Luke 12:19 Meaning and Explanation
“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →He addresses his own soul: you have goods laid up for many years; take your ease — eat, drink, and be merry.
What Does Luke 12:19 Mean?
The man preaches a little sermon to himself, and its creed is security by storage: much goods, many years. He speaks to his soul as though a soul could be fed from a barn, and prescribes ease — eat, drink, and be merry — the language Scripture gives to those who live as if tomorrow were their own (Isa 22:13).
The deepest error is not the feast but the arithmetic. He has counted his grain and counted his years, and only one of the two was his to count. A soul cannot live on goods, and a lifespan cannot be laid up in storage. He has mistaken provision for life itself — exactly the confusion Jesus named in verse 15.
Luke 12:19 in the Original Language
psyche (ψυχή), 'soul' -- the soul or life, the living self.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 12:19
What does Luke 12:19 mean?
He addresses his own soul: you have goods laid up for many years; take your ease — eat, drink, and be merry.