Luke 8:56
in Luke 8Her parents were astounded, but Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And her parents were amazed: but he charged them to tell no man what had been done.
KJV
And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
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This verse in Luke 8
Commentary
9 notes on this verse(Severus.) He next charges the parents, astonished at the miracle, and almost crying out, not to publish abroad what was done. As it follows, And her parents were astonished; but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done; showing that He is the Giver of good things, but not covetous of glory, and that He gives the whole, receiving nothing. But he who seeks after the glory of his works has indeed shown forth something, but receives something.
This site's exposition
he suffered no man to go in
on Luke 8:51-56
When he came into the house he suffered no man to go in, save Peter and James and John and the parents, a private circle Luke will keep also for the transfiguration. All wept and bewailed her, but he said, Weep not, she is not dead, but sleepeth, and the mourners who know her dead laugh him to scorn, an unwitting witness against any later claim that she had merely fainted. He put them all out, took her by the hand and called, Maid, arise, and her spirit came again and she arose straightway, and he commanded to give her meat, the same practical tenderness that once named a widow's need at Nain. Her parents were astonished, and he charged them to tell no man, the silence fitting here as it was not at Gadara, since a raised child in Jewish Galilee is a claim that would travel far faster than his hour requires.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Ephrem the SyrianCOMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 7.27A · Written before 373.
proposed
When the woman was healed, our Lord said, "Who touched me?" so that she could profess her healing before everyone. Also in the case of the little girl, he said, "She is sleeping" so that the spectators might testify that she was dead, and then …
The Medieval Church2 voices
And his parents, he says, were amazed, and he commanded them not to tell anyone what had happened. The young man was raised outside the gate, with a large crowd accompanying and watching. Lazarus, called forth from the tomb, became so widely known to the …
Whence it is also added: And her parents were astonished, as though unable to bear the magnitude of divine power: Isaiah 29, "Behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, a great and stupendous miracle." Moreover, this astonishment elevated the faith …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
What Christ made the constant business of his life --it was preaching; in that work he was indefatigable, and went about doing good (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And her parents were astonished,.... At the miracle that was wrought, to see their child restored to life; to see her arise, walk, and eat, being in perfect health and strength, and no disorder attending her; but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
The verses we have now read, contain one of the three great instances which the Holy Spirit has thought fit to record of our Lord restoring a dead person to life. The other two instances are those of Lazarus and the widow's son at Nain. There seems no reason to doubt that our Lord raised others beside these three. But these three cases are especially described as patterns of His almighty power. One was a young girl — who had just breathed her last. One was a young man — who was being carried to his burial.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The verses we have now read, contain one of the three great instances which the Holy Spirit has thought fit to record of our Lord restoring a dead person to life. The other two instances are those of Lazarus and the widow's son at Nain. There seems no reason to doubt that our Lord raised others beside these three. But these three cases are especially described as patterns of His almighty power. One was a young girl — who had just breathed her last. One was a young man — who was being carried to his burial. One was a man — who had already laid four days in the grave. In all three cases alike, we see life at once restored at Christ's command. Let us notice, in the verses before us — how universal is the dominion which death holds over mankind. We see death coming to a rich man's house, and tearing from him the desire of his eyes with a stroke! Such tidings as these, are the bitterest cups which we have to drink in this world. Nothing cuts so deeply into man's heart — as to part with beloved ones, and lay them in the grave. Few griefs are so crushing and heavy — as the grief of a parent over the death of an only child. Death is indeed a cruel enemy! He makes no distinction in his attacks. He comes to the rich man's mansion — as well as to the poor man's cottage. He does not spare the young, the strong, and the beautiful — any more than the old, the infirm, and the grey-haired. Not all the gold of Australia, nor all the skill of doctors — can keep the hand of death from our bodies, in the day of his power. When the appointed hour comes, and God permits him to smite — then our worldly schemes must be broken off, and our darlings must be taken away and buried out of our sight. These thoughts are melancholy, and few like to hear of them. The subject of death is one that men shut their eyes at, and refuse to look at.
The words behind it
13 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 |
| ἐξέστησαν | exestesan | were amazed | G1839 → | 17 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γονεῖς | goneis | parents | G1118 → | 20 times |
| αὐτῆς. | autes | of her. | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | and | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| παρήγγειλεν | parengeilen | He instructed | G3853 → | 31 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | to them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| μηδενὶ | medeni | no one | G3367 → | 90 times |
| εἰπεῖν | eipein | to tell | G2036 → | 925 times |
| τὸ | to | what | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γεγονός.¶ | gegonos | having happened. | G1096 → | 667 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐξέστησανwere amazed
exestesanG1839 →17 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
γονεῖςparents
goneisG1118 →20 times
αὐτῆς.of her.
autesG846 →5565 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲand
deG1161 →2765 times
παρήγγειλενHe instructed
parengeilenG3853 →31 times
αὐτοῖςto them
autoisG846 →5565 times
μηδενὶno one
medeniG3367 →90 times
εἰπεῖνto tell
eipeinG2036 →925 times
τὸwhat
toG3588 →19766 times
γεγονός.¶having happened.
gegonosG1096 →667 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
Matthew 8:4Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”
it leads to
- Leviticus 14:2–32
“This is the law for the one afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing, when he is brought to the priest.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 17:14
When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 5:14
“Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 7:36
Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
- Leviticus 13:2–46
“When someone has a swelling or rash or bright spot on his skin that could become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons…
- Leviticus 14:2–32
Through
Matthew 9:30And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one finds out about this!”
it leads to
- Matthew 8:4
Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 12:16
warning them not to make Him known.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 8:4
Through
Luke 5:14“Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
it leads to
- Mark 1:44
“See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
- Mark 1:44
Where this verse is studied
About Luke
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ancient Greek Expositor, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 8; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 7.27A; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.