Bible Strands
Luke 2:50
But they did not understand the statement He was making to them.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses Mary and Joseph after they locate Him in the temple following three days of searching. The moment occurs immediately after He asks why they sought Him and declares His necessity to be in His Father’s house.
The words — συνῆκαν (sunēkan) denotes they did not understand, and ῥῆμα (rhēma) specifies the particular declaration or statement Jesus just uttered.
The thread — This sequence of uncomprehending listeners recurs in Luke 18:34, Mark 9:32, and Luke 9:45, where audiences consistently fail to grasp Jesus’ words until later revelation.
Why it lands — The text states that human listeners lacked immediate comprehension of Jesus’ words. It requires the reader to accept that divine purpose operates independently of human intellectual readiness, demanding submission over immediate understanding.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
Cross-references
- Luke 18:34 But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.
- Mark 9:32 But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
- Luke 9:45 But they did not understand this statement. It was veiled from them so that they could not comprehend it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.