Luke 9:45

9:45 Its significance was hidden from them: The disciples were often slow to understand, partly because their eyes were blinded to the truth until after the resurrection (see study note on Mark 6:52).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 9:45. Αἴσθωνται, that they perceived it not) Ἐπίγνωσις, knowing a thing, or understanding it (referring to ἠγνόουν), produces αἴσθησις, sense, or perception and feeling of it: when the former is wanting, the latter is necessarily so.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

and they feared--"insomuch that they feared." Their most cherished ideas were so completely dashed by such announcements, that they were afraid of laying themselves open to rebuke by asking Him any questions.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 45. But they understood not] See Clarke on Mr 9:32.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. shake off the very dust from your feet] See Act_13:51; Act_18:6.

45. they understood not] This ignorance and incapacity, so humbly avowed, should be contrasted with the boldness and fulness of their subsequent knowledge as one of the strongest proofs of the change wrought in them by the Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And said unto them, whosoever shalt receive this child,.... Or "one such little child", as in Mat 18:5 and so the Syriac version here, "a child like to this"; and the Arabic version, "one like to this child"; not in age, but in meekness and humility; one that is not proud and haughty, ambitious of worldly honour, and envious at the superior state of others: whoever receives such an one into his house and heart, and the Gospel he preaches,

in my name; because he belongs to me, is sent by me, and represents me, and delivers my message:

receiveth me; represented by him, and will be so taken:

and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me; See Gill on Mar 9:37.

For he that is least among you all; that is so, in his own opinion, and behaves as such in his conduct, who is lowly and meek, and humble; and so the Ethiopic version, rather interpreting than translating, renders it, "for he that makes himself humble, who is lesser than all"; who considers himself as the least of the apostles, and unworthy to be one, as did the Apostle Paul:

the same shall be great; shall be highly honoured with gifts, and made greatly useful, as the above mentioned apostle was: a saying like this, the Jews have (u);

"every one, , "that makes himself little", for the words of the law in this world, , "shall be made great" in the world to come;''

that is, in the days of the Messiah: and again it is said by (w) them,

"worthy is he that makes himself little in this world, how great and high shall he be in that world!--whoever is little shall be great, and he that is great shall be little.''

(u) T. Bab Bava Metzia, fol. 85. 2. (w) Zohar in Num. for. 70. 1. & Tosaphta in Zohar in Gen. fol. 76. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

Ver. 45. They understood not this saying] So besotted they were with that carnal conceit of an earthly kingdom, still retained by the Jews to this day.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It was hid from them - They had imbibed the common notions of the Jews that he was to be a prince and a conqueror, to deliver the nation. They could not understand how that could be, if he was soon to be delivered into the hands of his enemies to die. In this way it was hid from them - not by God, but by their previous false belief. And from this we may learn that the plainest truths of the Bible are unintelligible to many because they have embraced some belief or opinion before which is erroneous, and which they are unwilling to abandon. The proper way of reading the Bible is to lay aside all previous opinions and submit entirely to God. The apostles should have supposed that their previous notions of the Messiah were wrong, and should have renounced them. They should have believed that what Jesus “then” said was consistent with his being the Christ. So “we” should believe that “all” that God says is consistent with truth, and should forsake all other opinions.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They understood not this word. They understood well enough what was meant by being delivered into the hands of his enemies, and being put to death; but they could not comprehend how Jesus Christ, whom they knew to be the Messias, and the Son of God, and whom they believed to be immortal, and eternal, could suffer death, or affronts and outrages from men. These ideas seemed incompatible; they perceived in them some mystery, which they could not penetrate. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

And they feared to ask him of that saying. The "saying" was to them so utterly distasteful, perhaps inconceivable. It is possible that they thought this betrayal and death simply veiled for them some bit of teaching to be explained hereafter; it is possible they at once dismissed it from their minds, as men often do painful and mournful forebodings. At all events, they dreaded asking him any questions about this dark future of suffering which he said lay before him.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45. ἠγνόουν. This permanent ignorance and incapacity, so humbly avowed, should be contrasted with the boldness and fulness of their subsequent knowledge. It furnishes one of the strongest proofs of the change wrought in them by the Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

παρακεκαλυμμένον. ‘Veiled over.’ It was not yet for them revealed, i.e. seen with the veil removed. The word is an ἅπαξ λεγόμενον in N. T.

ἵνα μὴ αἴσθωνται αὐτό. Not as in the A. V[205] ‘that they perceived it not,’ but as in the R. V[206] ‘that they should not perceive it.’ The ἵνα represents the divine purpose.

[205] A. V. Authorised Version.

[206] R. V. Revised Version.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45.] ἵνα—not to be evaded by forcing it to mean ‘so that they did not …,’ but to be rendered that they might not, as in Mat 1:22 al. It was the divine purpose, that they should not at present be aware of the full significancy of these words.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

45. ἦν παρακεκαλυμμένον ἀπʼ αὐτῶν. A Hebraism, occurring here only in N.T. Comp. Eze 22:26, and the subst. Wisd. 17:3. More often we have ἀποκρύπτειν ἀπὸ: 10:21; Jer 32:17; or κρύπτειν ἀπό: Mat 11:25; Psa 37:10. Lk. alone states that this ignorance of the disciples was specially ordered for them. The ἵνα here has its full telic force. They were not allowed to understand the saying then, in order that they might remember it afterwards, and see that Jesus had met His sufferings with full knowledge and free will. Comp. 18:34, 24:16.

It is strange that this mention of their want of understanding should be attributed to a wish to abase the Twelve in the interests of S. Paul: for (1) it is plainly stated that they were prevented by God from understanding; and (2) Mk. mentions their ignorance no less than Lk. We saw above that Lk. omits the rebuke for want of faith addressed to the disciples who failed to heal the demoniac boy. See on ver. 43 and 8:24.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.