Luke 10:21 kjv
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
Luke 10:21 nkjv
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.
Luke 10:21 niv
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Luke 10:21 esv
In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
Luke 10:21 nlt
At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
Luke 10 21 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Matt 11:25-27 | "At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise...'" | Near identical parallel passage, highlights unique Father-Son revelation. |
1 Cor 1:18-31 | "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message..." | God's wisdom in choosing "foolishness" to save, confounding human wisdom. |
Isa 29:14 | "Therefore, behold, I will again do amazing things with this people... and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish..." | Prophecy of God frustrating human wisdom. |
Psa 25:9 | "He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way." | God's guidance is for the meek and humble. |
Psa 138:6 | "For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar." | God values humility and humbles the proud. |
Matt 18:3-4 | "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." | Essential childlike humility for entering the Kingdom. |
Matt 19:14 | "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." | Kingdom access through simple, trusting faith. |
Jas 4:6 | "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." | Principle of divine grace flowing to the humble. |
1 Pet 5:5 | "Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud..." | Call to humility and warning against pride. |
Eph 1:5, 9, 11 | "...in love he predestined us for adoption as sons... according to the purpose of his will..." | God's sovereign and good pleasure in His salvific plan. |
Rom 9:15-18 | "...'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy...' So then it depends not on human will..." | God's sovereign choice and mercy in salvation. |
Deut 29:29 | "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us..." | God's prerogative to reveal His truth as He chooses. |
Job 5:13 | "He catches the wise in their own cunning, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end." | God thwarts the devious plans of the "wise." |
John 1:18 | "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known." | The Son's unique ability to reveal the Father. |
John 6:46 | "Not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father." | Jesus as the ultimate revealer of God. |
John 10:15 | "just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." | Mutual, intimate knowledge between Father and Son. |
John 17:6, 25-26 | "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world..." | Jesus reveals the Father to those specifically chosen. |
Isa 61:10 | "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me..." | Parallel to deep spiritual joy and exultation in the Lord. |
Hab 3:18 | "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." | Rejoicing in God's salvation and sovereignty. |
Neh 8:10 | "The joy of the Lord is your strength." | Joy sourced from God providing spiritual strength. |
Rom 15:13 | "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." | Holy Spirit as the power source for joy in belief. |
Acts 13:52 | "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." | Believers experiencing joy directly attributed to the Holy Spirit. |
1 Thess 1:6 | "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord... with the joy of the Holy Spirit." | Joy of the Spirit sustaining believers even in tribulation. |
Rev 19:6 | "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns!" | Affirmation of God as sovereign Lord of all. |
Luke 10 verses
Luke 10 21 Meaning
Luke 10:21 presents Jesus in a rare moment of deep, Spirit-filled exultation, expressing profound gratitude to the Father. He praises God's sovereign wisdom in choosing to unveil the profound truths and mysteries of His kingdom, not to those considered intellectually astute or self-reliant in worldly wisdom, but rather to the humble, teachable, and spiritually receptive individuals likened to "little children." This divine preference highlights that genuine spiritual understanding and access to God's ways are granted through grace and humility, rather than human intellect or social standing, showcasing God's sovereign and benevolent will in revealing Himself.
Luke 10 21 Context
Luke 10:21 marks a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry, immediately following the joyful return of the seventy disciples. These disciples had been sent out with authority to heal, proclaim the Kingdom, and cast out demons, returning with excitement that "even the demons are subject to us in your name" (Luke 10:17). Jesus affirms their spiritual authority but re-directs their focus to an even greater joy: their names being written in heaven (Luke 10:20). It is in this atmosphere of successful kingdom expansion and divine empowerment that Jesus experiences this unique outburst of Spirit-filled joy and thanksgiving. The verse precedes a profound statement about Jesus' unique relationship with the Father (Luke 10:22) and the blessing upon those who truly see and hear these kingdom realities, before moving to the Parable of the Good Samaritan which exemplifies true neighbourly love, further illustrating the characteristics of one who lives within the Kingdom.
Luke 10 21 Word analysis
- In that same hour (ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ - en autē tē hōra): Indicates an immediate and direct response. This precision signifies a momentous, Spirit-prompted epiphany and direct temporal link to the disciples' report.
- he rejoiced (ἠγαλλιάσατο - ēgalliasato): A strong Greek verb denoting an exultant, jubilant, or ecstatic joy; to leap for joy. It signifies a profound spiritual rapture and intense, Spirit-filled celebration.
- in the Holy Spirit (τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ - tō pneumati tō hagiō): Specifies the source and sphere of Jesus’ rejoicing. This is not merely human emotion but a divinely infused, Spirit-generated gladness, highlighting Jesus' perfect communion with the divine purpose through the Holy Spirit.
- I thank you (Ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι - Exomologoumai soi): Literally "I confess to you" or "I acknowledge to you." While commonly translated "I thank," it conveys a deeper meaning of publicly assenting to, praising, or giving acknowledgment for a truth or act, affirming God's wisdom and action.
- Father (Πάτερ - Pater): Jesus' intimate and beloved address to God. It underscores the unique filial relationship and unity of purpose between Jesus and God, indicating the personal nature of this revelation.
- Lord of heaven and earth (Κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς - Kyrie tou ouranou kai tēs gēs): A majestic title affirming God's absolute and universal sovereignty, dominion, and ownership over all creation. It contextualizes the "hiding" and "revealing" as acts of ultimate divine authority and prerogative.
- that you have hidden these things (ὅτι ἀπέκρυψας ταῦτα - hoti apeklrypsas tauta): Signifies a deliberate, sovereign act of divine concealment. "These things" refers to the mysteries of the Kingdom, particularly the nature of salvation, Jesus' identity, and the divine plan for humanity. It implies an intentional withholding.
- from the wise and understanding (ἀπὸ σοφῶν καὶ συνετῶν - apo sophōn kai synetōn): Refers to those who possess intellectual prowess and shrewd discernment, typically alluding to religious and intellectual elites (scribes, Pharisees) of the day. Their wisdom, when divorced from humility, became a barrier to God's revelation.
- and revealed them (καὶ ἀπεκάλυψας αὐτά - kai apekalypsas auta): The active counterpart to "hidden," meaning to unveil, disclose, or make known. This is a direct act of divine initiative and grace, disclosing truth that cannot be discovered through human effort alone.
- to little children (νηπίοις - nēpiois): Metaphorically refers to those who are humble, dependent, receptive, and teachable—those without spiritual or intellectual pride, akin to infants completely reliant on a parent. This term highlights openness and simplicity of faith, not literal age.
- yes, Father (ναί, ὁ Πατήρ - nai, ho Patēr): An emphatic affirmation ("yes, indeed") indicating full and joyful agreement with God’s sovereign plan and choice, reiterating perfect submission.
- for such was your gracious will (ὅτι οὕτως ἐγένετο εὐδοκία ἔμπροσθέν σου - hoti houtōs egeneto eudokia emprosthen sou): Lit. "for thus it became good pleasure before you." Eudokia signifies God's sovereign good pleasure, benevolent disposition, and deliberate purpose. This emphasizes that God’s actions are according to His perfect and pleasing will.
Words-group by words-group analysis data:
- "In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit": This phrase marks a significant, Spirit-empowered moment of ecstatic joy in Jesus, underscoring the divine origin and deep spiritual nature of His happiness. It signifies that Jesus’ joy is not just human emotion, but an overflow of alignment with God's perfect plan, witnessed by the Holy Spirit within Him.
- "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth": This invocation powerfully blends intimate familial address ("Father") with an acknowledgement of absolute universal dominion ("Lord of heaven and earth"). This duality emphasizes both the personal relationship in which Jesus stands and the supreme authority of the One being thanked, making clear the divine source of all things.
- "that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children": This constitutes the central theological paradox of the verse. It declares God's deliberate inversion of human expectations for divine revelation. God bypasses those who rely on self-sufficient intellect or perceived wisdom, choosing instead to unveil profound spiritual truths to those who possess humble, dependent, and receptive hearts.
- "yes, Father, for such was your gracious will": This climactic affirmation underscores Jesus' perfect and joyous acquiescence to God's sovereign and benevolent choice. It declares that the selective revelation is not arbitrary but flows from God's good pleasure, affirming His absolute authority and perfect plan.
Luke 10 21 Bonus section
- This instance of Jesus "rejoicing in the Holy Spirit" is a rare and significant portrayal of His emotional state in the Gospels, highlighting a unique moment of divine ecstasy and deep spiritual fulfillment in His earthly ministry.
- The paradox of "hiding from the wise and revealing to little children" forms a fundamental principle throughout Scripture, demonstrating God's consistent method of confounding human pride and showcasing His power through the humble and unassuming, as seen notably in 1 Corinthians.
- This verse prefigures the widespread rejection of Jesus by the learned and religious establishment of His day, whose pride and attachment to their own traditions blinded them to the simplicity and humility of God's incarnate wisdom.
Luke 10 21 Commentary
Luke 10:21 is a powerful window into the heart and mind of Jesus, expressing a profound, Spirit-empowered thanksgiving. It is Jesus’ celebration of the Father’s perfect sovereign plan for revelation. He is rejoicing because God, in His ultimate wisdom and authority as "Lord of heaven and earth," has deliberately chosen to unveil the mysteries of His Kingdom and the true nature of salvation. This revelation is withheld from those self-assured in their human intellect and worldly understanding—often referencing the religious elites who resisted Him. Instead, God has revealed these deep truths to the "little children," a metaphorical description for the humble, receptive, and trusting, who approach Him with childlike faith and dependence, devoid of intellectual or spiritual pride. Jesus’ emphatic affirmation, "yes, Father, for such was your gracious will," highlights His complete alignment and joyful submission to this divine strategy, reinforcing that true understanding of God's ways stems not from human accomplishment or social status, but solely from God's gracious and purposeful will.