But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? The parable's devastating climax arrives with divine interruption: eipen de auto ho Theos (εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός, "But God said to him"). The conjunction de (δέ, but) contrasts sharply with the man's self-directed planning—human schemes meet divine sovereignty. Thou fool (aphron, ἄφρων) means senseless, without understanding, morally deficient. This is not an insult but a sober diagnosis of spiritual reality. The fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1); this man lived as if God were irrelevant to his economics.
The phrase this night thy soul shall be required of thee (taute te nykti ten psychen sou apaitousin apo sou, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ) uses banking terminology—apaiteo (ἀπαιτοῦσιν) means to demand back what was loaned. The man treated his psyche (soul/life) as his possession to secure through wealth, but God reveals it was only entrusted temporarily. The present tense "they require" (divine passive, meaning "God requires") emphasizes immediacy—not someday, but this night (ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτί).
Jesus' question, whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? exposes the absurdity of hoarding. All his planning, demolishing, building, storing—rendered instantly meaningless. He gathered for himself but could take nothing with him (1 Timothy 6:7). The verb hetoimazo (ἡτοίμασας, thou hast provided/prepared) carries bitter irony: he prepared everything except his soul for eternity.
Historical Context
In Jewish thought, sudden death was often viewed as divine judgment, especially when it interrupted wicked plans. The rich man's death "this night" parallels other biblical accounts of sudden divine intervention—Belshazzar's feast (Daniel 5), Herod's death (Acts 12:23), and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10). First-century Jews understood that God alone determines the length of life (Psalm 90:12, James 4:13-15). The question "whose shall those things be?" would resonate in a culture where inheritance disputes were common (as in v. 13). Ironically, the inheritance this man hoarded would likely fuel the very family conflicts Jesus was addressing.
Questions for Reflection
In what ways do you live as if you have unlimited time to get right with God and pursue His priorities?
How does the certainty of death and the uncertainty of its timing affect your daily decisions about money, career, and relationships?
What would change in your life if you truly believed God could require your soul 'this night'?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? The parable's devastating climax arrives with divine interruption: eipen de auto ho Theos (εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός, "But God said to him"). The conjunction de (δέ, but) contrasts sharply with the man's self-directed planning—human schemes meet divine sovereignty. Thou fool (aphron, ἄφρων) means senseless, without understanding, morally deficient. This is not an insult but a sober diagnosis of spiritual reality. The fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1); this man lived as if God were irrelevant to his economics.
The phrase this night thy soul shall be required of thee (taute te nykti ten psychen sou apaitousin apo sou, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ) uses banking terminology—apaiteo (ἀπαιτοῦσιν) means to demand back what was loaned. The man treated his psyche (soul/life) as his possession to secure through wealth, but God reveals it was only entrusted temporarily. The present tense "they require" (divine passive, meaning "God requires") emphasizes immediacy—not someday, but this night (ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτί).
Jesus' question, whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? exposes the absurdity of hoarding. All his planning, demolishing, building, storing—rendered instantly meaningless. He gathered for himself but could take nothing with him (1 Timothy 6:7). The verb hetoimazo (ἡτοίμασας, thou hast provided/prepared) carries bitter irony: he prepared everything except his soul for eternity.