Bible Strands
Luke 9:55
But Jesus turned and rebuked them.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses James and John immediately after they ask to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village. He turns toward them and rebukes their proposed action.
The words — The text highlights ἐπετὶμησεν (epetimēsen), meaning "He rebuked," and εἶπεν (eipen), meaning "said." These verbs mark a direct verbal correction following Jesus' physical turn.
The thread — This pattern of direct divine correction parallels Jesus' rebuke of Peter in Matthew 16:23. It follows the recorded dialogues in Job 2:10 and Job 26:4, which present human questioning and rhetorical inquiry rather than Christ's immediate intervention.
Why it lands — The text records Jesus actively overriding a disciple's impulse for violent judgment. It requires the reader to recognize that divine authority, not human zeal, determines the response to opposition.
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
But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Cross-references
- Job 2:10 “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
- Job 26:4 To whom have you uttered these words? And whose spirit spoke through you?
- Matthew 16:23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
- 1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
- Revelation 3:19 Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
- Job 31:29 If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
- Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
- Matthew 26:51 At this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
- Numbers 20:10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”
- 1 Samuel 24:4 So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.