Luke 24:23 kjv
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
Luke 24:23 nkjv
When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive.
Luke 24:23 niv
but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.
Luke 24:23 esv
and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.
Luke 24:23 nlt
They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive!
Luke 24 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 24:1-3 | But on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they... found the stone rolled away from the tomb. And when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. | Empty tomb confirmed by women |
| Lk 24:4-7 | ...two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were... bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." | Angels proclaim Jesus's resurrection |
| Matt 28:5-7 | But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid... He is not here; for He has risen, just as He said." | Angelic message to women |
| Mark 16:5-7 | And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side... He said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you seek Jesus... He has risen; He is not here." | Angelic messenger in Mark |
| Jn 20:12-13 | ...two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord." | Mary Magdalene's encounter with angels |
| Lk 24:9-10 | And they returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest... Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James... | Women as first witnesses |
| Lk 24:11 | And these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they did not believe them. | Disciples' initial disbelief |
| Matt 28:8-10 | And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report to His disciples... And Jesus met them. | Women share the good news with others |
| Jn 20:1-2 | ...Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark... and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb... So she ran and came to Simon Peter. | Mary Magdalene reports empty tomb to Peter/John |
| Lk 24:25 | And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!" | Jesus rebukes the disciples for unbelief |
| Lk 24:38-39 | And He said to them, “Why are you troubled... Look at My hands and My feet... a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." | Jesus demonstrates His bodily resurrection |
| Jn 22:24-29 | But Thomas... “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails... I will not believe." Then Jesus... said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger..." | Thomas's doubt and belief |
| Acts 1:3 | ...He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many infallible proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days. | Post-resurrection appearances |
| Acts 2:24-32 | But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power... "He was not abandoned to Hades, Nor did His flesh suffer decay." | Peter's sermon: God raised Jesus |
| Acts 3:15 | but put to death the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses. | Apostles as witnesses to resurrection |
| 1 Cor 15:3-8 | For I delivered to you as of first importance... that Christ died... was buried, and that He was raised on the third day... and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve... | Paul's summary of resurrection testimonies |
| Rom 8:11 | But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. | Resurrection power indwelling believers |
| Psa 16:10 | For You will not abandon My soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. | Old Testament prophecy of no decay |
| Isa 25:8 | He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces. | Old Testament prophecy of death overcome |
| Hos 6:2 | He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him. | Old Testament imagery of third-day rising |
Luke 24 verses
Luke 24 23 Meaning
Luke 24:23 recounts the report given by the women who visited Jesus's tomb to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They stated that they found the tomb empty of Jesus's body and that they had a vision of angels who declared Jesus was alive. This verse summarizes a key component of the resurrection narrative that the women had already shared with the wider group of disciples.
Luke 24 23 Context
Luke 24:23 occurs within the narrative of two disciples traveling to Emmaus on the day of Jesus's resurrection. They are deeply disheartened by the events of the crucifixion and their dashed hopes that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel (Lk 24:21). A stranger (Jesus, though they don't recognize Him) joins them and asks what they are discussing. In verses 19-22, they explain about Jesus of Nazareth and how He was delivered up and crucified. This verse (23) is part of their continuation of that explanation, where they report the astonishing, yet perplexing, news that has reached them from the women who visited the tomb earlier that morning. It reflects their state of confusion and skepticism; they have heard this report but have not yet embraced its revolutionary implication – that Jesus is alive.
Historically and culturally, the Jewish understanding of resurrection varied. Sadducees explicitly denied it (Acts 23:8). The common belief in resurrection was usually associated with the end times, not of an individual's rising in the middle of history. The testimony of women, while factual, was often considered less reliable in ancient courts of law. The disciples' incredulity is therefore understandable given their cultural context and the monumental nature of the claim. The idea of "angels" was within Jewish thought (as divine messengers), but their declaration about someone being alive after being dead and buried, when the body was missing, still created a profound puzzle for the disciples.
Luke 24 23 Word analysis
And when they found not: Greek "kai mē heurous" (καὶ μὴ εὑροῦσαι). The negative particle "mē" indicates an active search that resulted in an absence. It signifies the physical absence of the body from the tomb, which is a foundational component of the resurrection evidence. This physical void demands an explanation.
His body: Greek "to sōma autou" (τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ). Refers specifically to the physical, corporeal form of Jesus. Its absence means the tomb was genuinely empty, disproving any theory of a stolen body that was later found or a body still decaying. The physicality is crucial to Luke's presentation of the resurrection against the notion of a mere spirit.
they came, saying: Greek "elthon elegon" (ἦλθον ἔλεγον). Indicates that the women reported this. The report is passed from the primary witnesses (women) to the disciples (like those on the Emmaus road), initiating a chain of testimony.
that they had also seen a vision: Greek "horama aggelōn idousas" (ὅραμα ἀγγέλων ἰδοῦσαι).
- Vision: Greek "horama" (ὅραμα). Implies a supernatural appearance, a divine communication or revelation through seeing. It denotes an encounter beyond ordinary human perception, indicating divine involvement.
- seen: Greek "idousas" (ἰδοῦσαι). The active seeing, not just hearing. It confirms the direct, undeniable nature of their experience.
of angels: Greek "aggelōn" (ἀγγέλων). These are heavenly messengers, spiritual beings sent by God. Their involvement signifies the divine authority and truth of the message they deliver. Angels regularly appear in significant divine interventions throughout scripture.
who said that He was alive: Greek "hoilegen auton zēn" (οἵ ἔλεγον αὐτὸν ζῆν).
- said: Greek "elegen" (ἔλεγον). Direct declaration by the angels.
- He was alive: Greek "zēn" (ζῆν). The crucial, declarative message. It denotes an active state of living, not merely resuscitated to the same mortal life, but into a new, resurrected, and everlasting life. This word is the essence of the good news.
found not His body... seen a vision of angels: This grouping highlights the dual nature of the evidence reported: a verifiable absence (empty tomb) and a supernatural affirmation (angelic testimony). Both are necessary to understand the unique event of resurrection. The first sets up the question, the second provides the divine answer.
Luke 24 23 Bonus section
The report of the women in this verse combines two powerful yet distinct types of evidence: the empirical (an empty tomb, "found not His body") and the supernatural (a divine pronouncement through angels, "seen a vision... who said that He was alive"). This combination is key to validating the resurrection claim within a framework that caters to both physical observation and spiritual revelation. The testimony is passed through women, often considered unreliable witnesses in that era (though faithful witnesses in the divine economy), thereby challenging human biases while God reveals His truth through the humble. This also sets the stage for Jesus's later personal appearance, which offers irrefutable proof to their "slow hearts."
Luke 24 23 Commentary
Luke 24:23 succinctly summarizes the initial, bewildering report from the women about Jesus's resurrection, which these two disciples heard but clearly struggled to accept. The empty tomb was an undeniable fact: "they found not His body." This fact alone, however, created more questions than answers for the grieving disciples, suggesting perhaps that the body had been moved or stolen, which was a common first assumption (Jn 20:2). The crucial interpretive element came from the "vision of angels," who explicitly declared, "He was alive." This divine pronouncement, delivered by heavenly messengers, elevated the empty tomb from a perplexing mystery to a sign of miraculous new life. The verse thus represents a critical turning point in the resurrection narrative – the moment where tangible absence is interpreted by divine presence and word. It captures the initial stage of faith where doubt battles against an incredible truth, presented through both objective evidence and supernatural revelation, leading toward Jesus's later personal revelation to these very disciples.