And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "compel them to come in" doesn't mean force them physically, but rather to urge them with such earnestness and persuasive love that their reluctance is overcome, highlighting God's passionate desire for everyone to experience His feast, not just the invited.
And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The parable continues with the master, after his initial guests have refused, sending his servant out to find more people for his grand feast. This time, the search extends beyond the city streets to the "highways and hedges," places where the outcasts and less respectable people would be found. The master's urgent command is to "compel" them to come, highlighting the immense value he places on filling his house with guests.
The first guests invited to the master's feast were the 'prominent' ones, but they made excuses. So, who gets invited next?
Expanding the Guest List
The parable paints a picture of a grand feast, and the initial invitations went out to those expected – the well-connected, the influential. But they all made excuses, prioritizing their own affairs. This is where the master's instruction takes a surprising turn:
The word 'compel' sounds intense, maybe even forceful. But what does it mean in this context?
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Not Force, But Fervor
The instruction to 'compel' people to come in is powerful, but it's crucial to understand its meaning within the parable and biblical context.
Why is the master so determined to fill his house? What does this tell us about God's heart?
The Abundance of God's Feast
The repeated emphasis on filling the house speaks volumes about the nature of God's provision and invitation.
Understand the original words
anankazō · Greek Verb
A strong, urgent verb implying to use influence, pressure, or moral suasion to ensure someone acts; in this context, it reflects the divine persistence in inviting people into the kingdom.
This parable, told in the context of Jesus dining with a Pharisee, directly addresses the exclusive attitudes of religious leaders. It illustrates God's abundant grace, first offered to Israel (the invited guests), but then extended forcefully and widely to the Gentiles (those on the highways and hedges) when they rejected the invitation.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus dines with a Pharisee
Jesus is invited to a meal at the house of a prominent Pharisee. During the meal, he tells several parables, including the one about the Great Banquet, which contains the verse in question.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' ministry and teachings
The parables Jesus taught during his ministry, especially those concerning the Kingdom of God, were often delivered in direct response to the attitudes and actions of religious leaders like the Pharisees. This parable challenges their exclusivity.
c. 33 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The ultimate sacrifice and victory of Jesus, central to the Christian message, provides the context for the 'great banquet' that God offers to all humanity.
c. 33-48 AD
Early Church Preaching to Jews
Following Jesus' ascension, the apostles initially focused their preaching on the Jewish people, who were the 'invited guests' in the parable. Many rejected the message.
c. 48 AD onwards
Mission to the Gentiles begins
After significant rejection from the Jewish leadership and many of the people, the apostles, particularly Paul, began to actively preach the Gospel to the Gentile nations, fulfilling the parable's command to go 'to the highways and hedges'.
c. 60-68 AD
New Testament Writings
The Gospels of Luke and Matthew record Jesus' parables, preserving them for future generations and theological reflection. Luke's account places the parable during Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem.
This passage from Matthew presents a very similar parable where the king's servants are also sent out to gather guests from the 'highways' after the invited have refused, directly paralleling the scope and urgency of Luke 14:23.
Acts 13:46Paul and Barnabas, after being rejected by the Jews, declare that they will now turn to the Gentiles, mirroring the shift in the parable from the initially invited to those on the 'highways and hedges'.
Romans 10:14-15This passage highlights the necessity of someone being sent to preach the gospel and the beauty of those who bring 'good news,' reflecting the servant's mission to 'compel' those outside the established circles to attend the feast.
2 Corinthians 5:20Paul describes himself and other apostles as 'ambassadors for Christ,' as though God were making his appeal through them, which aligns with the servant acting on behalf of the master to earnestly invite guests.
John 1:16This verse speaks of all believers receiving 'grace upon grace,' emphasizing the abundant and overflowing nature of God's provision, which resonates with the master's desire to fill his house completely.
barnesLuke 14:23: "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."
Go out into the highways - Since enough had not been found in the lanes and streets, he commands the servant to go into the roads - the public highways out of the city, as well as to the streets "in" it - and invite them also. Hedges - A hedge is the inclosure around a field or vineyard. It was commonly made of thorns, which were planted thick, and whic…
vincentLuke 14:23: "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."
Hedges (φραγμοὺς)See on Matthew 21:33. It may mean either a hedge, or a place enclosed with a hedge. Here the hedges beside which vagrants rest.CompelCompare constrained, Matthew 14:22; Acts 26:11; Galatians 6:12. Not to use force, but to constrain them against the reluctance which such poor creatures would feel at accepting the invitation of a great l…
The phrase "compel them to come in" doesn't mean force them physically, but rather to urge them with such earnestness and persuasive love that their reluctance is overcome, highlighting God's passionate desire for everyone to experience His feast, not just the invited.
The parable continues with the master, after his initial guests have refused, sending his servant out to find more people for his grand feast. This time, the search extends beyond the city streets to the "highways and hedges," places where the outcasts and less respectable people would be found. The master's urgent command is to "compel" them to come, highlighting the immense value he places on filling his house with guests.
The parable continues with the master, after his initial guests have refused, sending his servant out to find more people for his grand feast. This time, the search extends beyond the city streets to the "highways and hedges," places where the outcasts and less respectable people would be found. The master's urgent command is to "compel" them to come, highlighting the immense value he places on filling his house with guests.
"And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled." — The phrase "compel them to come in" doesn't mean force them physically, but rather to urge them with such earnestness and persuasive love that their reluctance is overcome, highlighting God's passion…
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Last reviewed October 2026