Luke 11:6

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

For ^{G1894} a friend ^{G5384} of mine ^{G3450} in ^{G1537} his journey ^{G3598} is come ^{G3854} to ^{G4314} me ^{G3165}, and ^{G2532} I have ^{G2192} nothing ^{G3756}^{G3739} to set before ^{G3908} him ^{G846}?

because a friend of mine who has been travelling has just arrived at my house, and I have nothing for him to eat.’

because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’

for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;

Luke 11:6 (KJV) is a pivotal line within Jesus' Parable of the Friend at Midnight, immediately following His teaching on the Lord's Prayer. This verse sets the scene for the story, highlighting a common dilemma in ancient Middle Eastern society.

Context

This verse is part of a parable told by Jesus to illustrate the principle of persistent prayer. After a disciple asks Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus provides what is commonly known as the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). He then immediately follows with this parable, emphasizing that God, unlike the reluctant friend, is eager to respond to our prayers.

In the cultural context of the time, hospitality was paramount. It was a deep societal obligation to provide for guests, especially those who had traveled a long distance. An unexpected arrival, particularly at an inconvenient hour like midnight, would put a host in a difficult position if they lacked provisions. The host's desperate plea to his sleeping friend reflects the immense social pressure and personal embarrassment of being unable to fulfill this sacred duty.

Key Themes

The Urgency of Need: The unexpected arrival of a friend "in his journey" creates an immediate and pressing need for food, underscoring the host's dilemma and driving the narrative.
Hospitality: The verse highlights the vital importance of hospitality in ancient society, where providing for guests was not merely a courtesy but a moral imperative.
Setting the Stage for Persistence: While this verse itself doesn't speak directly to persistence, it establishes the predicament that necessitates the "importunity" (Greek: anaideia - "shameless persistence") described in the subsequent verses of the parable.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "to set before him" (Greek: parathēsō) literally means "to place alongside" or "to serve." It refers to the act of presenting food to a guest. The dilemma presented in this verse is the host's complete lack of anything to fulfill this basic act of hospitality, driving him to seek help from his neighbor.

Practical Application

While the immediate context is about a human dilemma, the broader application of this parable, stemming from Luke 11:6, is a powerful encouragement for believers regarding prayer. Just as the host felt compelled to ask his friend repeatedly for bread to meet a pressing need, so too are we encouraged to approach God with our needs, knowing He is a loving Father who delights in giving good gifts to His children (Luke 11:13). This verse reminds us that our needs, no matter how inconvenient or seemingly impossible to resolve, should drive us to persistent prayer, trusting in God's abundant provision and willingness to answer.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

No cross-references found for this verse.