Bible Strands
Luke 22:49
Those around Jesus saw what was about to happen and said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The disciples surrounding Jesus ask Him whether they should strike with swords as the arrest party closes in. This occurs immediately after Jesus identifies Judas’s betrayal with a kiss and just before one of them strikes the high priest’s servant.
The words — ἰδόντες (idontes) translates to “having seen” and ἐσόμενον (esomenon) means “what is about to happen.” These Greek participles show the crowd acting on perceived imminent threat rather than divine command.
The thread — The question directly follows Luke 22:38 where the disciples present two swords and Jesus replies, “That is enough.” It immediately precedes Luke 22:50, which records the actual strike that severs the servant’s right ear.
Why it lands — The text records a reactive question posed to Jesus in a moment of violent expectation. It asks the reader to confront how quickly human initiative defaults to force when facing impending crisis.
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
When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
Cross-references
- Luke 22:38 So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” He answered.