Luke 11 53

Luke 11:53 kjv

And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

Luke 11:53 nkjv

And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things,

Luke 11:53 niv

When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions,

Luke 11:53 esv

As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things,

Luke 11:53 nlt

As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees became hostile and tried to provoke him with many questions.

Luke 11 verses

Luke 11 53 Meaning

Following Jesus's pronouncement of woes against the scribes and Pharisees, these religious leaders reacted with aggressive hostility. They began to press Him severely and cunningly provoke Him to continue speaking, seeking to ensnare Him in His words and find grounds for accusation or condemnation. This reflects their escalating opposition and malicious intent toward Him.

Luke 11 53 Context

This verse immediately follows Jesus's powerful and pointed denunciations, often called the "woes," delivered against the Pharisees and lawyers (Luke 11:37-52). These woes accused them of hypocrisy, inner corruption despite external cleanliness, burdening people with legalistic rules, and resembling those who built monuments for the prophets their ancestors had murdered. Jesus directly challenged their spiritual authority and practices, exposing their true motives and inner state. Verse 53 captures their volatile and aggressive response to this direct confrontation. The larger historical context is the intensifying conflict between Jesus and the established Jewish religious leaders who felt their power and interpretation of the Law threatened by Jesus's teachings and growing influence. Their actions here prefigure their ultimate decision to condemn and crucify Him.

Luke 11 53 Word analysis

• And as he said these things: Connects the intense reaction of the scribes and Pharisees directly to Jesus's recent pronouncements of "woes." This shows the immediate and strong impact of His words on them, particularly because His condemnations were highly personal and publicly delivered.
• the scribes and the Pharisees:
  • Scribes (γραμματεῖς, grammateis): Experts in the Jewish Law, its interpreters, and teachers. Often associated with the Pharisees, but their primary role was in legal and literary matters of the Torah. They held significant authority and influence over the people.
  • Pharisees (Φαρισαῖοι, Pharisaioi): A prominent religious and political sect known for their strict adherence to the Law, both written and oral tradition. They emphasized ritual purity, tithing, and sabbath observance. While often sincere, many became legalistic, valuing external conformity over inner transformation, and saw Jesus as a challenge to their authority and understanding of God's law. Their frequent appearances as antagonists in the Gospels highlight their pervasive influence.
• began to press Him hard: (ἐνέχω, enechō)
  • Original Meaning: Literally "to hold in," "to restrain," or "to entangle." It can also mean "to hold fast" or "to have a grudge against."
  • Significance: In this context, it implies aggressively cornering Jesus, holding Him in a tight spot, or putting pressure on Him. It denotes a hostile and ensnaring intent, seeking to restrict His freedom or force a particular outcome. It speaks to a vengeful disposition, bearing malice towards Him.
• and to provoke Him: (ἀποστοματίζω, apostomatizō)
  • Original Meaning: This unique word in the New Testament, used here by Luke, means "to cause to speak out," or "to speak offhand/impromptu."
  • Significance: It implies challenging or interrogating someone in such a way as to make them speak without thinking, often for the purpose of catching them in a misstatement or inconsistency. It suggests a malicious intent to draw words out of Jesus that could be used against Him. They wanted to trick Him into saying something incriminating, something that violated their law or challenged Roman authority.
• to speak of many things:
  • Significance: Their desire was not for truth or understanding, but to extend the discourse, creating more opportunities for Jesus to utter something they could twist, accuse Him of, or present as a basis for formal charges. This highlights their persistence and cunning in their opposition.

Words-group Analysis:

• "the scribes and the Pharisees began to press Him hard, and to provoke Him": This phrase reveals their unified, cunning, and aggressive approach. They were not seeking dialogue or repentance but seeking an opportunity to undermine, discredit, and ultimately destroy Jesus. Their actions were calculated and born of malice and spiritual darkness rather than a sincere search for truth. This intense immediate reaction shows how deeply Jesus's prior pronouncements had wounded their pride and exposed their spiritual bankruptcy.

Luke 11 53 Bonus section

This specific encounter and the response of the scribes and Pharisees serve as a significant example of spiritual blindness. Despite hearing profound truths and witnessing divine authority, their pride and vested interests prevented them from seeing their own spiritual failings. Instead, their hearts became hardened, leading them to actively plot against the source of truth and light. Their actions here underscore a long-standing pattern in redemptive history where God's messengers are met with resistance and hostility by those who cling to their own traditions or power structures rather than humbly submitting to divine revelation. The intense reaction recorded in this verse also highlights the courage and unflinching honesty of Jesus in confronting religious hypocrisy, even when it carried immense personal risk.

Luke 11 53 Commentary

Luke 11:53 marks a critical escalation in the conflict between Jesus and the religious establishment. Following His scathing indictment of their hypocrisy and misguidance, the scribes and Pharisees, wounded by His directness, shift from merely observing or debating Him to an overt and aggressive campaign of verbal entrapment. Their intention was not to understand or repent, but to elicit damaging statements from Jesus, demonstrating their closed hearts and hardened spiritual state. The "pressing hard" and "provoking" terms vividly portray their determined hostility, underscoring their unwavering desire to silence Him. This scene perfectly sets the stage for future confrontations and ultimately their role in His crucifixion, showcasing the intense spiritual battle between light and darkness, truth and self-righteous deception.