And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Those who led the way rebuked him, that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”
- BSB Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
- NKJV Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
- NASB Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
- NLT “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
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 crowd tries to silence him, but he cries out all the more. Persistent faith refuses to be deterred.
Overview
Those leading the way rebuke the beggar, but obstacles only intensify his appeal. His refusal to be silenced models the persevering prayer Jesus taught earlier in the chapter. Genuine faith presses through opposition to reach Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Gen 32:26–28And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
- Ps 141:1Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.
- Luke 18:15And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
- Luke 11:8–10I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
- Matt 26:40–44And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
- Jer 29:12–13Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
- Matt 7:7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- Luke 18:1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
- Luke 8:49While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
- Luke 11:52Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
- 2 Cor 12:8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
- Luke 19:39And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
- Luke 18:38And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 18:39 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.