Luke 12:14 (ASV)

Passage

But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

Nearby Context

Luke 12:12 for the Holy Spirit shall teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say.

Luke 12:13 And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me.

Luke 12:14 But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man`s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Luke 12:16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "judge", "divider", and "over". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "judge", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "And one out of the multitude said..." into verse 15's "And he said unto them Take heed...", so "said" and "judge" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "said" and "judge" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.