Luke 8:18

Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(18) Take heed therefore how ye hear.—This again meets us in different contexts. Here and in Matthew 13:12 (where see Note), after the interpretation of the Sower; in Matthew 25:29, as the lesson of the parable of the Talents; in Luke 19:26, in an analogous position, as the lesson of the parable of the Pounds.

That which he seemeth to have.—Better, with the margin, as 1Corinthians 10:12, that which he thinks he hath. It is only in this passage that the close of the proverb takes this form. The man who does not use his knowledge has no real possession in it; and shallow and unreal as it is, he will lose even that. The work of education in all its many forms, intellectual or spiritual, in boyhood or manhood, presents but too many instances of the operation of this law.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:4-21 There are many very needful and excellent rules and cautions for hearing the word, in the parable of the sower, and the application of it. Happy are we, and for ever indebted to free grace, if the same thing that is a parable to others, with which they are only amused, is a plain truth to us, by which we are taught and governed. We ought to take heed of the things that will hinder our profiting by the word we hear; to take heed lest we hear carelessly and slightly, lest we entertain prejudices against the word we hear; and to take heed to our spirits after we have heard the word, lest we lose what we have gained. The gifts we have, will be continued to us or not, as we use them for the glory of God, and the good of our brethren. Nor is it enough not to hold the truth in unrighteousness; we should desire to hold forth the word of life, and to shine, giving light to all around. Great encouragement is given to those who prove themselves faithful hearers of the word, by being doers of the work. Christ owns them as his relations.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Mark 4:21-25.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

18. how ye—in Mr 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 Mt 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.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 4:24", See Poole on "Matthew 13:12", See Poole on "Matthew 25:29".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Take heed therefore how ye hear,.... That ye hear not in a careless and negligent manner, since what truths and doctrines ye now hear with the ear, are to be preached by you unto others:

for whosoever hath; that is, hath knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel, and hath gifts and abilities to preach them to others:

to him shall be given; more knowledge, and by using his gifts they shall be increased:

but he that hath not; true, solid, spiritual knowledge of divine things, though he has had considerable advantages and opportunities of learning it, as the apostles especially had:

from him shall be taken, even that which he seemeth to have; or "that which he thinks he has", as the Syriac version renders it; that which he seemed to others to have, or thought himself he had: the knowledge he had of truth, and which was rather a show of knowledge than real, shall be taken from him; his seeming gifts and parts shall die, and vanish away, and he shall be left to fall into ignorance, error, and heresy. Observe that this is to be understood not of internal grace, and experimental knowledge, but of speculative notions of the Gospel, and of external gifts; and so furnishes out no argument against the final perseverance of real saints; See Gill on Matthew 13:12. See Gill on Matthew 25:29.

Geneva Study Bible

{3} Take {f} heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that {g} which he seemeth to have.

(3) Heavenly gifts are lost when one is sparing with them, and increase when one is liberal with them.

(f) That is, with what minds you come to hear the word, and how you behave yourselves when you have heard it.

(g) Either to himself, or to others, or to both: for there are none so proud as these fellows, if it were possible to see those things which they disguise: neither are there those that deceive the simple more than they do.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 8:18 enforces the duty thence arising, to be careful hearers; hearing so as really to know; shortcoming here will disqualify for giving light. Jesus has inculcated the duty of placing the light so that it may illuminate; He now inculcates the prior duty of being lights.—ὃ δοκεῖ ἔχειν: the δοκεῖ may be an editorial explanatory comment to remove the apparent contradiction between μὴ ἔχη and ὃ ἔχει (Weiss, Mk.-evang., p. 157).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

18. Take heed therefore how ye hear] and also “what ye hear,” Mark 4:24.

to him shall be given] Comp. Luke 19:26. It was evidently a thought to which our Lord recurred, John 15:2.

that which he seemeth to have] Rather, that which he thinketh he hath. This fancied possession is mere self-deception.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 8:18. [Πῶς, how) With what result and fruit.—V. g.—ἀκούετε, ye hear) Ye especially who are appointed to instruct others.—V. g ὅς γὰρ ἂν ἔχῃ, for whosoever hath) and has accordingly done his best, by word and deed, to effect that the word or light should strike the eyes of others.—V. g.]—δοκεῖ, seems) He only seems to have who does not use. Accordingly, if that too[the semblance of having] be taken away, what, I would ask, will remain left to the wretched being?

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 18. - Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. A grave warning to his disciples primarily, and then to all who take upon themselves any work, even the humblest, connected with teaching Divine truth. The real strident, patient, humble, and restlessly industrious, he shall be endowed with ever-increasing powers; while the make-believe, lazy, and self-sufficient one shall be punished by the gradual waning of the little light which once shone in his soul. Luke 8:18

Vincent's Word Studies

How ye hear (τῶς)

The manner of hearing. Mark has τί, what ye hear; the matter.

Seemeth (δοκεῖ)

Peculiar to Luke. Rev. renders "thinketh he hath," as James 1:26, on which see note. Wyc., guesseth; Tynd., supposeth.