lying in wait for him, and seeking to catch him in something he might say, that they might accuse him.
Parallel translations
- KJV Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
- BSB waiting to catch Him in something He might say.
- ESV lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
- NKJV lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.
- NASB plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.
- NLT They wanted to trap him into saying something they could use against him.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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
The leaders lay in wait to trap Jesus in His words so they could accuse Him. Their malice was deliberate and premeditated.
Overview
Luke describes a calculated effort to ensnare Jesus, setting verbal traps to find grounds for accusation. This persistent scheming sets the stage for the formal charges that would eventually be brought against Him. Yet their plots, however cunning, would only serve God's saving purpose, for through the cross the innocent Christ would secure redemption.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Mark 12:13They sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words.
- Matt 22:35One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
- Matt 22:15Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk.
- Matt 22:18But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?
- Ps 37:32–33The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to kill him.
- Ps 56:5–6All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil.
- Luke 20:20They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
- Mark 3:2They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 11:54 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.