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When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn’t let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl’s father and mother.
Luke 8:51 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB When he came to the house, he didn’t allow anyone to enter in, except Peter, John, James, the father of the child, and her mother.
  • KJV And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
  • BSB When He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother.
  • NKJV When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl.
  • NASB When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him except Peter, John, and James, and the girl’s father and mother.

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

At the house, Jesus admits only Peter, John, James, and the parents. He keeps the raising private, with chosen witnesses.

Overview

Jesus limits those present to the parents and three close disciples. The restraint avoids spectacle while securing credible witnesses to the miracle. These same three would later witness the Transfiguration and Gethsemane, marking sacred moments in Jesus' ministry.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 10

  • Matt 6:5–6“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.
  • Isa 42:2He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
  • 1 Kgs 17:19–23He said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the room where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed.
  • 2 Kgs 4:4–6Go in and shut the door on you and on your sons, and pour oil into all those containers; and set aside those which are full.”
  • Mark 14:33He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed.
  • Luke 9:28About eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.
  • Mark 5:37–40He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
  • Acts 9:40Peter sent them all out, and knelt down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
  • Luke 6:14Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;
  • 2 Kgs 4:34–36He went up, and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. He stretched himself on him; and the child’s flesh grew warm.

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 8:51YouTube · 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 8:51 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.