Luke · Chapter 6 · Forgiveness
Luke 6:37 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context
What has been forgiven, you can forgive.
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Both translations, side by side
WEB · World English Bible
"Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free."
KJV · King James Version
"2532 Judge2919 not3361, and2532 ye shall2919 not3364 be judged2919: condemn2613 not3361, and2532 ye shall2613 not3364 be condemned2613: forgive630, and2532 ye shall be forgiven630:"
How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses not, shall, forgive, forgiven, while the WEB renders these as don, you, won, set. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.
In context
Luke 6:37 in Luke 6
A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Luke 6:37 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Luke 6. Read the full chapter →
- v.35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
- v.36 “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.
- v.37 Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.
- v.38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”
- v.39 He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?
Book background
About the Book of Luke
- Testament
- New Testament
- Genre
- Gospel
- Author
- Luke, the physician and travelling companion of Paul
- Date written
- c. 60–62 AD
- Audience
- Theophilus and Gentile Christians broadly
- Chapters
- 24
Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. He uniquely records the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the rich man and Lazarus; the Magnificat and Benedictus; and Jesus' special concern for women, the poor, and the marginalised.
Setting: A careful historical investigation (1:1-4); paired with Acts.
Key themes: saviour for all · compassion · prayer · Holy Spirit · reversal
Memorisation aid
How to memorise Luke 6:37
Luke 6:37 contains 22 words in 6 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.
- 1
Don’t judge
DJ
- 2
and you won’t be judged
AYWBJ
- 3
Don’t condemn
DC
- 4
and you won’t be condemned
AYWBC
- 5
Set free
SF
- 6
and you will be set free.
AYWBSF
Frequently asked
FAQ about Luke 6:37
What does Luke 6:37 say?
Luke 6:37 reads: "Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free." — from the New Testament, Luke (Gospel). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.
What book of the Bible is Luke 6:37 in?
Luke 6:37 is in the book of Luke, traditionally attributed to Luke, the physician and travelling companion of Paul and written around c. 60–62 AD. Luke is gospel in the New Testament, originally addressed to Theophilus and Gentile Christians broadly. Best known for the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.
What is Luke 6:37 about?
Luke 6:37 is primarily a Bible verse about Forgiveness. Within Luke, Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.
What is the difference between Luke 6:37 in WEB and KJV?
Luke 6:37 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "2532 Judge2919 not3361, and2532 ye shall2919 not3364 be judged2919: condemn2613 not3361, and2532 ye shall2613 not3364 be condemned2613: forgive630, and2532 ye shall be forgiven630:". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.
How long is Luke 6:37?
Luke 6:37 is 22 words in the WEB translation (116 characters), broken into 6 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 7 seconds.
How can I memorise Luke 6:37?
To memorise Luke 6:37, split it into its 6 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.
Why does Luke 6:37 matter in Luke?
Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. He uniquely records the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the rich man and Lazarus; the Magnificat and Benedictus; and Jesus' special concern for women, the poor, and the marginalised. Luke 6:37 sits within this larger story — Luke as a whole emphasises saviour for all, compassion, prayer.
How can I apply Luke 6:37 today?
Many readers use Luke 6:37 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Luke 6:37 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.
More designs
10 verses to read next
A fresh set of verses every visit — each on its own photo background. Tap any card to open the full study page.
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Romans 5:8
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Read context →
-
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Read context →
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Ephesians 4:32
“And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”
Read context →
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2 Chronicles 7:14
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will fo…”
Read context →
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Matthew 5:44
“But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,”
Read context →
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James 5:16
“Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.”
Read context →
-
1 Peter 4:8
“And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
Read context →
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Matthew 6:14
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
Read context →
-
Psalms 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.”
Read context →
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Psalms 103:12
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Read context →
More featured verses in Luke 6
Read full chapter →
Luke 6:27
““But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”
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Luke 6:31
““As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.”
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Luke 6:38
““Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you meas…”
Read context →
More featured verses in Luke
Browse Luke →
Luke 1:37
“For nothing spoken by God is impossible.””
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Luke 10:27
“He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor a…”
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Luke 11:9
““I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.”
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