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And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
Luke 18:34 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn’t understand the things that were said.
  • BSB But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.
  • NKJV But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.
  • NASB The disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
  • NLT But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.

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 disciples understood none of this; its meaning was hidden from them. Even plain words about the cross can be missed without divine insight.

Overview

Despite Jesus' clear prediction, the disciples could not grasp it, its significance being hidden for the time. Their expectations of a triumphant Messiah blinded them to the necessity of his suffering. Only after the resurrection would they understand, reminding us that spiritual understanding is a gift God gives.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Luke 9:45But 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.
  • Mark 9:32But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
  • Luke 2:50And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
  • Luke 24:45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
  • John 16:1–19These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
  • John 10:6This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
  • John 12:16These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
  • Luke 24:25Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 18:34YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 18:34 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.