But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.
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.
- KJV And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
- 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.
- 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 didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
- Mark 9:32But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
- Luke 2:50They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them.
- Luke 24:45Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.
- John 16:1–19“I have said these things to you so that you wouldn’t be caused to stumble.
- John 10:6Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t understand what he was telling them.
- John 12:16His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him.
- Luke 24:25He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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.