The Meaning of Luke 9:45 Explained

Luke 9:45

KJV: 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.

YLT: And they were not knowing this saying, and it was veiled from them, that they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Darby: But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them that they should not perceive it. And they feared to ask him concerning this saying.

ASV: But they understood not this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Luke 9:45 Mean?

Verse Meaning

However this announcement did not make sense to the disciples. This was probably because of the popular view of the Messiah that still influenced them, the glorious prophecies about the Son of Man in the Old Testament, and Jesus" great popularity. Most important they did not understand because God hid this understanding from them (cf. Luke 24:16). That Isaiah , they understood the words but could not understand how this would happen, partly because of their limited faith. They remembered Jesus" words, but they only understood the prediction after Jesus" resurrection. Perhaps they were afraid to ask Jesus to clarify what He said because they feared to hear what they suspected, that Jesus would indeed die soon.
"Some interpreters understand the statement, "It was hid from them that they might not understand it," as indication that God prevented the disciples from understanding. [1] While the passive formulation may hint at divine involvement, I would caution against the assumption that human resistance is not an important factor at this point in the narrative. If a divine purpose is involved, it is a purpose which works in and through human resistance, for which humans remain responsible." [2]
Thus there was a "suffering secret" as well as a "messianic secret" in Jesus ministry. [3] The "messianic secret" was the fact that Jesus was the divine Messiah, which He revealed only gradually before the Triumphal Entry. He withheld this information to preclude superficial and premature acceptance of Himself by the multitudes. The "suffering secret" was the information about Jesus" passion that God revealed to the disciples only gradually before the Resurrection.

Context Summary

Luke 9:37-50 - The Greatest Serve The Neediest
When the mountain is bathed in the glory of God we are loath to leave it. But we must not tarry in the enjoyment of its raptures, when the plain contains so much misery. Saints and angels on the one hand, demons on the other! The disciples that have not enjoyed the mountain fellowship have no power over the unclean spirits that haunt men. It is easy to denounce demons; we must do more-we must exorcize them.
But let it never be forgotten that if you are able to cope with the devil, in the power of God, you must be prepared for the Cross, Luke 9:44-45. We cannot die for men, as Jesus did; but we can suffer rebuke and shame with Him, and thus "fill up that which is behind" of His afflictions, Colossians 1:24.
Let us seek the child-heart! We must distinguish between childishness and childlikeness. One of the loveliest pictures of the coming time is Isaiah 11:6. Only childlike souls can tame and conquer the beasts. Let us welcome simple holy souls, and be ourselves of that class; and let us cultivate large-hearted charity toward those who cast out demons, though they be not of our school. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 9

1  Jesus sends his apostles to work miracles, and to preach
7  Herod desires to see Jesus
10  The apostles return
12  Jesus feeds five thousand;
18  inquires what opinion the world had of him; foretells his passion;
23  proposes to all the pattern of his patience
28  The transfiguration
37  He heals the lunatic;
43  again forewarns his disciples of his passion;
46  commends humility;
51  bids them to show mildness toward all, without desire of revenge
57  Many would follow him, but upon conditions

Greek Commentary for Luke 9:45

It was concealed from them [ην παρακεκαλυμμενον απ αυτων]
Periphrastic past perfect of παρακαλυπτω — parakaluptō a common verb, but only here in the N.T., to cover up, to hide from. This item only in Luke. [source]
That they should not perceive it [ινα μη αιστωνται αυτο]
Second aorist middle subjunctive of the common verb αιστανομαι — aisthanomai used with ινα μη — hina mē negative purpose. This explanation at least relieves the disciples to some extent of full responsibility for their ignorance about the death of Jesus as Mark 9:32 observes, as does Luke here that they were afraid to ask him. Plummer says, “They were not allowed to understand the saying then, in order that they might remember it afterwards, and see that Jesus had met His sufferings with full knowledge and free will.” Perhaps also, if they had fully understood, they might have lacked courage to hold on to the end. But it is a hard problem. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 9:45

Mark 9:32 But they understood not the saying [hoi de ēgnooun to rhēma)]
An old word. Chiefly in Paul‘s Epistles in the N.T. Imperfect tense. They continued not to understand. They were agnostics on the subject of the death and resurrection even after the Transfiguration experience. As they came down from the mountain they were puzzled again over the Master‘s allusion to his resurrection (Mark 9:10). Matthew 17:23 notes that “they were exceeding sorry” to hear Jesus talk this way again, but Mark adds that they “were afraid to ask him” Continued to be afraid (imperfect tense), perhaps with a bitter memory of the term “Satan” hurled at Peter when he protested the other time when Jesus spoke of his death (Mark 8:33; Matthew 16:23). Luke 9:45 explains that “it was concealed from them,” probably partly by their own preconceived ideas and prejudices. [source]
Philippians 1:9 May abound [περισσευηι]
Present active subjunctive of περισσευω — perisseuō may keep on overflowing, a perpetual flood of love, “yet more and more” The delicate spiritual perception (αιστησις — aisthēsis old word from αιστανομαι — aisthanomai only here in N.T. as the verb only in Luke 9:45 in N.T.) can be cultivated as in αιστητηριον — aisthētērion (Hebrews 5:14) [source]
Hebrews 5:14 For full-grown men [τελειων]
Predicate genitive. The word is for adults, relative perfection Their senses The organs of perception (Stoic term for sense organs) from αιστανομαι — aisthanomai (Luke 9:45), in Plato, Galen, Hippocrates, here only in N.T. Exercised Perfect passive participle of γυμναζω — gumnazō to exercise (naked, γυμνος — gumnos). Galen uses αιστητηρια γεγυμνασμενα — aisthētēria gegumnasmena together after εχω — echō as we have here. For this predicate use of the participle with εχω — echō see Luke 13:6; Luke 14:19. “By reason of use” one gains such skill. To discern “For deciding between” (from διακρινω — diakrinō), old word with ablative καλου τε και κακου — kalou te kai kakou (between good and evil). See 1 Corinthians 12:1; Romans 14:1. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 9:45 mean?

- But they understand not the saying this and it was veiled from them that not they should understand it they were afraid to ask Him concerning the saying this
οἱ δὲ ἠγνόουν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ἦν παρακεκαλυμμένον ἀπ’ αὐτῶν ἵνα μὴ αἴσθωνται αὐτό ἐφοβοῦντο ἐρωτῆσαι αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου

οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἠγνόουν  they  understand  not 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀγνοέω  
Sense: to be ignorant, not to know.
ῥῆμα  saying 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ῥῆμα  
Sense: that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word.
τοῦτο  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἦν  it  was 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
παρακεκαλυμμένον  veiled 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: παρακαλύπτω  
Sense: to cover over, cover up, hide, conceal.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
αἴσθωνται  they  should  understand 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: αἰσθάνομαι  
Sense: to perceive.
ἐφοβοῦντο  they  were  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: φοβέομαι 
Sense: to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away).
ἐρωτῆσαι  to  ask 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἐρωτάω  
Sense: to question.
περὶ  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: περί 
Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near.
ῥήματος  saying 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: ῥῆμα  
Sense: that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word.
τούτου  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.