The Meaning of Luke 18:39 Explained

Luke 18:39

KJV: And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

YLT: and those going before were rebuking him, that he might be silent, but he was much more crying out, 'Son of David, deal kindly with me.'

Darby: And those who were going before rebuked him that he might be silent; but he cried out so much the more, Son of David, have mercy on me.

ASV: And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  they which went before  rebuked  him,  that  he should hold his peace:  but  he  cried  so much  the more,  [Thou] Son  of David,  have mercy  on me. 

What does Luke 18:39 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The overall impression that Luke presented with this part of his narrative is that Jesus" condemnation was a terrible travesty of justice. Pilate condemned an innocent man. This decision comes across as especially heinous since he also acquitted a guilty man. The strong resolve of the Jewish leaders overcame the weak will of the Roman official.

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 18:39

That he should hold his peace [ινα σιγησηι]
Ingressive aorist subjunctive. That he should become silent; as with ινα σιωπησηι — hina siōpēsēi in Mark 10:48. [source]
The more a great deal [πολλωι μαλλον]
By much more as in Mark 10:48. [source]
Cried [ἔκραζεν]
A stronger word than ἐβόησεν , cried, in the previous verse, which is merely to cry or shout, while this is to cry clamorously; to scream or shriek. Compare Matthew 15:23; Mark 5:5; Acts 19:28-34. [source]
To be brought unto [ἀχθῆναι πρὸς]
Used by Luke alone in the sense of bringing the sick to Christ. He also uses the compound verb προσάγω , which was a common medical term for bringing the sick to a physician, both in that and in other senses. See Luke 9:41; Acts 16:20; Acts 27:27. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 18:39

Mark 10:48 Rebuked him [επετιμων αυτωι]
Imperfect tense. Kept rebuking repeatedly. So Luke 18:39. Aorist tense in Matthew 20:31. [source]
Mark 10:48 Should hold his peace [σιωπησηι]
Ingressive aorist subjunctive, become silent.The more a great deal (πολλωι μαλλον — pollōi māllon). So Luke 18:39. Only μειζον — meizon in Matthew 20:31. [source]
Mark 10:48 The more a great deal [πολλωι μαλλον]
So Luke 18:39. Only μειζον — meizon in Matthew 20:31. [source]
John 1:15 Cried [κέκραγεν]
See on Mark 5:5; see on Mark 9:24; see on Luke 18:39. The verb denotes an inarticulate utterance as distinguished from words. When used is connection with articulate speech, it is joined with λέγειν or εἰπεῖν , to say, as Luke 7:28, cried, saying. Compare Luke 7:37; Luke 12:44. The crying corresponds with the Baptist's description of himself as a voice ( φωνή , sound or tone ), Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23. The verb is in the perfect tense, but with the usual classical sense of the present. [source]
Romans 9:27 Crieth [κράζει]
An impassioned utterance. See on Luke 18:39; compare John 7:28, John 7:37; Acts 19:28; Acts 23:6. Mostly of an inarticulate cry. “The prophet in awful earnestness, and as with a scream of anguish, cries over Israel” (Morison). [source]
Galatians 4:6 Crying [κρᾶζον]
A strong word, expressing deep emotion. The verb originally represents the sound of a croak or harsh scream; thence, generally, an inarticulate cry; an exclamation of fear or pain. The cry of an animal. So Aristoph. Knights, 1017, of the barking of a dog: 285,287, of two men in a quarrel, trying to bawl each other down: Frogs, 258, of the croaking of frogs. This original sense appears in N.T. usage, as Matthew 14:26; Matthew 15:23; Matthew 27:50; Mark 5:5, etc., and is recognized even where the word is used in connection with articulate speech, by adding to it the participles λέγων, λέγοντες sayingor διδάσκων teachingSee Matthew 8:29; Matthew 15:22; Mark 3:11; John 7:28, etc. In Mark 10:47the inarticulate cry and the articulate utterance are distinguished. At the same time, the word is often used of articulate speech without such additions, as Mark 10:48; Mark 11:9; Mark 15:13, Mark 15:14; Luke 18:39; Acts 7:60; Acts 19:34; Romans 8:15. It falls into more dignified association in lxx, where it is often used of prayer or appeal to God, as 4:3; 6:7; Psalm 21:2,5; 27:1,54:16; and in N.T., where it is applied to solemn, prophetic utterance, as Romans href="/desk/?q=ro+9:27&sr=1">Romans 9:27; John 1:15, and is used of Jesus himself, as John 7:28, John 7:37; John 12:44, and of the Holy Spirit, as here. The Spirit gives the inspiration of which the believer is the organ. In Romans 8:15the statement is inverted. The believer cries under the power of the Spirit. [source]
1 Timothy 1:18 According to the prophecies which went before on thee [κατὰ τὰς προαγούσας ἐπὶ σὲ προφητείας]
Const, according to with I commit: which went before is to be taken absolutely, and not with on thee: const. prophecies with on these. On thee means concerning thee. The sense of the whole passage is: “I commit this charge unto thee in accordance with prophetic intimations which I formerly received concerning thee.” Prophecy is ranked among the foremost of the special spiritual endowments enumerated by Paul. See Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Corinthians 13:2, 1 Corinthians 13:8; 1 Corinthians 14:6, 1 Corinthians 14:22. In 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11, prophets come next after apostles in the list of those whom God has appointed in the church. In Ephesians 2:20, believers, Jew and Gentile, are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. According to 1 Timothy 4:14, prophecy has previously designated Timothy as the recipient of a special spiritual gift; and the prophecies in our passage are the single expressions or detailed contents of the prophecy mentioned there. Προαγεῖν togo before is not used by Paul. In the Pastorals and Hebrews it appears only as an intransitive verb, and so in the only instance in Luke, Luke 18:39. In Acts always transitive, to bring forth. See Acts 12:6; Acts 16:30; Acts 17:5; Acts 25:26. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 18:39 mean?

And those going before were rebuking him that he should be silent He however much more kept crying out Son of David have mercy on me
Καὶ οἱ προάγοντες ἐπετίμων αὐτῷ ἵνα σιγήσῃ αὐτὸς δὲ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραζεν Υἱὲ Δαυίδ ἐλέησόν με

οἱ  those 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
προάγοντες  going  before 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: προάγω  
Sense: to lead forward, lead forth.
ἐπετίμων  were  rebuking 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπιτιμάω  
Sense: to show honour to, to honour.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
σιγήσῃ  he  should  be  silent 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: σιγάω  
Sense: to keep silence, hold one’s peace.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
πολλῷ  much 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
μᾶλλον  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μᾶλλον  
Sense: more, to a greater degree, rather.
ἔκραζεν  kept  crying  out 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κράζω  
Sense: to croak.
Υἱὲ  Son 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
Δαυίδ  of  David 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Δαβίδ 
Sense: second king of Israel, and ancestor of Jesus Christ.
ἐλέησόν  have  mercy  on 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐλεέω 
Sense: to have mercy on.
με  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.