Luke 14:19"Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.'
The setting
Galilee, ~29 AD. Jesus tells a parable about a wealthy man's banquet. The oxen excuse reveals agricultural priorities in first-century Palestine, near modern-day Israel.
The emotion here: urgently warning his listeners about misplaced priorities
The original word
zeugos (ζεῦγος) — a yoke, pair of oxen representing significant agricultural investment
Why it matters
Five yoke of oxen (10 animals) represented enormous wealth—equivalent to owning multiple tractors today
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 14:19
This wasn't a poor farmer—this was a wealthy landowner making excuses
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about being literally too busy. It's about choosing lesser investments over God's kingdom invitation—the oxen weren't an emergency, they were an excuse.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 14:19
Bible Genome reading
Luke 14:19 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 14:19 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 15% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include priorities, materialism. Notable phrases: five yoke of oxen; must go try them out.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Luke 14:19 mean to you, today?
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