Luke 9

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Jesus empowers His twelve disciples to preach the Kingdom and heal, sending them out without provisions. Upon their return, He miraculously feeds five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ of God, after which Jesus foretells His suffering and teaches on the cost of discipleship, culminating in His Transfiguration before Peter, James, and John.

Jesus Commissions the Twelve 1–6

¶ Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.

And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.

And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

Herod's Perplexity over Jesus 7–9

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead;

And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

Feeding the Five Thousand 10–17

¶ And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.

And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

And they did so, and made them all sit down.

Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ 18–27

¶ 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?

They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.

The Transfiguration 28–36

¶ And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

Healing the Demonized Boy 37–42

¶ And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.

And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

The Second Passion Prediction 43–45

¶ And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,

Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

Humility and True Greatness 46–50

Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.

And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

Jesus Sets His Face Toward Jerusalem 51–56

¶ And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

The Cost of Discipleship 57–62

¶ And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Luke 9

Verse 1

power and authority — Two Greek words are used: dynamis, miraculous power, and exousia, the right to act. Both are given 'over all devils' (daimonion) and for curing diseases. Mark 6:7 adds that he sent them 'by two and two'; the same gift is later extended to the seventy (Luke 10:19).

Verse 3

Take nothing for your journey — Staff, 'scrip' (pera, a leather food-pouch), bread, silver (argyrion) and a second coat are all set aside, so the twelve live on the hospitality of v.4. At the Last Supper he asks, 'lacked ye any thing?' and they answer, 'Nothing' (Luke 22:35).

Verse 5

shake off the very dust — Koniortos, dust blown about; it is shaken off 'for a testimony' (martyrion), evidence, 'against them'. Paul and Barnabas did so at Antioch: 'they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium' (Acts 13:51). Matt 10:15 sets the refusing city's judgment beside Sodom's.

Verse 7

Herod the tetrarch — A tetrarch (tetrarches) ruled a fourth part of a realm; Luke 3:1 names him 'tetrarch of Galilee'. 'Perplexed' is diaporeo, thoroughly at a loss. Herod had beheaded John (v.9; Mark 6:28), and the rumour that John was 'risen from the dead' is what unsettles him.

Verse 10

the apostles — Apostolos, one sent out, the noun of the verb 'sent' in v.2; the twelve now return from that errand and report 'all that they had done'. Bethsaida, 'fishing-house', was 'the city of Andrew and Peter' (John 1:44). The retreat is broken by the crowd in v.11.

Verse 12

a desert place — Eremos, a lonely, uninhabited place; the twelve ask that the crowd be sent to find 'victuals' (episitismos, provisions). The setting recalls Israel's question, 'Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?' (Ps 78:19), which the miracle answers.

Verse 17

twelve baskets — Kophinos, a small hand-basket; John 6:13 says they 'filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves'. 'Filled' is chortazo, to feed to satisfaction. The number twelve matches the twelve disciples who set the food before the multitude (v.16).

Verse 18

alone praying — Luke often shows Jesus at prayer before a decisive moment: before choosing the twelve he 'continued all night in prayer to God' (Luke 6:12), and the transfiguration comes 'as he prayed' (v.29). Matt 16:13 places this question at Caesarea Philippi.

Verse 20

The Christ of God — Christos is the Greek for 'anointed', the Hebrew Messiah. Peter speaks for the twelve. Matthew gives the fuller confession, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matt 16:16), and Jesus there says the Father in heaven revealed it (Matt 16:17).

Verse 21

straitly charged — Epitimao, to charge or rebuke sternly, the verb used of the rebuke of the unclean spirit in v.42. The silence is explained by v.22, which says the Christ must first suffer. Matt 17:9 likewise limits the vision's telling 'until the Son of man be risen again from the dead'.

Verse 22

must suffer — Dei expresses divine necessity, so the suffering comes by appointment. The three bodies named, elders, chief priests and scribes, made up the Jewish council. 'Rejected' is apodokimazo, to test and refuse. The prediction is repeated in Luke 18:31 and recalled by angels in Luke 24:7.

Verse 23

take up his cross daily — Stauros, the stake of execution. Luke alone of the parallels (Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34) adds 'daily' (kath' hemeran), making the cross a continuing practice. 'Deny' is aparneomai, to disown utterly: the self is disowned, not merely denied comforts.

Verse 27

not taste of death — Matthew words it 'till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom' (Matt 16:28). The next verses give Peter, John and James a sight of his glory, which Peter calls being 'eyewitnesses of his majesty' (2 Pet 1:16); others read the promise of the kingdom's later coming.

Verse 28

about an eight days — Matthew and Mark say 'after six days' (Mark 9:2); Luke says 'about an eight days'. Peter, James and John are the same three taken with him into Gethsemane (Mark 14:33), so those who see the glory also see the agony.

Verse 31

his decease — Exodos, 'departure', the way out. It is used of Peter's own death in 2 Pet 1:15 ('after my decease') and of Israel's leaving Egypt in Heb 11:22. Moses and Elijah speak of what he 'should accomplish' (pleroo, fulfil) at Jerusalem, the place set in v.51.

Verse 33

three tabernacles — Skene, a tent or hut. Peter speaks 'not knowing what he said'; Mark 9:6 gives the reason, 'he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.' The answer comes instead in the cloud and voice of vv.34–35.

Verse 35

hear him — The Father's words echo the baptism voice, 'Thou art my beloved Son' (Luke 3:22), and add the command akouete, 'hear'. It recalls Moses' promise of a prophet 'like unto me; him shall ye hear' (Acts 3:22), now with Moses himself standing by.

Verse 37

come down from the hill — 'Hill' is oros, the same word as 'mountain' in v.28. The descent leads straight into the case of the afflicted boy and the disciples' failure (vv.38–40); Mark 9:14 adds that scribes were disputing with them.

Verse 40

they could not — These were the disciples to whom he had given 'power and authority over all devils' (v.1). Jesus traces the failure to unbelief (Matt 17:20) and says of this kind, 'This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting' (Mark 9:29).

Verse 44

sink down into your ears — Literally the sayings are to be placed in the ears (tithemi, to set or lay). 'Delivered' is paradidomi, the verb of handing over, used for the betrayal; Acts 2:23 says he was 'delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God'. The disciples do not grasp it (v.45).

Verse 45

it was hid from them — The saying was veiled so that they 'perceived it not' (aisthanomai, to grasp by the senses). Luke 18:34 repeats the wording: 'this saying was hid from them.' Mark 9:32 gives the same fear of asking; the cross stays unintelligible until after the resurrection.

Verse 46

a reasoning — Dialogismos, an inward debate. It is the same word as 'the thought of their heart' in v.47, which Jesus perceives. Matt 18:1 gives the question as 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?', and Mark 9:33 shows they had disputed it on the road.

Verse 48

receive this child — Dechomai, to receive welcomingly; the receiving passes from the child to Christ and then to 'him that sent me'. Matt 10:40 has the same line: 'he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.' Greatness is reversed: 'he that is least among you all, the same shall be great' (cf. Luke 22:26).

Verse 49

we forbad him — Koluo, to hinder. John's report stands beside Moses' answer when Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp: 'Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets' (Num 11:29). Jesus' reply is in v.50.

Verse 51

received up — Analepsis, a taking up, which reaches past the cross to the ascension ('received up into heaven', Mark 16:19). 'Was come' is sympleroo, the days were being fulfilled. From here Luke follows the journey toward Jerusalem (Luke 13:22; 17:11; 18:31).

Verse 53

did not receive him — The Samaritans were settled by the king of Assyria and 'feared the LORD, and served their own gods' (2 Kings 17:33). John 4:9 records that Jews and Samaritans had no dealings. They refuse him because his face is set toward Jerusalem, which is not their own place of worship.

Verse 54

fire to come down from heaven — James and John appeal to Elijah, who said, 'let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty' (2 Kings 1:10). 'Consume' is analisko, to use up. The request is refused in v.55, and he goes on to another village.

Verse 56

to save them — 'Lives' is psyche, the same word as 'life' in v.24, so the saving of the person is in view. He says the same elsewhere: 'the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost' (Luke 19:10); John 3:17 says God sent him not to condemn but to save.

Verse 58

hath not where to lay his head — Foxes have 'holes' (pholeos), birds a roosting place (kataskenosis), but the Son of man has no home of his own. Matt 8:20 records the same words to a scribe who said 'I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest'.

Verse 60

Let the dead bury their dead — Nekros is used twice: the first 'dead' are the spiritually dead (cf. 1 Tim 5:6, 'dead while she liveth'), the second the corpse. 'Preach' is diangello, to herald abroad. Matt 8:22 records the same reply, and the kingdom's claim comes first.

Verse 62

the plough — Arotron. 'Fit' is euthetos, well placed for use. The man's request echoes Elisha's, 'Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee' (1 Kings 19:20); Luke 17:32 adds 'Remember Lot's wife.' The looking back is a divided heart.