Luke 12:35 Meaning and Explanation
“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Keep your robes belted for action and your lamps burning.
What Does Luke 12:35 Mean?
The teaching turns from possessions to readiness. Loins girded means the long outer robe pulled up and belted so the legs are free for work or travel — the posture commanded at the first Passover, when Israel ate ready to march at a word (Exod 12:11). Burning lamps mean a household awake in the dark, expecting someone.
Together the images sketch the stance of a disciple in the world: dressed for service, lit for the night, leaning toward an arrival. What is awaited is not first an event but a Person, as the next verse shows. Waiting itself becomes a form of devotion when the lamp is kept burning for Him.
Luke 12:35 in the Original Language
perizonnymi (περιζώννυμι), 'girded about' -- to belt up the long robe, ready for work or travel.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 12:35
What does Luke 12:35 mean?
Keep your robes belted for action and your lamps burning.