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But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Luke 22:32 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
  • KJV But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
  • NKJV But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
  • NASB but I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail; and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
  • NLT But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

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

Jesus tells Peter He has prayed that his faith would not fail and charges him, once restored, to strengthen his brothers. It shows Christ's intercession preserving His own.

Overview

Though Peter will deny Jesus, Christ's prayer secures that his faith will not be utterly destroyed but will recover. Jesus foresees both the fall and the restoration, turning Peter's failure into future ministry. This is a vivid picture of Christ's ongoing intercession by which He keeps believers to the end.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 33

  • John 21:15–17When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.”
  • 1 Pet 5:8–10Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
  • John 17:9–11I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours.
  • Rom 8:34Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.
  • 2 Cor 1:4–6who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
  • Heb 7:25Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
  • 2 Pet 3:14Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.
  • 1 Jn 2:1–2My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
  • 1 Pet 1:5who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
  • Heb 12:12–13Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees.
  • Luke 8:13The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.
  • Luke 22:61–62And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”
  • Acts 3:19Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
  • 2 Pet 3:17–18Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.
  • 2 Pet 1:10–12Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
  • John 17:15–21I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.
  • 1 Pet 1:13Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
  • Heb 12:15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
  • Ps 32:3–6When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.
  • Ps 51:12–13Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.
  • Matt 18:3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
  • 1 Tim 1:13–16I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
  • Matt 26:75Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
  • Mark 14:72And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
  • Mark 16:7But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’”
  • Zech 3:2–4And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”
  • John 14:19In a little while the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.
  • 1 Jn 2:19They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
  • Rom 5:9–10Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!
  • 1 Pet 1:1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen
  • Rom 8:32He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
  • Titus 1:1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,
  • 2 Tim 2:18who have deviated from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already occurred, and they undermine the faith of some.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

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 22:32YouTube · 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 22:32 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.