Luke 12:5 (KJV)

Passage

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

Luke 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

Luke 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Luke 12:6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "forewarn", "shall", "fear", "after", "hath", and "killed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "forewarn" and "shall", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And I say unto you my friends..." into verse 6's "Are not five sparrows sold for two...", so "forewarn" and "shall" 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 "forewarn" and "shall" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.