The Meaning of Luke 18:31 Explained

Luke 18:31

KJV: Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

YLT: And having taken the twelve aside, he said unto them, 'Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be completed -- that have been written through the prophets -- to the Son of Man,

Darby: And he took the twelve to him and said to them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written of the Son of man by the prophets shall be accomplished;

ASV: And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  he took  [unto him] the twelve,  and said  unto  them,  Behold,  we go up  to  Jerusalem,  and  all things  that are written  by  the prophets  concerning the Son  of man  shall be accomplished. 

What does Luke 18:31 Mean?

Study Notes

Son of man
.
(See Scofield " Ezekiel 2:1 ") . Our Lord thus designates Himself about eighty times. It is His racial name as the representative Man, in the sense of 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 as Son of David is distinctly his Jewish name, and Son of God His divine name. Our Lord constantly uses this term as implying that his mission (e.g.); Matthew 11:19 ; Luke 19:10 . His death and resurrection (e.g.); Matthew 12:40 ; Matthew 20:18 ; Matthew 26:2 and His second coming (e.g.); Matthew 24:37-44 ; Luke 12:40 transcended in scope and result all merely Jewish imitations. When Nathanael confesses him as "King of Israel," our Lord's answer is, "Thou shalt see greater things.. . the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." When His messengers are cast out by the Jews, His thought leaps forward to the time when the Son of man shall come, not then to Israel only but to the race; Matthew 10:5 ; Matthew 10:6 ; Matthew 8:23 . It is in this name, also, that universal judgment is committed to Him John 5:22 ; John 5:27 . It is also a name indicating that in Him is fulfilled the O.T. foreview of blessing through a coming man. See Scofield " Genesis 1:26 "; Genesis 3:15 ; Genesis 12:3 ; Psalms 8:4 ; Psalms 80:17 ; Isaiah 7:14 ; Isaiah 9:6 ; Isaiah 9:7 ; Isaiah 32:2 ; Zechariah 13:7 ; Isaiah 32:2 ; Zechariah 13:7 .

Verse Meaning

Luke alone recorded that the things that would happen to Jesus in Jerusalem would be a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (cf. Luke 12:50; Luke 22:37; Acts 13:29). Luke apparently stressed the fact that Jesus" ministry fulfilled prophecy so his readers would have greater confidence in Him (cf. Luke 2:25-38; Luke 22:37).
The Hellenistic mind resisted the idea that a God-man could be truly human. The ancient Greek concept of the gods visiting human beings lay behind this difficulty. Consequently Luke presented much evidence for his Greek readers throughout his Gospel that Jesus was a real man. The Jews on the other hand had difficulty accepting the fact that Jesus was truly God. This accounts for Matthew"s stress on Jesus" deity. Throughout church history there have been those who, like the Greeks, had trouble accepting Jesus" full humanity and others, like the Jews, who have resisted His full deity.

Context Summary

Luke 18:31-43 - The Reward Of Faith
Our Lord knew what was awaiting Him. He laid down His life "of Himself." But all the significance of His life and death was concealed from the Apostles and others. Their eyes were blinded, till the glory of the Resurrection morning had dawned and the day of Pentecost had fully come.
Our Lord's mind must have been filled with the anticipation of the momentous issues to be decided; but He was sufficiently at leisure from Himself to hear the cry of distress from this blind beggar. How absolutely He placed Himself at the disposal of those who needed His help! Human need and sorrow always commanded Him. Each comer was able to draw all the grace he required, according to the measure of the bucket of his faith when let down into that infinite well. There is no reason why each of us should not be made whole and follow Christ, glorifying Him. But we are blind! [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 18

1  Of the importunate widow
9  Of the Pharisee and the tax collector
15  Of Children brought to Jesus
18  A ruler would follow Jesus, but is hindered by his riches
28  The reward of those who leave all for his sake
31  He foretells his death;
35  and restores a blind man to sight

Greek Commentary for Luke 18:31

Took unto him [παραλαβων]
Second aorist active participle of παραλαμβανω — paralambanō Taking along with himself. So Mark 10:32. Matthew 20:17 adds κατ ιδιαν — kat' idian (apart). Jesus is making a special point of explaining his death to the Twelve. [source]
We go up [αναβαινομεν]
Present active indicative, we are going up.Unto the Son of man (τωι υιωι του αντρωπου — tōi huiōi tou anthrōpou). Dative case of personal interest. The position is amphibolous and the construction makes sense either with “shall be accomplished” (τελεστησεται — telesthēsetai) or “that are written” (τα γεγραμμενα — ta gegrammena), probably the former. Compare these minute details of the prophecy here (Luke 18:32.) with the words in Mark 10:33.; Matthew 20:18., which see. [source]
Unto the Son of man [τωι υιωι του αντρωπου]
Dative case of personal interest. The position is amphibolous and the construction makes sense either with “shall be accomplished” (τελεστησεται — telesthēsetai) or “that are written” (τα γεγραμμενα — ta gegrammena), probably the former. Compare these minute details of the prophecy here (Luke 18:32.) with the words in Mark 10:33.; Matthew 20:18., which see. [source]
By the prophets [διά]
Lit., through; the preposition expressing secondary agency. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 18:31 mean?

Having taken aside then the Twelve He said to them Behold we go up to Jerusalem and will be accomplished all things - having been written by the prophets about the Son - of Man
Παραλαβὼν δὲ τοὺς δώδεκα εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ καὶ τελεσθήσεται πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα διὰ τῶν προφητῶν τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου

Παραλαβὼν  Having  taken  aside 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: παραλαμβάνω  
Sense: to take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self.
δώδεκα  Twelve 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: δώδεκα  
Sense: twelve.
εἶπεν  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Ἰδοὺ  Behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
ἀναβαίνομεν  we  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
Ἰερουσαλήμ  Jerusalem 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἰερουσαλήμ  
Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants.
τελεσθήσεται  will  be  accomplished 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: τελέω  
Sense: to bring to a close, to finish, to end.
πάντα  all  things 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
τὰ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
γεγραμμένα  having  been  written 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: γράφω 
Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters.
προφητῶν  prophets 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: προφήτης  
Sense: in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things.
τῷ  about  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Υἱῷ  Son 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀνθρώπου  of  Man 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.