Luke 20:20 kjv
And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
Luke 20:20 nkjv
So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
Luke 20:20 niv
Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.
Luke 20:20 esv
So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
Luke 20:20 nlt
Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus.
Luke 20 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 11:54 | watching Him to catch something from His lips. | Early attempts to ensnare Jesus. |
| Mk 12:13 | And they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap Him... | Parallel account, seeking to trap Jesus. |
| Mt 22:15 | Then the Pharisees went and plotted together to trap Him in what He said. | Parallel account, plotting against Jesus. |
| Psa 37:32-33 | The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to put him to death. | Divine knowledge of wicked plots against righteous. |
| Psa 56:6 | They lurk, they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. | Enmity and watchful plotting against God's servant. |
| Psa 64:5 | They encourage themselves in an evil purpose; they talk of... | Conspiracies and evil designs. |
| Psa 140:1-2 | Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men... who devise evil things in their heart... | Deliverance from those who plot harm. |
| Prov 26:24-26 | He who hates, disguises it with his lips, but stores up deceit within. | Deceitful speech masking malice. |
| Isa 29:13 | ...their fear of Me is merely a commandment of man taught to them. | Outward piety masking inner rebellion. |
| Ezek 33:31 | ...they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people... | People pretending devotion for ulterior motives. |
| Hos 7:6 | Their heart is like a hot oven as they lie in wait; their baker sleeps all night. | Deceitful and plotting hearts. |
| Jn 7:45-47 | The officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees... "No man ever spoke..." | Authorities sent to seize Jesus, but failed due to His words. |
| Jn 11:47-48 | The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council... "If we let Him go on..." | High council planning against Jesus. |
| Jn 18:31 | "We are not permitted to put anyone to death," they answered. | Roman authority needed for execution. |
| Acts 23:12-15 | Some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath to neither eat... | A similar conspiracy against Paul using authorities. |
| 1 Cor 3:19 | For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written... | Worldly cunning opposed to God's wisdom. |
| Eph 4:14 | ...so that we are no longer children, tossed here and there... by the trickery of men... | Protection against cunning and deceit. |
| 2 Tim 3:5 | holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power... | Hypocrisy and outward pretense of piety. |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority... | Submission to human government (used by opponents). |
| Phil 2:7 | ...He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant... | Jesus' humility in submitting to earthly authority's schemes. |
| Col 2:8 | See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception... | Warning against deceptive human schemes. |
| 1 Pet 2:13-14 | Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution... | Christian posture towards governmental rule. |
Luke 20 verses
Luke 20 20 Meaning
Luke 20:20 describes the malevolent stratagem of the Jewish religious leaders against Jesus. Their aim was to ensnare Him with His own words by posing politically charged questions, thus fabricating a charge that would allow them to hand Him over to the Roman governing authorities. This act highlights their hypocrisy and their ultimate goal to eliminate Jesus, using worldly power to achieve their spiritual rejection of Him.
Luke 20 20 Context
Luke 20 takes place during Holy Week in Jerusalem. Following Jesus' Triumphal Entry, He teaches daily in the Temple (Lk 19:47). Chapter 20 records a series of confrontations between Jesus and various religious authorities who challenge His authority (Lk 20:1-8), try to trick Him with parables (Lk 20:9-19), and seek to trap Him in His words. The immediate context of Luke 20:20 follows Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants, which strongly rebuked the religious leaders and infuriated them (Lk 20:19). This verse describes their direct, coordinated response to silence and eliminate Jesus, by involving the Roman government through legalistic entrapment rather than engaging Him honestly on theological grounds.
Luke 20 20 Word analysis
- So: Indicates a logical progression or consequence, showing the direct reaction of the religious leaders to Jesus' teachings and parables.
- they watched Him (paratēreō): The Greek term denotes a careful, often hostile, observation, implying surveillance or lying in wait to catch someone in an act or statement. It's a calculated, insincere watchfulness for malevolent ends.
- sent (apostellō): Signifies commissioning with a purpose, in this case, a malicious one.
- spies (enkathetos): A rare word in the New Testament, meaning "one suborned" or "one lying in wait." It emphasizes the deceptive nature of these agents, who were planted for betrayal.
- who pretended to be (hypokrinomai): The Greek root of "hypocrite." It describes acting a part, feigning a character, or presenting a false appearance. They were disingenuous.
- righteous (dikaios): Just, upright, innocent, morally correct. Their pretense was to appear genuinely devout and interested in truth, camouflaging their true intent.
- in order that they might seize on (epilambanomai): To take firm hold of, catch. This highlights their desire to ensnare Him, to get concrete evidence against Him.
- His words (logon): Jesus' teachings, statements, or pronouncements. The trap was to be sprung by His own verbal responses.
- so as to deliver Him up (paradidonai): To hand over, to betray, to commit to another's power. This implies legal transfer to an authority for judgment or punishment.
- to the rule (archē): Governing power, authority, magistracy, or realm of command.
- and authority (exousia): The right or legitimate power to act; the realm of jurisdiction.
- of the governor (hēgemōn): A high-ranking Roman official, like Pilate. This specific focus reveals their intent to find a civil charge, punishable by Roman law, since Jewish authorities lacked capital punishment rights (Jn 18:31).
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "They watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous": This phrase unveils a premeditated, deceptive, and well-orchestrated conspiracy. It emphasizes the strategic and cunning nature of their opposition, employing hypocrisy as a tool for destruction.
- "in order that they might seize on His words": Their goal was not understanding or debate, but legal entrapment. They were looking for an excuse, not truth, demonstrating their perversion of justice and truth.
- "so as to deliver Him up to the rule and authority of the governor": This clearly states their ultimate objective: to have Jesus condemned and executed by the Roman authorities. They bypassed theological dispute to seek political incrimination, exposing their spiritual bankruptcy and reliance on worldly power to deal with spiritual matters.
Luke 20 20 Bonus section
The deliberate selection of "spies" who "pretended to be righteous" was key. Had overt opponents questioned Jesus, His followers would have anticipated trickery. By using agents feigning sincere religious interest, the plotters hoped Jesus would relax His guard and speak freely, making Him more vulnerable to a snare. This specific tactic foreshadows similar deceptive strategies seen throughout history where truth is suppressed under the guise of piety or legitimate inquiry. This also indirectly highlights Jesus' profound discernment, as He frequently saw through such guises, revealing the hearts of His questioners before they even fully articulated their intent (e.g., Lk 20:23).
Luke 20 20 Commentary
Luke 20:20 provides a chilling insight into the escalating malice against Jesus. It portrays the adversaries not as earnest inquirers, but as meticulously deceitful schemers. Their strategy involved hypocrisy: sending agents who masqueraded as righteous, seemingly interested in sound doctrine, while their true motive was to provoke a statement from Jesus that could be construed as sedition against Rome. This highlights the severe moral decline of these religious leaders, who perverted their roles not for justice but for the execution of an innocent man. Their appeal to Roman authority also underscored their practical impotence to silence Jesus under Jewish law, which did not permit them to carry out capital punishment. This verse serves as a potent warning against outward religious piety masking inward malice and against the use of deception and legal manipulation for unrighteous ends. It demonstrates the divine wisdom of Jesus, who would perfectly navigate this treacherous trap.