For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Parallel translations
- WEB for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.”
- KJV For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
- NKJV for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it. ”
- NASB for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things that you hear, and did not hear them.”
- NLT I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Prophets and kings longed to see the Messiah's day but did not live to witness it; the disciples now do. They stand at the climax of redemptive history.
Overview
Jesus underscores the unique privilege of his hearers: the saints of old yearned for what the disciples now behold and hear. The fulfillment of God's promises in Christ surpasses every prior glimpse of the Kingdom. This heightens the responsibility of those who receive the gospel they could only anticipate.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- John 8:56Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”
- 1 Pet 1:10–12Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace to come to you searched and investigated carefully,
- Heb 11:13All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
- Heb 11:39These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 10:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.