Luke 22 51

Luke 22:51 kjv

And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

Luke 22:51 nkjv

But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this." And He touched his ear and healed him.

Luke 22:51 niv

But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.

Luke 22:51 esv

But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him.

Luke 22:51 nlt

But Jesus said, "No more of this." And he touched the man's ear and healed him.

Luke 22 verses

Luke 22 51 Meaning

Luke 22:51 describes Jesus' final recorded physical healing miracle, performed during His arrest in Gethsemane. After one of His disciples strikes a servant of the High Priest, severing his ear, Jesus intervenes immediately, telling His disciples to cease the violence. He then supernaturally restores the man's ear, demonstrating His divine power, profound compassion for even His enemies, and unwavering commitment to His mission of peace and non-violence, even unto His own sacrifice.

Luke 22 51 Context

Luke 22:51 takes place during the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Leading up to this, Jesus has shared the Last Supper with His disciples, instituted the new covenant in His blood, and foretold Peter's denial. He has also warned His disciples about coming persecution and cryptically mentioned two swords, which they took literally. In Gethsemane, Jesus prays fervently, demonstrating His submission to the Father's will despite His human anguish. While Jesus is praying, Judas arrives with a mob of temple guards and soldiers to arrest Him. It is in this tense moment, as the mob lays hands on Jesus, that a disciple (identified as Peter in Jn 18:10) strikes out with a sword, cutting off the ear of the High Priest's servant. Jesus immediately responds to this violent act. Historically, this incident highlights the conflict between the spiritual nature of Jesus' kingdom and the disciples' lingering earthly understanding and readiness to employ physical force. It also demonstrates the hostility from the Jewish authorities, represented by the high priest's servant, and the readiness of Roman soldiers or temple police to use force.

Luke 22 51 Word analysis

• But Jesus: Greek: Ho de Iēsous. Emphasizes the immediate, direct, and contrasting response of Jesus to the disciples' action. His action redirects the flow of events from violence to divine intervention.
• answered and said: Greek: apokritheis eipen. A common biblical phrase denoting an immediate, often authoritative, verbal response. Jesus is actively taking control of the situation.
• "Permit even this.": Greek: Eate heōs toutou. This phrase is concise and pivotal, often translated as "No more of this!" or "Allow this (healing to happen)."
  • Eate (εᾶτε): An imperative verb, "allow," "permit," "let." It is a command given by Jesus.
  • heōs toutou (ἕως τούτου): "up to this (point)." It likely implies both "let the violence go no further" (a rebuke to the disciples' resistance) and "allow me to do this" (referring to the healing). The immediate context of Jesus touching the ear strongly favors the latter. It is a concise instruction to stop any further worldly reaction or interference, and perhaps specifically allow His immediate act of divine power and mercy.
• And He touched his ear: Greek: kai hapsamenos tou ōtiou autou. A direct, physical act.
  • hapsamenos (ἁψάμενος): "having touched" (aorist participle from haptomai), denoting direct physical contact. This touch signifies compassion, a personal connection, and the direct channel of His divine healing power. Jesus' physical touch was often integral to His healing miracles.
• and healed him: Greek: iasato auton.
  • iasato (ἰάσατο): "he healed" (aorist indicative from iaomai). It denotes an instantaneous, complete, and divine restoration. This is a clear display of supernatural power. The word implies a thorough healing, not merely a superficial repair.

Words-group analysis

• "But Jesus answered and said, 'Permit even this.'": This group of words portrays Jesus' immediate control and divine perspective contrasting sharply with the earthly, violent reaction of Peter. It conveys His firm yet compassionate stance, allowing no further escalation of worldly conflict while simultaneously preparing to manifest His divine power in a counter-intuitive act of mercy.
• "And He touched his ear and healed him": This phrase details the miraculous intervention. It emphasizes Jesus' practical application of His teaching on loving enemies, demonstrating that His kingdom's power is manifest through restorative, compassionate acts, not through force. This act of healing a wound inflicted by one of His own disciples upon one of His captors perfectly illustrates His radical love and sovereign power over the effects of sin and violence.

Luke 22 51 Bonus section

The account in Luke 22:51 uniquely highlights Jesus' compassion among the Synoptic Gospels by including the detail of the healing itself, whereas Matthew and Mark focus primarily on Jesus' rebuke of violence. John's Gospel adds Peter's name and identifies the servant as Malchus (Jn 18:10), further particularizing the event. This final healing miracle of Jesus’ earthly ministry serves as a symbolic act: just as His followers sought to violently resist His capture, representing a worldly misunderstanding of His mission, Jesus corrected their misguided zeal with an act of peace and restoration. The immediate, effortless healing of a severed ear also speaks to Jesus' complete sovereignty over physical limitations and the brokenness brought by violence. It signifies that even in the moment of greatest personal indignity, His primary concern was reconciliation and the demonstration of God's perfect nature, setting the stage for His ultimate healing act on the cross—reconciling humanity to God. This instance underscores that true victory, in God's economy, is achieved through self-sacrifice and loving enemies, not through force.

Luke 22 51 Commentary

Luke 22:51 encapsulates several core tenets of Christian faith: Jesus' radical non-violence, His boundless compassion, and His divine authority. In a moment of extreme duress, when betrayal is culminating in His arrest, Jesus' immediate response is not self-defense or anger, but a display of mercy and healing. He rebukes Peter's physical retaliation, firmly indicating that His kingdom is not advanced by worldly means of violence (Mt 26:52; Jn 18:36). By healing the ear of a man who came to seize Him, Jesus offers an extraordinary example of loving one's enemies, performing a miracle of restoration upon an adversary. This act reaffirms His consistent teaching (Mt 5:44, Lk 6:27-35). It is His last recorded physical healing before the cross, serving as a powerful, final demonstration of His divine nature, His purpose to heal and reconcile, and His willingness to suffer without resistance, thus fulfilling prophecies about the suffering servant (Is 53:7). It signifies the inauguration of a new covenant characterized by grace and peace, rather than retaliation. The healing also indicates the completion and absolute surrender to God’s sovereign plan for His redemptive suffering (Jn 18:11). This compassion, even in His own darkest hour, underscores the transformative power of divine love.