Luke 14:29

Greek (Tischendorf 8th ed.)

English Translation

Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,

World English Bible · Public Domain

Highlights

1 first appearance in the Greek New Testament

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ἐκτελέσαι

ekteléō

G1615

“to finish”

Verb, Aorist, Active, Infinitive

Appears 2× in the Greek New Testament
First appears here

Full Thayer's Definition

Origin: from G1537 and G5055

TDNT: None

1. to finish, complete

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

15: words
14: distinct lemmas
Gospels: section

Notable vocabulary

The rarest word here is ἐκτελέσαι to finish G1615 — appearing just 2 times in the whole Greek New Testament.

First appearance in Scripture

This word makes its first canonical appearance in the Greek New Testament here:

ἐκτελέσαι to finish G1615

Shared distinctive vocabulary

ἐκτελέσαι to finish G1615 occurs in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. Also found in:

Luke 14:30

Repetition

A word recurs within this verse:

αὐτοῦ he G846 ×2

Commentary

Notes on Luke 14:29 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Bengel's Gnomon

Johann Albrecht Bengel

Luk 14:29. Ἄρξωνται, begin to) No one laughs at the man, whose attempts are not abortive.[150]

[150] It is only when they prove failures, men then begin to laugh.—E. and T.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Expositor's Greek Testament

ed. W. Robertson Nicoll

Luk 14:29 . ἐμπαίζειν , to mock; an unfinished tower is specially ridiculous: height is essential. οὗτος , etc., this man, contemptuously; “this” stands for a proper name. “Vulgo ponunt N. N.,” Bengel. Jesus here appeals with characteristic tact to one of the most sensitive feelings of human nature shrinking from ridicule. Who would care to be spoken of all his days as the man who commenced a tower and could not finish it?

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

29. all that behold it begin to mock him] Very possibly this might have actually happened in some well-known instance, since the Herodian family had a passion for great buildings and probably found many imitators. First failure, then shame awaits renegade professions and extinguished enthusiasms.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

Saying, this man began to build,.... He set out well, he promised great things, and made a considerable bluster and stir, as if he would carry things at once to a very high pitch:

and was not able to finish; it was all noise and talk, and nothing else: falling off from a profession of religion, exposes men to contempt and scorn; such are not only cast out of churches with disgrace, but are despised by men, by wicked men; and are a reproach, a proverb, and a taunt in all places; and even are mocked by devils too.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Ver. 29. Begin to mock him, saying, &c.] Of all things, men love not to be jeered; for there is none but thinks himself worthy of some regard, and is therefore impatient of reproaches. If neither fear of God nor shame of men prevail with us, actum est.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Haply - Perhaps.

To mock him - To ridicule him. To laugh at him.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Lest after, &c. Here he wishes to shew us, that we are not to embrace any state of life, particularly that of an ecclesiastic, without previous and serious consideration, whether we shall be able to go through with the difficulties and dangers which will inevitably befall us: lest afterwards we find ourselves constrained to yield to our enemies, who will deride us, and say: This man began to build, and was not able to finish. (Tirinus)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

Daniel D. Whedon

29. Begin to mock him—Just as the world always does when a Christian, especially a young convert, gives out. There are three possible ways in the case. One is to make a hasty profession without the capital. The second is to decline to attempt to become a disciple. The third is to obtain, what always may be obtained, the strength from God to prosecute and persevere. The third the Lord has specified in Luk_14:26. The two other alternatives he is describing now.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges

29. πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες ἄρξωνται αὐτῷ ἐμπαίζειν. Very possibly this might have actually happened in some well-known instance, since the Herodian family had a passion for great buildings and probably found many imitators. First failure, then shame awaits renegade professions and extinguished enthusiasms.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

International Critical Commentary

29. μὴ ἰσχύοντος ἐκτελέσαι. “Not having the means to finish.” For ἐκτελεῖν comp. Deu 32:45; 1Ki 14:15 ; 2Ch 4:5; 2Ch_2 Mac. 15:9; Dan. 3:40 (Theod.). Not elsewhere in N.T.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament

Marvin R. Vincent

To finish [εκτελεσαι] . Lit., "to finish out" [εκ] .

Behold [θεωρουντες] . Attentively watching the progress of the building. See on ch. Luk 10:18.

Begin to mock. As his resources come to an end.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Luke, in the Gospels, opens this verse with 15 words (14 distinct Greek lemmas). Its most distinctive word is ekteléō (“to finish”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

What does “to finish” (ekteléō) contribute to the verse as a whole?
This is the first place “to finish” appears in Scripture (first appears here). What does its debut here establish?
How does Luke 14:30, which shares the word «to finish», read alongside this verse?
What does the repetition of “he” (2× in this one verse) do in this verse?
The translations on this page render this verse differently — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment. What might account for the different wordings?
Compare how Bengel's Gnomon and Expositor's Greek Testament read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?

Things to notice

1 word makes its first canonical appearance in Scripture here.
These translations choose different wording for 18 words in this verse.
“he” occurs 2× in this single verse.
14 distinct Greek lemmas span 15 words in this verse.