He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stood still, with sadness on their faces.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?”
- KJV And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
- NKJV And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”
- NASB And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they came to a stop, looking sad.
- NLT He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces.
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 asked what they were discussing as they walked sadly. His gentle question drew out their grief and confusion.
Overview
Jesus inquires about their conversation, prompting them to voice their sorrow. Though He knew their hearts, He invites them to express their disappointment. This pastoral approach models how the Lord meets the troubled with patient questions, leading them to articulate their doubts before He answers them with truth.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- John 16:6Instead, your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things.
- John 16:20–22Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
- Ezek 9:4–6“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”
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 24:17 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.