Luke 5:22 kjv

But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

Luke 5:22 nkjv

But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

Luke 5:22 niv

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

Luke 5:22 esv

When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts?

Luke 5:22 nlt

Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts?

Luke 5 verses

Luke 5 22 Meaning

Luke 5:22 reveals Jesus' divine insight into the unspoken thoughts and internal reasonings of the religious leaders present. While they internally accused Him of blasphemy for forgiving sins, Jesus, demonstrating His omniscience, directly addressed their silent deliberations, challenging the foundation of their unspoken condemnation and subtly asserting His divine authority and knowledge. He exposed their inner skepticism, indicating that He possessed more than mere human wisdom; He knew the secrets of their hearts.

Luke 5 22 Context

Luke 5:22 is set immediately after Jesus has performed a remarkable act in Capernaum: forgiving and then healing a paralyzed man. The preceding verses (Luke 5:17-21) highlight the arrival of many scribes and Pharisees "from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem," underscoring the broad audience and the importance of this encounter. When Jesus declared the paralytic's sins forgiven (v. 20), these religious experts, steeped in the law and Mosaic tradition, immediately began "reasoning" (dialogismous) in their hearts (v. 21). Their unspoken conclusion was that Jesus had committed blasphemy because, according to their understanding, only God could forgive sins. Luke 5:22 then details Jesus' response to these silent, critical judgments. The immediate historical context places this event early in Jesus' Galilean ministry, establishing His authority not just over physical ailments but, more importantly, over sin, thereby challenging the established religious order's control and understanding of divine power. This verse directly addresses their unvoiced polemic that Jesus usurped God's exclusive prerogative.

Luke 5 22 Word analysis

• But when Jesus perceived: The Greek word for "perceived" is epignous (ἐπιγνοὺς), which is from epiginosko. It signifies more than just 'seeing' or 'knowing superficially'; it implies a full, accurate, and extensive knowledge gained through recognition or deep understanding. It highlights that Jesus wasn't merely shrewdly guessing their mood, but possessing genuine, supernatural insight into their deepest, most private thoughts. This "perception" is an immediate and unmediated knowledge, signifying divine omniscience.
• their thoughts: The Greek word is dialogismous (διαλογισμοὺς). This is not just casual thinking but refers to internal discussions, reasonings, deliberations, ponderings, or even disputes. It often carries a connotation of questioning, doubt, or even opposition. The scribes and Pharisees were not simply "having thoughts" but were actively engaged in a critical, judgmental internal debate about Jesus' actions, evaluating them against their theological framework and finding Him in violation.
• he answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning: The phrase "answered and said" (apokritheis eipen) is a common Greek idiom that effectively means "answered by saying." The verb "reasoning" is dialogizesthe (διαλογίζεσθε), the verbal form of dialogismous, emphasizing the ongoing nature of their internal disputation. Jesus doesn't ask "what are you thinking?" but "why are you reasoning?", directly challenging the basis and nature of their internal dialogue.
• in your hearts?”: The "heart" (kardiais - καρδίαις) in biblical anthropology (Old and New Testament alike) is much more than the seat of emotion. It represents the very core of a person – the seat of intellect, will, memory, and conscience. To "reason in their hearts" means that their skeptical, judgmental thoughts originated from the very depths of their inner being, their understanding, and their moral framework. Jesus was exposing their inner, private condemnation that had not yet been articulated aloud.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "But when Jesus perceived their thoughts": This phrase immediately establishes Jesus' divine attribute of omniscience. It is not about observation of facial expressions or body language; it is an intrinsic knowledge of their unvoiced, internal debate. This act sets Jesus apart, showing Him to be privy to the secrets of the heart, an attribute typically reserved for God alone in the Old Testament. This direct challenge to their privacy demonstrates a level of authority that no ordinary man could claim.
• "he answered and said to them, 'Why are you reasoning in your hearts?'": Jesus' direct question is rhetorical and accusatory. He bypasses their outward silence and cuts directly to their inner condition. The use of "why" demands justification for their internal deliberations. By calling out their internal "reasoning," Jesus reveals that their hidden judgments are known to Him, exposing their self-righteous critique and implicitly asserting His divine authority over human hearts and, therefore, over sin. It's a question designed to make them realize the futility of trying to hide their thoughts from Him.

Luke 5 22 Bonus section

The specific choice of the Greek word dialogismous (reasonings/deliberations) for their thoughts is significant. It implies a process of internal debate or contention, rather than simple, passing thoughts. This reveals that the scribes and Pharisees were not just passively considering Jesus' statement but were actively, and critically, processing it within their existing theological framework, ultimately concluding it was blasphemy. Their dialogismous were leading to an internal dia (through, against) logismos (reasoning, calculation), a negative and condemnatory judgment against Jesus. Jesus, by discerning these specific internal dialogismous, exposed the root of their unbelief, which lay in their inability or unwillingness to recognize His divine authority, rather than in an innocent misunderstanding. This act served as a public and irrefutable validation of His divine nature, given that the ability to search hearts was an attribute exclusively of God in the Old Testament scriptures.

Luke 5 22 Commentary

Luke 5:22 is a pivotal verse demonstrating a core aspect of Jesus' divine nature and authority. After astonishing the crowd and confronting the religious establishment by claiming the power to forgive sins, Jesus faces an internal backlash from the scribes and Pharisees. Their "thoughts" were accusations of blasphemy—an assertion that only God could forgive sins. Crucially, they didn't voice these thoughts; they harbored them "in their hearts."

Jesus' response highlights His omniscience. He "perceived" (epignous) their inner reasonings (dialogismous). This wasn't merely shrewd psychological insight but a supernatural knowing of the very core of their unvoiced doubts and accusations. This divine knowledge served as powerful evidence for His claim to forgive sins; if He knows the secret thoughts of men, He certainly possesses the authority to forgive the sins stemming from such thoughts.

The exchange functions as a direct theological confrontation. The Pharisees believed rightly that only God could forgive sins (Isa 43:25). Their mistake was in failing to recognize Jesus as God in the flesh. Jesus' act of perceiving their thoughts directly refuted their unvoiced accusation by demonstrating another divine attribute. He answered their "Why blasphemes this man?" not by argument, but by supernatural proof. This served to both confirm His authority to forgive and to expose the hidden hostility and skepticism of the religious leaders. Practically, it reminds us that all our thoughts, even the hidden ones, are known to God, challenging us to consider the purity of our inner reflections and reasonings, just as Jesus challenged His accusers.