Luke 9:31 kjv
Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Luke 9:31 nkjv
who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Luke 9:31 niv
They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
Luke 9:31 esv
who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Luke 9:31 nlt
They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.
Luke 9 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 17:3 | And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with Him. | Parallel Transfiguration account. |
| Mk 9:4 | And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking... | Parallel Transfiguration account. |
| Ex 12:41 | ...on that very day all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. | The foundational "Exodus" event. |
| Ex 34:29-35 | Moses...did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking... | Moses' face radiating God's glory. |
| 2 Ki 2:11 | Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. | Elijah's glorious departure. |
| Dt 18:15 | The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you... | Moses' prophecy of Messiah as a greater prophet. |
| Mal 4:5-6 | Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome... | Elijah's foretold return before the Messiah. |
| Lk 9:22 | "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected...and be killed..." | Jesus' first passion prediction. |
| Lk 9:23 | "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross..." | Call to follow Jesus in suffering. |
| Lk 18:31-33 | "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem...fulfilled...delivered...mocked..." | Jesus' clear prophecy of His Jerusalem passion. |
| Jn 12:27-28 | "...'Father, glorify your name.' Then a voice came from heaven..." | Jesus facing His death and the Father's glory. |
| Acts 1:8 | "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem..." | Jerusalem as the starting point of Christ's mission. |
| Isa 53:10 | "Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush Him; He has put Him to grief..." | God's sovereign plan for the suffering Messiah. |
| Ps 22:18 | "They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." | Prophecy of Messiah's suffering on the cross. |
| Mt 5:17 | "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." | Jesus fulfilling the entire Old Testament. |
| Rom 10:4 | For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. | Christ's fulfillment supersedes the Mosaic Law. |
| Heb 2:14-15 | "...He Himself likewise participated in the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death..." | Christ's death as liberation from spiritual bondage. |
| Heb 9:11-12 | "...through His own blood, He entered once for all into the holy places, having obtained eternal redemption." | Christ's superior sacrifice bringing ultimate deliverance. |
| Jn 17:5 | "And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." | Jesus' pre-existent glory foreshadowing His redemptive glory. |
| Phil 2:6-8 | "...He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." | Christ's divine nature and obedient self-emptying. |
| 2 Pet 1:15 | And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. | Peter uses exodos for his own impending death. |
| Hos 11:1 | When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. | Prophetic echoes of Israel's exodus, applied to Jesus. |
| 1 Cor 5:7 | For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. | Direct New Covenant link to the Passover (Exodus). |
Luke 9 verses
Luke 9 31 Meaning
Luke 9:31 describes Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. They are seen in divine glory, and the central topic of their conversation with Jesus is His "departure" (Greek: exodos), which He was divinely purposed to accomplish in Jerusalem. This "departure" primarily refers to Jesus' sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension, viewed as a new, greater exodus delivering humanity from the bondage of sin and death, thereby fulfilling God's redemptive plan.
Luke 9 31 Context
Luke 9:31 is part of the Transfiguration narrative (Luke 9:28-36), a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry. It occurs shortly after Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ (Luke 9:20) and Jesus' first prediction of His suffering, death, and resurrection (Luke 9:22). It also follows Jesus' teaching on the necessity for His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross (Luke 9:23-26). The Transfiguration serves to confirm Jesus' divine identity, His unique relationship with the Father (via the voice from the cloud), and, critically, the divine necessity and glorious purpose of His impending suffering and death, which is explicitly discussed by Moses and Elijah. This conversation between Jesus and the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) contextualizes His passion as the divinely orchestrated fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and God's saving plan. Historically and culturally, Jerusalem was the recognized center for major redemptive events, sacrifices, and a place heavily laden with prophetic significance regarding the Messiah.
Luke 9 31 Word analysis
- who appeared (οἳ ὀφθέντες - hoi ophthentes): From horaō, "to see, appear." The passive participle indicates that Moses and Elijah were made to appear; their presence was not by their own will but through divine intervention. This underscores the supernatural nature of the event and God's purposeful action in bringing these figures forth.
- in glory (ἐν δόξῃ - en doxē): Doxa signifies splendor, radiance, honor, or divine majesty. Their appearance in glory emphasizes their exalted status in God's presence, signifying divine approval and the heavenly perspective from which they communicate. It also links their glory to Jesus' transfigured glory, establishing Him as superior. Moses appeared glorious after encountering God (Ex 34:29-35), and Elijah was taken up gloriously (2 Ki 2:11), both foreshadowing Jesus' own divine glory.
- and spoke (ἔλεγον - elegon): Imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing conversation or a sustained declaration rather than a single utterance. This highlights the weight and focus of their dialogue with Jesus.
- of his departure (τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ - tēn exodon autou):
- Exodos: Literally means "a going out" or "a departure." While it can euphemistically refer to death (as in 2 Pet 1:15 concerning Peter's death), its primary and most significant biblical meaning here evokes the momentous event of the Israelite Exodus from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 12-15).
- This is not merely a euphemism for Jesus' death; it powerfully portrays His death, resurrection, and ascension as the ultimate "new Exodus." Just as the original Exodus delivered Israel from slavery, Christ's "exodus" would deliver humanity from the bondage of sin and death, establishing a greater covenant and freedom. This deep theological understanding is the central focus of their divine conversation.
- which he was about to accomplish (ἣν ἔμελλεν πληροῦν - hēn emellen plēroun):
- Emellen: "was about to," implies divine necessity and imminent purpose. This was not a chance event but pre-ordained.
- Plēroun: "to fulfill," "to bring to completion," "to perform." This word conveys that Jesus' "exodus" was the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan throughout the ages, prophesied and foreshadowed in the Old Testament. It signifies the perfect realization of divine prophecy and purpose.
- at Jerusalem (ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ - en Hierousalēm): The specific geographical location is crucial. Jerusalem was the prophetic city where the Messiah was to suffer and die (e.g., Isa 53, Ps 22), the location of the Temple and sacrifice. Its mention underscores the historical and theological locus of Christ's ultimate redemptive act, making clear that this "exodus" would be a historical event, not just a spiritual one.
Luke 9 31 Bonus section
- The conversation between Moses, Elijah, and Jesus validates Jesus' understanding and purpose regarding His suffering and death. These towering figures of the Old Covenant affirm the "exodus" as God's will, offering Jesus support and confirming the unity of the Old Testament and His New Covenant mission.
- The use of exodos here directly challenges any misinterpretation of the Transfiguration as merely a display of power or a prefigurement of earthly triumph. Instead, the focus is placed squarely on the pathway of suffering and self-sacrifice as the route to ultimate glory and salvation.
- The disciples, who struggled to comprehend Jesus' passion predictions (Mk 9:10, Lk 18:31-34), were present for this pivotal heavenly conversation, highlighting the depth of their spiritual blindness compared to the clear understanding of Moses and Elijah.
- The presence of Moses and Elijah together also symbolizes the comprehensive fulfillment of all biblical revelation (Law and Prophets) in Christ's death and resurrection.
Luke 9 31 Commentary
Luke 9:31, nestled within the Transfiguration account, offers a profound theological insight into the nature of Jesus' mission. Moses, representing the Law, and Elijah, representing the Prophets, both appeared in divine glory, signifying their status and their endorsement of Jesus. Their discussion was not about Jesus' divine identity—that had just been affirmed by God's voice—but specifically about His "departure," the exodos. This choice of word elevates Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection beyond a mere tragedy or martyrdom; it frames it as the pinnacle of God's saving history, a glorious deliverance akin to, yet infinitely greater than, the original Exodus of Israel from Egypt. This "new Exodus" would free humanity from the ultimate bondage: sin and death. The fact that this momentous "exodus" was "about to be accomplished" and "fulfilled" in Jerusalem underscores its divine necessity, its predetermined nature, and its rootedness in both prophecy and historical reality. The verse shows that heaven fully comprehended the significance and redemptive power of Jesus' sacrifice, even while His own disciples struggled to grasp it. It validates Jesus' path of suffering as the true, glorious means of salvation.