One day as Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?”
Parallel translations
- WEB As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”
- KJV And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
- NKJV And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
- NASB And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”
- NLT One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
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
While praying privately with His disciples, Jesus asks who the crowds say He is. The question turns from miracles to the central matter of His identity.
Overview
Luke characteristically links Jesus' prayer to a major turning point in the narrative. Having just fed thousands, Jesus now probes how people understand Him, moving toward the great confession. The question of who Jesus is remains the decisive issue every person must answer.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Matt 16:13–16When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
- Mark 8:27–30Then Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say I am?”
- Luke 11:1One day in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
- Matt 26:36At that time Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
- Luke 22:39–41Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him.
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 9:18 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.