Luke 21:38
in Luke 21And early in the morning all the people would come to hear Him at the temple.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, to hear him.
KJV
And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.
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This verse in Luke 21
Commentary
15 notes on this verseFit hours for an audience there also were. "Early in the morning" must they resort to Him, who (having said by Isaiah, "The Lord giveth me the tongue of the learned") added, "He hath appointed me the morning, and hath also given me an ear to hear.
This site's exposition
Jesus taught at the temple
on Luke 21:37-38
Every day Jesus taught at the temple, but every evening He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives. His last week keeps this pattern, and His agony on that slope follows at 22:39-44. The people still came early in the morning to hear Him.
This site's exposition
early in the morning all the people would come
Verse 38 closes the chapter on the crowd's eagerness. Adam Clarke pictures Jesus returning early from the Mount of Olives to meet them. Matthew Henry valued the taste of plain people for good preaching above the opinion of the learned and those in authority.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The crowd of the Jews and their ruler stood up against the glory of Christ and argued with the Lord of all. Anyone may perceive that those Jews prepared their snare against their own souls, because they dug for themselves pitfalls of destruction.…It then says that by day he taught in the temple but lodged during the nights on the mountain called the Mount of Olives. Clearly what he taught were things that surpass the legal service. The time had come when the shadow must be changed into the reality.
But what were the things He taught, unless such as transcended the worship of the law? But because His speech was with power, and with authority He applied to spiritual worship the things which had been delivered in figures by Moses and the Prophets, the people heard Him gladly. As it follows, And the whole people made haste to come early to hear him in the temple. But the people who came to Him before light might with fitness say, O God my God, early do I wait upon thee.
The Medieval Church3 voices
What our Lord commanded in word, He confirms by His example. For He who bid us watch and pray before the coming of the Judge, and the uncertain end of each of us, as the time of His Passion drew near, is Himself instant in teaching, watching, and prayer. As it is said, And in the day time he was teaching in the temple, whereby He conveys by His own example, that it is a thing worthy of God, to watch, or by word and deed to point out the way of truth to our neighbour. Now mystically, we also when amid our prosperity we behave ourselves soberly, piously, and honestly, teach by day time in the temple, for we hold up to the faithful the model of a good work; but at night we abide on mount Olivet, when in the darkness of anguish we are refreshed with spiritual consolation; and to us also the people come early in the morning, when either having shaken off the works of darkness, or scattered all the clouds of sorrow, they follow our example.
The Evangelists, especially the first three, did not transmit a great deal of what the Lord taught. It is true that John himself also passed over very much in silence, yet he, beyond what the three transmitted, set forth certain higher teachings of the Lord. …
Now the Evangelists are silent as to the greater part of Christ's teaching; for whereas He preached for the space nearly of three years, all the teaching which they have written down would scarcely, one might say, suffice for the discourse of a single day. For out of a great many things extracting a few, they have given only a taste as it were of the sweetness of His teaching. But our Lord here instructs us, that we ought to address God at night and in silence, but in day time to be doing good to men; and to gather indeed at night, but in the day distribute what we have gathered. As it is added, And at night he went out and abode in the mount that is called Olivet. Not that He had need of prayer, but He did this for our example.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
And because such a prelate and teacher is gladly heard, he therefore adds: And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him, as one watching unto learning, according to that passage of Proverbs eight: "They who watch …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Sometimes the taste and relish which serious, honest, plain people have of good preaching are more to be valued and judged by than the opinion of the witty and learned, and those in authority.
And all the people came early in the morning,....
That Jesus Christ has his eye upon us, to observe what we give to the poor, and what we contribute to works of piety and charity. Christ, though intent upon his preaching, looked up, to see what gifts were cast into the treasury,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The people came early - He returned early from the mount of Olives, and the people came early in the morning to the temple to hear his teaching. For practical observations on the awful subject of this chapter, see Matthew 24 at the end.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
These verses form the practical conclusion of our Lord Jesus Christ's great prophetic discourse. They supply a striking answer to those who condemn the study of unfulfilled prophecy, as speculative and unprofitable. It would be difficult to find a passage more practical, direct, plain, and heart-searching than that which is now before our eyes. Let us learn from these verses — the spiritual danger to which even the holiest believers are exposed in this world. Our Lord says to His disciples, "Watch out!
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
These verses form the practical conclusion of our Lord Jesus Christ's great prophetic discourse. They supply a striking answer to those who condemn the study of unfulfilled prophecy, as speculative and unprofitable. It would be difficult to find a passage more practical, direct, plain, and heart-searching than that which is now before our eyes. Let us learn from these verses — the spiritual danger to which even the holiest believers are exposed in this world. Our Lord says to His disciples, "Watch out! Or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life — and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap!" These words are exceedingly startling. They were not addressed to carnal-minded Pharisees, or skeptical Sadducees, or worldly Herodians. They were addressed to Peter, James, and John, and the whole company of the Apostles. They were addressed to men who had given up everything for Christ's sake, and had proved the reality of their faith by loving obedience and steady adhesion to their Master. Yet even to them, our Lord holds out the peril of carousing, and drunkenness, and worldliness! Even to them He says, "Watch out!" The exhortation before us should teach us the immense importance of humility . There is no sin so great — but a great saint may fall into it. There is no saint so great — but he may fall into a great sin. Noah escaped the pollutions of the world before the flood — and yet he was afterwards overtaken by drunkenness. Abraham was the father of the faithful — and yet through unbelief he said falsely that Sarah was his sister. Lot did not take part in the horrible wickedness of Sodom — and yet he afterwards fell into foul sin in the cave. Moses was the meekest man on earth — and yet he so lost self-control that he spoke angrily and unadvisedly.
The words behind it
12 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πᾶς | pas | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαὸς | laos | group of people | G2992 → | 141 times |
| ὤρθριζεν | orthrizen | was coming early | G3719 → | |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱερῷ | hi'ero | temple | G2411 → | 70 times |
| ἀκούειν | akouein | to hear | G191 → | 425 times |
| αὐτοῦ.¶ | autou | Him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πᾶςall
pasG3956 →1235 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
λαὸςgroup of people
laosG2992 →141 times
ὤρθριζενwas coming early
orthrizenG3719 →
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτὸνHim
autonG846 →5565 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἱερῷtemple
hi'eroG2411 →70 times
ἀκούεινto hear
akoueinG191 →425 times
αὐτοῦ.¶Him.
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 21; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 140; Cyril of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book IV; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.