Luke 13:1 kjv
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luke 13:1 nkjv
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luke 13:1 niv
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
Luke 13:1 esv
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Luke 13:1 nlt
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.
Luke 13 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 13:2-5 | And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners… perish.” | Jesus' direct teaching following the verse. |
| Job 1:1-22 | In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job... | Suffering not always due to specific sin. |
| Job 2:1-10 | One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord... | God permits suffering, but without blame on Job. |
| Job 42:7-8 | After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My anger burns..." | God rebukes those who falsely accuse Job. |
| Jn 9:1-3 | As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned..." | Rejection of sin-disability direct causation. |
| Ps 73:1-20 | But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled... | Righteous questioning suffering vs. wicked prosperity. |
| Rom 3:23 | For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... | Universal human sinfulness. |
| Jer 8:20 | The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. | Urgency of repentance and time running out. |
| Isa 55:6-7 | Seek the Lord while He may be found... Let the wicked forsake their way... | Call to immediate repentance. |
| Acts 17:30-31 | In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent... | God commands universal repentance. |
| Mt 3:2 | And saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." | John the Baptist's call to repentance. |
| Mt 7:13-14 | Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it... | Warning of two paths: one leading to destruction. |
| Ezek 18:20 | The soul who sins is the one who will die... | Each person responsible for their own sin. |
| Lam 3:37-39 | Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both evil and good proceed? Why should a living man complain about the punishment of his sins? | God's ultimate sovereignty even in calamity. |
| Heb 9:27 | And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment... | Universal appointment with death and judgment. |
| 2 Cor 5:10 | For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ... | Universal judgment. |
| Phil 2:12 | Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling... | Urgency for personal salvation. |
| 1 Cor 10:6-11 | These things happened to them as examples... warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. | Past judgments serve as warnings. |
| Rev 2:5 | Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the deeds you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place... | Call to repent or face consequences. |
| Jonah 3:10 | When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened. | God relents from judgment when people repent. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. | Sin (pride) leading to destruction. |
| Ps 90:12 | So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. | Understanding the brevity of life and need for wisdom. |
| Jas 4:13-15 | Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there... | Warning against presuming upon the future. |
Luke 13 verses
Luke 13 1 Meaning
Luke 13:1 introduces an immediate report given to Jesus concerning two tragic events: the massacre of Galileans by Pilate while they were offering sacrifices and the collapse of the Tower of Siloam, which killed eighteen people. The verse sets the stage for Jesus' teaching that suffering and calamity are not necessarily direct evidence of greater sinfulness in the victims, but rather serve as a call for all to repent lest they likewise perish. It challenges a common perception of the time linking personal calamity directly to personal sin.
Luke 13 1 Context
Luke 13:1 appears immediately after Jesus' stern warnings to the crowd (Lk 12:54-59) about interpreting "the present time" and the urgency of reconciling with an adversary quickly to avoid severe consequences. He was discussing discerning the "signs of the times" regarding God's kingdom and the coming judgment, implying that spiritual reconciliation is critical. This verse then provides two current, concrete examples of human tragedy – one a brutal political act (Pilate) and the other a seemingly random accident (Tower of Siloam). These events, which likely spurred theological speculation among the Jewish people about divine punishment, serve as immediate, relevant points for Jesus to further develop His teaching on repentance, challenging the common belief that such calamities befell only those particularly egregious in their sin. The subsequent Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (Lk 13:6-9) further underscores the urgency of fruitfulness and repentance before a time of inevitable judgment.
Luke 13 1 Word analysis
- There were present: The Greek word is parēsan (παρῆσαν), meaning "they were present," implying an arrival or coming to Jesus to share this news, suggesting urgency or an immediate concern they wished Him to address or interpret.
- at that very time: Greek: en autō tō kairō (ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ). This phrase emphasizes immediacy and timeliness. The events described were fresh in people's minds, making Jesus' subsequent teaching highly relevant and potent, not an abstract theological discourse.
- some: Greek: tinēs (τινές). Indicates a specific group of individuals, not the entire crowd, who brought this news. They likely held certain assumptions about these events, which Jesus proceeds to challenge.
- Galileans: Greek: Galilaious (Γαλιλαίους). Galileans were generally seen by Judeans as religiously less orthodox and politically more prone to rebellion against Roman rule. Their regional identity often carried a socio-political nuance, potentially influencing assumptions about why they suffered.
- whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices: Greek: hōn to haima Pilatos emixen meta tōn thysiōn autōn (ὧν τὸ αἷμα Πιλᾶτος ἔμιξεν μετὰ τῶν θυσιῶν αὐτῶν). This vivid phrase describes an atrocious act. "Pilate" (Πιλᾶτος) refers to Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect known for his brutality and insensitivity to Jewish customs. The act of "mixing blood with sacrifices" is highly significant:
- Blood: In Jewish ritual, blood was sacred, representing life, and specific to atonement (Lev 17:11). Mixing human blood from murder with sacrificial blood was a profound desecration, a sacrilege of the highest order. It suggests the killing happened either at the temple or in a way that polluted sacred ritual.
- Sacrifices: Refers to animals being offered to God in the Temple. To have their worshippers slaughtered and their blood mingling with the blood of their offerings would have been viewed as ultimate defilement, both human and religious. This incident likely referred to a specific, widely known act of Roman oppression, possibly connected to the funds for an aqueduct Pilate was building or a riot in Jerusalem.
- and about the eighteen: Refers to a separate, non-political incident, contrasting sharply with the Pilate massacre. This shows two distinct forms of calamity: one an act of human wickedness and oppression, the other an 'act of God' or natural/accidental disaster.
- on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: Greek: eph' hous epesen ho pyrgos en to Siloam kai apekteinen autous (ἐφ' οὓς ἔπεσεν ὁ πύργος ἐν τῷ Σιλωάμ καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτούς). "Siloam" (Σιλωάμ) refers to a pool and tower complex in Jerusalem. The tower's collapse was a tragic accident. This serves as a natural disaster scenario, often perceived as an act of divine judgment. Jesus presents these two examples – a heinous crime and an accidental structural collapse – to make a unified point about humanity's universal need for repentance, regardless of the cause of specific suffering. The perceived wisdom of the day would often conclude that such victims were being directly punished for egregious sins, but Jesus counters this interpretation.
Luke 13 1 Bonus section
The mention of Pontius Pilate and his brutal actions against the Galileans during worship would have been deeply shocking to Jesus' Jewish audience, recalling his infamous contempt for Jewish religious sensibilities (e.g., placing Roman standards with imperial images in Jerusalem, or his use of temple funds for an aqueduct which led to riots he suppressed violently). This event, while not recorded in secular historical accounts available today, fits perfectly with what is known of Pilate's character and rule from historians like Josephus and Philo. The Galileans were also culturally and politically distinct from the Judeans, often viewed as more volatile and independent-minded, making them targets for Roman crackdowns. The immediate mention of this state-sponsored violence side-by-side with an accidental death (Tower of Siloam) creates a powerful rhetorical framework. It underscores that whether calamity is brought about by human malice or apparent random chance, the spiritual lesson is the same: the urgent need for every individual's repentance before God, rather than focusing on the presumed sinfulness of the victims.
Luke 13 1 Commentary
Luke 13:1 acts as a crucial narrative pivot point, presenting specific tragic events of the day to enable Jesus to correct a prevailing theological misconception. The popular mindset assumed a direct correlation between individual suffering/calamity and the magnitude of individual sin—that those who died such terrible deaths must have been exceptionally wicked. Jesus deftly refutes this simplistic theology by emphasizing that suffering, whether at the hand of a brutal governor like Pilate or from an accidental collapse, does not identify the victims as "worse sinners" than others. Instead, these events are presented as grim warnings to all observers. The true significance lies not in assessing the victims' righteousness but in the universal need for repentance. Such unexpected and devastating ends serve as a stark reminder of life's brevity and the unpredictability of death, urging everyone to prepare their hearts and lives before God. The core message shifts from "Why did this happen to them?" to "Are you prepared?"
For example, when a natural disaster strikes a community, this verse prevents judging the victims as particularly sinful. Instead, it turns the gaze inward, prompting self-examination and repentance in everyone, including those untouched by the immediate tragedy. Similarly, in the face of brutal acts of violence or injustice, while acknowledging the perpetrators' wickedness, the emphasis remains on the urgent call for all people to turn to God.