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But He turned and rebuked them.
Luke 9:55 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB But he turned and rebuked them, “You don’t know of what kind of spirit you are.
  • KJV But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
  • BSB But Jesus turned and rebuked them.
  • NKJV But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.
  • NLT But Jesus turned and rebuked 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

Jesus turns and rebukes them, saying they do not know what kind of spirit they are of. He corrects their vengeful attitude as contrary to His own.

Overview

Jesus rejects the desire for destructive retaliation, exposing the wrong spirit behind it. Rather than condemning the Samaritans, He shows patience and mercy. The rebuke teaches that His followers must reflect His own gracious, saving disposition, not a vindictive one.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 22

  • Matt 16:23But he turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”
  • Job 2:10But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips.
  • Rev 3:19As many as I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent.
  • 1 Pet 3:9not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing; knowing that to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing.
  • Job 26:4To whom have you uttered words? Whose spirit came out of you?
  • Matt 26:51Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.
  • Job 31:29–31“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
  • Jer 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?
  • 1 Sam 26:8–11Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered up your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”
  • Matt 26:41Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
  • Num 20:10–12Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?”
  • Job 34:4–9Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.
  • Jas 3:10Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
  • Matt 26:33But Peter answered him, “Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble.”
  • 2 Sam 19:22David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For don’t I know that I am king over Israel today?”
  • Job 42:6Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
  • Job 35:2–4“Do you think this to be your right, or do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s,’
  • Acts 23:3–5Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
  • 1 Sam 24:4–7David’s men said to him, “Behold, the day of which Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe secretly.
  • Prov 9:8Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
  • Acts 26:9–11“I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
  • John 16:9about sin, because they don’t believe in me;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

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 9:55YouTube · 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 9:55 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.