But they didn’t understand what he meant.
Parallel translations
- WEB They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them.
- KJV And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
- BSB But they did not understand the statement He was making to them.
- NKJV But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
- NASB And yet they on their part did not understand the statement which He had made to them.
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
His parents did not understand what He said. It matters because even Jesus' words about His sonship were not immediately grasped.
Overview
Luke notes that Mary and Joseph failed to comprehend Jesus' statement about His Father. The full meaning of His identity unfolded gradually, even to those nearest Him. The verse honestly records that the depths of Christ's mission were not yet understood.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Luke 18:34They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn’t understand the things that were said.
- Mark 9:32But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
- 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.
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 2:50 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.