Luke 17:33 Meaning and Explanation
“Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Whoever seeks to secure his life will lose it; whoever lets his life go will keep it alive.
What Does Luke 17:33 Mean?
This saying is the spine of the whole discourse, and Jesus repeats a form of it more often than almost any other word He spoke (Luke 9:24; Matthew 16:25; John 12:25). Here it interprets Lot's wife and the man on the housetop: grasping at the old life is precisely how it is lost.
Life held with clenched fists dies in the holding; life entrusted to God is preserved — literally kept alive. Jesus is not praising recklessness but reordering ownership: the soul is safe only when surrendered to the One who gave it. He walked this road first, laying down His life and receiving it back in glory. Every letting-go for His sake is not loss but planting.
Luke 17:33 in the Original Language
zoogoneo (ζῳογονέω), 'preserve' -- to keep alive, to preserve life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 17:33
What does Luke 17:33 mean?
Whoever seeks to secure his life will lose it; whoever lets his life go will keep it alive.