Luke 13:33 kjv
Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Luke 13:33 nkjv
Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
Luke 13:33 niv
In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day?for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
Luke 13:33 esv
Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.'
Luke 13:33 nlt
Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!
Luke 13 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 9:22 | "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day." | Jesus' foretold suffering and death in Jerusalem. |
| Mt 16:21 | From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things... and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. | Divine necessity of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. |
| Mk 8:31 | And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected... and be killed, and after three days rise again. | Predicted suffering and resurrection. |
| Lk 17:25 | "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation." | Suffering is a prerequisite. |
| Jn 10:18 | "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." | Jesus' control over His life and death. |
| Jn 7:30 | So they were seeking to seize Him; and no one laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. | Divine timing prevents early capture. |
| Jn 8:20 | These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come. | God's protective timing over Jesus. |
| Jn 12:23 | And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." | The arrival of God's appointed time. |
| Jn 13:1 | Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father... | Jesus aware of His impending hour. |
| Lk 13:34-35 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her!... Behold, your house is left to you desolate." | Immediately follows and elaborates on Jerusalem's guilt. |
| Mt 23:37-39 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you!... See! Your house is left to you desolate." | Parallel passage explicitly calling Jerusalem a slayer of prophets. |
| Acts 7:52 | "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One..." | Stephen's indictment of Israel's history with prophets. |
| Neh 9:26 | "But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, and threw Your law behind their backs. They also killed Your prophets who admonished them... | Old Testament precedent of killing prophets. |
| 2 Chron 24:20-22 | Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them... they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him... | Example of a prophet murdered in the Temple court. |
| Jer 2:30 | "In vain I have struck your sons; they received no instruction. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion." | God's lament over Judah's murder of prophets. |
| Jer 26:20-23 | Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriah the son of Shemaiah... who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah. | Prophet Uriah persecuted and killed. |
| 1 Ki 19:1-3 | Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done... Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me..." | Prophet Elijah facing threats and fleeing. |
| Dt 18:15 | "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you... to Him you shall listen." | Moses foretells the coming of a great Prophet (Jesus). |
| Acts 3:22-23 | "Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall listen in everything He says to you.’" | Peter identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of Dt 18:15. |
| Heb 1:1-2 | God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son... | Jesus as God's ultimate revelation and Prophet. |
| Lk 12:49-50 | "I have come to cast fire upon the earth... But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!" | Jesus' awareness of a necessary impending suffering. |
Luke 13 verses
Luke 13 33 Meaning
Luke 13:33 presents Jesus' unwavering resolve to continue His divinely ordained path to Jerusalem, despite threats against His life. He affirms the necessity of His ministry being completed on a fixed timeline ("today and tomorrow and the day following"). The verse then concludes with a profound statement, heavily laden with irony and historical weight, asserting that it is unthinkable for a prophet to perish anywhere other than Jerusalem, thereby highlighting the city's infamous history as the slayer of God's messengers.
Luke 13 33 Context
Luke 13:33 occurs in the context of Jesus' final journey towards Jerusalem, where He knows His passion awaits. Immediately prior, some Pharisees warn Jesus that Herod Antipas seeks to kill Him (Lk 13:31). Instead of fearing Herod, Jesus defiantly responds, calling Herod a "fox" – a symbol of insignificance and sly cunning (Lk 13:32). He then declares His determination to continue His ministry of healing and casting out demons for a set, short period before His preordained "perfection" or completion in Jerusalem (Lk 13:32). Verse 33 follows directly, emphasizing His resolute journey to Jerusalem because, in ironic truth, it is the destined place for a prophet's demise. The verses immediately following (Lk 13:34-35) directly expand upon this, with Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem, condemning its history of killing prophets, and foretelling its desolation. This exchange highlights Jesus' divine mission, His awareness of the precise timing of His death, and Jerusalem's tragic spiritual state.
Luke 13 33 Word analysis
- Nevertheless (Πλὴν - Plēn): This Greek particle signifies a strong conjunction, meaning "but," "yet," or "only." In this context, it sets a defiant tone, indicating that despite Herod's threat, or any other obstacle, Jesus' course is fixed. It contrasts human plots with divine purpose, underscoring Jesus' unwavering commitment to His mission.
- I must journey on (δεῖ με πορεύεσθαι - dei me poreuesthai):
- must (δεῖ - dei): This imperative Greek verb signifies divine necessity, a fixed obligation, or a preordained decree. It expresses what "must" or "ought" to happen according to God's sovereign plan. It's not a suggestion or personal choice but a divine mandate for Jesus.
- journey on (πορεύεσθαι - poreuesthai): This verb means "to go," "to proceed," or "to travel." Here, it specifically refers to Jesus' determined progression towards Jerusalem.
- Combined: "I must journey on" underscores that Jesus' path, culminating in His death, is part of God's essential plan, unswayed by human threats or earthly powers.
- today and tomorrow and the day following (σήμερον καὶ αὔριον καὶ τῇ ἐχομένῃ - sēmeron kai aurion kai tē echomenē): This phrase indicates a specific, though not literal, fixed and limited timeframe for Jesus' active ministry and journey before His passion in Jerusalem. It conveys certainty and imminence, emphasizing that His work must be completed according to a divine schedule. It sets an expectation for the imminent culmination of His ministry.
- for it cannot be (οὐ γὰρ ἐνδέχεται - ou gar endechetai):
- cannot be (οὐ γὰρ ἐνδέχεται - ou gar endechetai): This strong negative phrase literally means "for it is not possible" or "it is not admissible." It highlights an absolute certainty, expressing something that is contrary to an established truth or expectation.
- Combined: "for it cannot be" signifies that the truth to follow is not a mere possibility but an unavoidable reality, deeply rooted in Jerusalem's spiritual character and historical pattern.
- that a prophet perish (ἀπόλλυσθαι προφήτην - apollysthai prophētēn):
- perish (ἀπόλλυσθαι - apollysthai): This verb, in the context of a person, typically means to be destroyed, to die, or to be brought to ruin. Here, it refers specifically to violent death, execution, or murder.
- a prophet (προφήτην - prophētēn): This refers to any messenger of God. While ostensibly a general truth about prophets, the primary reference is to Jesus Himself, the ultimate Prophet-King, whose fate would ironically fulfill Jerusalem's history.
- Combined: This phrase points to the specific historical pattern of Israel, particularly Jerusalem, in its treatment of God's chosen messengers—a pattern culminating in the rejection and death of Jesus.
- out of Jerusalem (ἔξω Ἱερουσαλὴμ - exō Hierousalēm): This phrase is pregnant with dramatic irony. It means "outside Jerusalem" or "away from Jerusalem." Grammatically it suggests an impossibility, as if Jerusalem were the one place where prophets don't perish. However, historically and biblically, the exact opposite is true. Jerusalem was known as the slayer of prophets. Jesus uses this as a pointed, sarcastic condemnation of the city, indicating that if a prophet is to perish, Jerusalem is precisely the place where it inevitably occurs due to its long-standing pattern of rejecting God's divine messengers.
Luke 13 33 Bonus section
This verse profoundly demonstrates Jesus' prophetic self-awareness, recognizing His place within the long lineage of prophets who confronted Israel's unfaithfulness. The declaration is a direct challenge to the superficial warning from the Pharisees; Jesus knew precisely where His ultimate confrontation and "perfection" (completion of His work) would occur, and it was not a surprise orchestrated by Herod but a fulfillment of prophecy and God's design. The word "perish" (ἀπόλλυσθαι) is stronger than simply "die"; it carries a connotation of violent destruction or being "undone," fitting for the brutal crucifixion Jesus would endure. This statement solidifies Jesus' resolve and highlights the unyielding nature of divine prophecy.
Luke 13 33 Commentary
Luke 13:33 is a powerful declaration of Jesus' resolute mission and foreknowledge of His ultimate fate, juxtaposed with a cutting critique of Jerusalem's historical spiritual failures. The "must" (δεῖ) in Jesus' statement leaves no room for human deviation from the divine plan; His journey to Jerusalem and subsequent death are divinely appointed. This counters the Pharisee's "warning" from Herod, revealing Jesus' sovereignty over human rulers and plots. The specified timeframe of "today and tomorrow and the day following" underscores the imminence of His ministry's completion and His steadfast determination to fulfill His Father's will.
The latter part of the verse, "for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem," is deeply ironic and prophetic. Jerusalem, the chosen city, the seat of religious authority and the site of the Temple, had developed a reputation for rejecting and killing God's messengers throughout history (as highlighted immediately after in Lk 13:34-35). Jesus, the greatest Prophet, thus ironically states that Jerusalem is the only fitting place for His prophetic death, given its history. This is not a geographical impossibility, but a grim theological and historical certainty. It condemns the city for its spiritual blindness and its consistent rejection of divine truth, a rejection that would culminate in the murder of God's own Son. The verse underscores Jesus' self-awareness as a prophet and His submission to God's ordained path of suffering.