:1-3). II. The parable of the sower, and the four sorts of ground, with the exposition of it, and some inferences from it (Luk 8:4-18). III. The preference which Christ gave to his obedient disciples before his nearest relations according to the flesh (Luk 8:19-21). IV. His stilling a storm at sea, with a word's speaking (Luk 8:22-25). V. His casting a legion of devils out of a man that was possessed by them (Luk 8:26-40). VI. His healing the woman that had the bloody issue, and raising Jairus's daughter to life (v. 41-56).
Open source ↗8:18 those who listen: Cp. Prov 9:9.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.
If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord’s command.
Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.