Luke 5:39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, 'The old is better.'"

◄ Luke 5:39 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, 'The old is better.'"

English Standard Version
And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

New American Standard Bible
"And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.'"

King James Bible
No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, The old is better.'"

International Standard Version
No one who has been drinking old wine wants new wine, because he says, 'The old wine is good enough!'"

American Standard Version
And no man having drunk old wine desireth new; for he saith, The old is good.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And no man drinking old, hath presently a mind to new: for he saith, The old is better.

Darby Bible Translation
And no one having drunk old wine straightway wishes for new, for he says, The old is better.

Young's Literal Translation
and no one having drunk old wine, doth immediately wish new, for he saith, The old is better.'

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

5:27-39 It was a wonder of Christ's grace, that he would call a publican to be his disciple and follower. It was a wonder of his grace, that the call was made so effectual. It was a wonder of his grace, that he came to call sinners to repentance, and to assure them of pardon. It was a wonder of his grace, that he so patiently bore the contradiction of sinners against himself and his disciples. It was a wonder of his grace, that he fixed the services of his disciples according to their strength and standing. The Lord trains up his people gradually for the trials allotted them; we should copy his example in dealing with the weak in faith, or the tempted believer.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Lu 5:33-39. Fasting.

(See on [1577]Mt 9:14-17.)

The incongruities mentioned in Lu 5:36-38 were intended to illustrate the difference between the genius of the old and new economies, and the danger of mixing up the one with the other. As in the one case supposed, "the rent is made worse," and in the other, "the new wine is spilled," so by a mongrel mixture of the ascetic ritualism of the old with the spiritual freedom of the new economy, both are disfigured and destroyed. The additional parable in Lu 5:39, which is peculiar to Luke, has been variously interpreted. But the "new wine" seems plainly to be the evangelical freedom which Christ was introducing; and the old, the opposite spirit of Judaism: men long accustomed to the latter could not be expected "straightway"—all at once—to take a liking for the former; that is, "These inquiries about the difference between My disciples and the Pharisees," and even John's, are not surprising; they are the effect of a natural revulsion against sudden change, which time will cure; the new wine will itself in time become old, and so acquire all the added charms of antiquity. What lessons does this teach, on the one hand, to those who unreasonably cling to what is getting antiquated; and, on the other, to hasty reformers who have no patience with the timidity of their weaker brethren!