Luke 24:17
in Luke 24He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stood still, with sadness on their faces.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto them, What communications are these that ye have one with another, as ye walk? And they stood still, looking sad.
KJV
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
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This verse in Luke 24
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
What are you discussing so intently
on Luke 24:17-18
Cleopas is the only one of the two named. A later tradition, reported by Eusebius from Hegesippus, identifies him with the Clopas of John 19:25, a relative of Joseph.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Or to two of the disciples by themselves our Lord showed Himself in the evening, namely, Ammaon and Cleophas.
You heard just now that the Lord Jesus, after rising from the dead, found two of his disciples on the road, talking to each other about all that had happened, and said to them, "What is this conversation you are having with each other, and why are you so sad?" …So what is the benefit of this reading for us? A very considerable one, if we understand it rightly. Jesus appeared. They saw him with their eyes and did not recognize him. The Master was walking with them along the way, and he himself was the way. But they weren't yet walking along the way. He found, you see, that they had wandered off the way. After all, when he had been with them before the passion, he had foretold everything: that he was going to suffer, to die and to rise again on the third day. He had foretold it all, but his death had erased it from their memories. They were so shattered when they saw him hanging on the tree that they forgot about his teaching. They did not expect him to rise, nor did they hold on to what he had promised.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And he said to them etc. After the described association of Christ with the disciples on the journey, here he describes the association in conversation, concerning the description of which four things are introduced, namely the inquiry into the matter about which the discourse; the …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he said unto them,....
Note, Christ's disciples are often sad and sorrowful even when they have reason to rejoice, but through the weakness of their faith they cannot take the comfort that is offered to them. [3.] Being sad, they had communications one with another concerning Christ. Note, First, It becomes Christians to talk of Christ.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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?
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
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
What manner of communications ... - What is the subject of your conversation? What is it that has so much affected your minds? They were deeply affected in the recollection of the death of Jesus; and, as became all Christians, they were conversing about him, and were sad at the overwhelming events that had come upon them.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἶπεν | eipen | He said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| αὐτούς· | autous | them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τίνες | tines | What | G5101 → | 563 times |
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λόγοι | logoi | words [are] | G3056 → | 329 times |
| οὗτοι | houtoi | these | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| οὓς | hous | that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἀντιβάλλετε | antiballete | you exchange | G474 → | |
| πρὸς | pros | with | G4314 → | 700 times |
| ἀλλήλους | allelous | one another | G240 → | 100 times |
| περιπατοῦντες; | peripatountes | walking? | G4043 → | 94 times |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐστάθησαν | estathesan | they stood still | G2476 → | 153 times |
| σκυθρωποί. | skuthropoi | looking sad. | G4659 → |
εἶπενHe said
eipenG2036 →925 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
αὐτούς·them;
autousG846 →5565 times
τίνεςWhat
tinesG5101 →563 times
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
λόγοιwords [are]
logoiG3056 →329 times
οὗτοιthese
houtoiG3778 →1381 times
οὓςthat
housG3739 →1405 times
ἀντιβάλλετεyou exchange
antiballeteG474 →
πρὸςwith
prosG4314 →700 times
ἀλλήλουςone another
allelousG240 →100 times
περιπατοῦντες;walking?
peripatountesG4043 →94 times
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐστάθησανthey stood still
estathesanG2476 →153 times
σκυθρωποί.looking sad.
skuthropoiG4659 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
John 16:6Instead, your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things.
it leads to
- John 20:11–15
But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent down to look into the tomb,
- John 16:20–22
Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
- John 14:27–28
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
- Luke 22:45
When Jesus rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
- John 14:1
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.
- John 20:11–15
Where this verse is studied
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About Luke
This page draws on 9 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); Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 235.1-2; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 24; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.