From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
From {G575} the blood {G129} of Abel {G6} unto {G2193} the blood {G129} of Zacharias {G2197}, which {G3588} perished {G622} between {G3342} the altar {G2379} and {G2532} the temple {G3624}: verily {G3483} I say {G3004} unto you {G5213}, It shall be required {G1567} of {G575} this {G5026} generation {G1074}.
from the blood of Hevel to the blood of Z’kharyah, who was killed between the altar and the Holy Place. Yes, I tell you, the responsibility for it will fall on this generation!
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.
from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary: yea, I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation.
-
2 Chronicles 24:20
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. -
2 Chronicles 24:22
Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon [it], and require [it]. -
Hebrews 11:4
¶ By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. -
Matthew 23:35
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. -
1 John 3:12
Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. -
Genesis 4:8
¶ And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. -
Genesis 4:11
And now [art] thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
Commentary on Luke 11:51 (KJV)
Luke 11:51 is a powerful and sobering declaration by Jesus Christ, delivered as part of a series of "woes" against the religious leaders of His day—the Pharisees and lawyers (scribes). In this verse, Jesus condemns "this generation" for the cumulative guilt of rejecting and persecuting God's messengers throughout history, from the earliest martyr to the latest.
Context
This verse comes near the end of a scathing indictment by Jesus, beginning in Luke 11:37, where He denounces the hypocrisy and spiritual blindness of those who should have been leading the people to God. He criticizes their focus on outward appearances while neglecting justice and the love of God, and their tradition of honoring dead prophets while persecuting living ones. The phrase "this generation" refers to the contemporary Jewish leadership and their followers who were rejecting Jesus Himself, thereby culminating the long history of Israel's rebellion against God's prophetic word.
The specific mention of "the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias" is highly significant. Abel, whose blood cried out from the ground after being murdered by his brother Cain (Genesis 4:8), represents the first martyr recorded in the Bible. Zacharias (or Zechariah) is most commonly identified as Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, mentioned in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. He was stoned to death in the temple court for rebuking the people and their king. The book of 2 Chronicles is the last book in the traditional Hebrew Bible canon (similar to Malachi in the Christian Old Testament). Thus, "from Abel to Zacharias" symbolically encompasses the entire history of righteous blood shed by God's people throughout the Old Testament, from its beginning to its end, representing the full scope of prophetic martyrdom.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Greek verb for "required" (ἐκζητηθήσεται - ekzētēthēsetai) carries a strong implication of being sought out, demanded, or avenged. It's not merely that it will be "looked for," but that justice will be exacted. This emphasizes the gravity of the judgment Jesus is pronouncing.
Practical Application
Luke 11:51 serves as a timeless warning against spiritual pride, hypocrisy, and the rejection of divine truth. It reminds us: