Luke 24:27
in Luke 24And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
KJV
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
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This verse in Luke 24
Commentary
14 notes on this verseIn this discourse the Lord shows that the law was necessary to make ready the way and the ministry of the prophets to prepare people for faith in this marvelous act, so that when the resurrection really took place, those who were troubled at its greatness might remember what was said of old and be induced to believe. He brings forward, therefore, Moses and the prophets, interpreting their hidden meaning and making plain to the worthy what to the unworthy was obscure.
This site's exposition
beginning with Moses
On the seven-mile walk to Emmaus, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself. The range is the whole Hebrew canon, law and prophets together, read as one witness to him, and he restates the claim to the gathered disciples at verses 44-47. Luke leaves the passages he opened unnamed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
So he began to expound the Scriptures to them to help them recognize Christ precisely in the point on which they had forsaken Christ. The reason, you see, that they had despaired of Christ was that they had seen him dead. He, however, opened the Scriptures to them, so that they would realize that if he hadn't died, he couldn't be the Christ. He taught them from Moses, he taught them from the following Scriptures, he taught them from the prophets what he himself had told them: that it was necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory. They listened, they were filled with joy, they breathed again, and, as they said themselves, their hearts burned within them. And still they didn't recognize the presence of the light.
All that we read in holy Scripture for our instruction and salvation demands an attentive ear. You have just heard how the eyes of those two disciples whom the Lord joined on their way were kept from recognizing him. He found them in despair of the redemption that was in Christ, supposing him now to have suffered and died as a man, not imagining him to live forever as the Son of God. So he opened to them the Scriptures and showed them that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and for all things to be fulfilled that were written concerning him in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms—in short, the whole of the Old Testament. Everything in those Scriptures speaks of Christ, but only to him who has ears. He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And so let us pray that he will open our own. HOMILY 2.
After the same fashion, too, (I suppose, ) were they ignorant to whom, after His resurrection also, He vouchsafed, as they were journeying together, "to expound all the Scriptures." No doubt He had once said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them now; "but even then He added, "When He, the Spirit of truth, shall come, He will lead you into all truth.
And therefore our Lord goes on to show that all these things did not happen in a common way, but from the predestined purpose of God. Hence it follows, And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. As if He said, Since ye are slow I will render you quick, by explaining to you the mysteries of the Scriptures. For the sacrifice of Abraham, when releasing Isaac he sacrificed the ram, prefigured Christ's sacrifice. But in the other writings of the Prophets also there are scattered about mysteries of Christ's cross and the resurrection.
The Medieval Church1 voice
But since, He says, you are "foolish," that is, "slow" (for if they were truly foolish, He would not have said anything to them at all), since you are slow, I will open your mind and make it quick in understanding. Therefore He explained to …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
And therefore, for the explanation of this, the Evangelist adds: And beginning from Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things that were about him. For all the Scriptures and prophecies principally have reference to Christ. In designation …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
You cannot go far in any part of scripture but you meet with something that has reference to Christ, some prophecy, some promise, some prayer, some type or other; for he is the true treasure his in the field of the Old Testament. A golden thread of gospel grace runs through the whole web of the Old Testament. There is an eye of that white to be discerned in every place.
And beginning at Moses,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Beginning at Moses - At the “writings” of Moses, or at the beginning of the Old Testament; or rather the word “beginning” should be separated from what follows, denoting simply that he “commenced” his discourse, and not that he began at the prophets as well as at Moses; thus, “And commencing his discourse, or replying to them, he expounded from Moses and the prophets,” etc. All the prophets - The books of the Old Testament generally. He expounded - He explained or interpreted it to them.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The history contained in these verses, is not found in any other Gospel but that of Luke. Of all the eleven appearances of Christ after His resurrection, none perhaps is so interesting as the one described in this passage. Let us mark, in these verses — what encouragement there is to believers to speak to one another about Christ . We are told of two disciples walking together to Emmaus, and talking of their Master's crucifixion.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The history contained in these verses, is not found in any other Gospel but that of Luke. Of all the eleven appearances of Christ after His resurrection, none perhaps is so interesting as the one described in this passage. Let us mark, in these verses — what encouragement there is to believers to speak to one another about Christ . We are told of two disciples walking together to Emmaus, and talking of their Master's crucifixion. And then come the remarkable words, "As they talked and discussed these things with each other — Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them." Conference on spiritual subjects is a most important means of grace. As iron sharpens iron — so does exchange of thoughts with brethren, sharpen a believer's soul. It brings down a special blessing on all who make a practice of it. The striking words of Malachi were meant for the Church in every age — "Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other — and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. 'They will be Mine,' says the LORD Almighty, 'in the day when I make up My jewels.'" (Malachi 3:16, 17.) What do we ourselves know of spiritual conversation with other Christians? Perhaps we read our Bibles, and pray in private, and use public means of grace. It is all well, very well. But if we stop short here — then we neglect a great privilege and have yet much to learn. We ought to "consider how to provoke one another to love and good works." We ought to "exhort" and "edify one another." (Hebrews 10:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:11.) Have we no time for spiritual conversation? Let us think again. The quantity of time wasted on frivolous, trifling, and unprofitable talk — is fearfully great. Do we find nothing to say on spiritual subjects?
Beginning at Moses, etc. - What a sermon this must have been, where all the prophecies relative to the incarnation, birth, teaching, miracles, sufferings, death, and resurrection of the blessed Jesus were all adduced, illustrated, and applied to himself, by an appeal to the well known facts which had taken place during his life! We are almost irresistibly impelled to exclaim, What a pity this discourse had not been preserved! No wonder their hearts burned within them, while hearing such a sermon, from such a preacher. The law and the prophets had all borne testimony, either directly or indirectly, to Christ; and we may naturally suppose that these prophecies and references were those which our Lord at this time explained and applied to himself. See Luk 24:32.
The words behind it
18 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 |
| ἀρξάμενος | arxamenos | having begun | G757 → | 85 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| Μωϋσέως | mouseos | Moses | G3475 → | 78 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| πάντων | panton | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφητῶν | propheton | Prophets | G4396 → | 144 times |
| διερμήνευσεν | diermeneusen | He interpreted | G1329 → | |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | to them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πάσαις | pasais | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ταῖς | tais | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γραφαῖς | graphais | Scriptures | G1124 → | 49 times |
| τὰ | ta | the [things] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| περὶ | peri | concerning | G4012 → | 332 times |
| ἑαυτοῦ. | he'autou | of Himself. | G1438 → | 322 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀρξάμενοςhaving begun
arxamenosG757 →85 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
ΜωϋσέωςMoses
mouseosG3475 →78 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
πάντωνall
pantonG3956 →1235 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
προφητῶνProphets
prophetonG4396 →144 times
διερμήνευσενHe interpreted
diermeneusenG1329 →
αὐτοῖςto them
autoisG846 →5565 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
πάσαιςall
pasaisG3956 →1235 times
ταῖςthe
taisG3588 →19766 times
γραφαῖςScriptures
graphaisG1124 →49 times
τὰthe [things]
taG3588 →19766 times
περὶconcerning
periG4012 →332 times
ἑαυτοῦ.of Himself.
he'autouG1438 →322 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 7:14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
it leads to
- Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
- Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Luke 1:31
Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.
- John 1:1–2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Matthew 1:23
Through
Deuteronomy 18:15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.
it leads to
- Acts 3:22–23
For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.
- Acts 7:37
This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’
- Acts 3:22–23
Through
Luke 24:44Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets,…
it leads to
- Zechariah 12:10
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They…
- Zechariah 12:10
Where this verse is studied
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About Luke

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 236.2; Augustine of Hippo, ON 1 JOHN; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 24; Charles Spurgeon, The Gospel of the Kingdom; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, CHAPTER 24; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, The Prescription Against Heretics and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.
