Luke 12:20 (GNV)

Passage

But God said vnto him, O foole, this night wil they fetch away thy soule from thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided?

Nearby Context

Luke 12:18 And he said, This wil I do, I wil pul downe my barnes, and builde greater, and therein will I gather all my fruites, and my goods.

Luke 12:19 And I wil say to my soule, Soule, thou hast much goods laide vp for many yeeres: liue at ease, eate, drinke and take thy pastime.

Luke 12:20 But God said vnto him, O foole, this night wil they fetch away thy soule from thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided?

Luke 12:21 So is he that gathereth riches to himselfe, and is not riche in God.

Luke 12:22 And he spake vnto his disciples, Therefore I say vnto you, Take no thought for your life, what yee shall eate: neither for your body, what yee shall put on.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "vnto", "foole", "night", "fetch", "away", "soule", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "vnto", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "And I wil say to my soule..." into verse 21's "So is he that gathereth riches to...", so "said" and "vnto" 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 "vnto" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.