Luke 9:32 kjv
But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
Luke 9:32 nkjv
But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.
Luke 9:32 niv
Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
Luke 9:32 esv
Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.
Luke 9:32 nlt
Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.
Luke 9 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 17:1-8 | And after six days... saw His glory... | Parallel account of the Transfiguration. |
| Mk 9:2-8 | And after six days... saw His glory... | Parallel account of the Transfiguration. |
| 2 Pet 1:16-18 | For we did not follow cunningly devised fables... when we were with Him on the holy mountain. | Peter's personal testimony and affirmation of witnessing Jesus' majesty at the Transfiguration. |
| Jn 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory... | Declares Jesus' incarnate glory, the pre-existence of His divine glory. |
| Ex 24:16-17 | The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai... the sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire. | OT manifestation of God's glory on a mountain, paralleling the Transfiguration. |
| Ex 33:18-23 | Please, show me Your glory... | Moses' desire to see God's full glory, partially fulfilled for him, and here fully manifest in Christ. |
| Ex 40:34-35 | Then the cloud covered the tabernacle... and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. | Shekinah glory of God filling the tabernacle, God's dwelling place. |
| Isa 60:1-3 | Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. | Prophetic promise of future glory of Jerusalem and God's people. |
| 2 Cor 3:7-11 | For if the ministry of death... was with glory... how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? | Compares the passing glory of the Old Covenant (Moses) with the superior, abiding glory of Christ's New Covenant. |
| 2 Cor 4:6 | For it is the God who commanded light... who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. | God revealing His glory through Jesus Christ, echoing the Transfiguration's revelation. |
| Heb 1:3 | who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person... | Declares Christ as the very effulgence and imprint of God's glory. |
| Rev 21:23 | The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light. | Ultimate revelation of God's glory illuminating the New Jerusalem through the Lamb. |
| Dt 18:15 | The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst... | Prophecy of a prophet like Moses, fulfilled in Christ, justifying Moses' presence. |
| Mal 4:5 | Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. | Prophecy of Elijah's return, connecting to his appearance validating Jesus. |
| Lk 16:31 | If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead. | Emphasizes the foundational authority of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah). |
| Lk 9:31 | who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. | Immediate preceding verse detailing the conversation about Jesus' departure (exodion). |
| Lk 22:45-46 | When He rose up from prayer... found His disciples sleeping from sorrow... Why do you sleep? | Foreshadows the disciples' inability to stay awake at Gethsemane, mirroring their human weakness here. |
| Gen 2:21 | And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam... | Instances of divinely-induced deep sleep in Scripture for a purpose. |
| Psa 76:5-6 | The stouthearted were plundered; they have slept their sleep; and none of the men of might have found their hands. | Mentions profound, almost unaware sleep, contrasting with spiritual wakefulness. |
| Mk 4:27 | and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow... | Illustrates natural, profound sleep contrasting with the unique, supernaturally heavy sleep here. |
| 1 Cor 15:51-52 | Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed... at the last trumpet. | Christian understanding of 'sleep' often referring to death, but here refers to actual slumber. |
| Lk 9:26 | For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words... of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory... | Earlier teaching about Jesus' coming in glory, of which the Transfiguration is a preview. |
Luke 9 verses
Luke 9 32 Meaning
Luke 9:32 describes a pivotal moment during the Transfiguration of Jesus. After being weighed down by a deep sleep, the disciples Peter, James, and John awakened to witness a profound revelation: the visible manifestation of Jesus' inherent divine glory, accompanied by Moses and Elijah. This event provided the disciples with a glimpse of Jesus' true identity and future glorified state, affirming His messianic authority and divine nature.
Luke 9 32 Context
Luke 9:32 is nestled within a profoundly significant section of Luke's Gospel. The verse follows directly after Jesus' first clear prediction of His suffering and resurrection (Lk 9:21-22), His call to discipleship involving cross-bearing (Lk 9:23-26), and a declaration that some standing there would not taste death until they saw the Kingdom of God (Lk 9:27). The Transfiguration, occurring six days later, serves as a divine affirmation of Jesus' identity and His coming kingdom, a visible manifestation of the glory mentioned in Luke 9:26. It takes place on a high mountain, reminiscent of other significant divine revelations (like Sinai), underscoring its sacred importance. The discussion with Moses and Elijah (v.31) about His "exodion"—His departure, understood as His death and resurrection—highlights the ultimate purpose of Jesus' coming amidst the dazzling display of glory. This immediate context contrasts human weakness and impending suffering with divine majesty and power.
Luke 9 32 Word analysis
- But Peter: This immediately highlights the prominence of Peter among the disciples, often seen as a spokesman, yet here subject to the same human frailty. The word "But" introduces a contrast between Jesus' active prayer and the disciples' passive state.
- and those with him: Refers to James and John, completing the "inner circle" of three disciples who were privileged to witness this unique event, as they were in Gethsemane and the raising of Jairus' daughter.
- were heavy with sleep: The Greek word is "βαρυνόμενοι ὕπνῳ" (barynomenoi hypnō), conveying not just ordinary drowsiness, but a profound, oppressive, almost overpowering slumber, a state of being "weighed down by sleep." This mirrors the similar deep sleep the disciples experience in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk 22:45-46), emphasizing human frailty and the inability of physical beings to remain spiritually vigilant without divine aid in the face of momentous spiritual realities.
- and when they woke: The Greek is "διαγρηγορήσαντες" (diagrēgorēsantes), which suggests a complete and deliberate waking, an effort to rouse themselves from their deep sleep, as if shaken out of it to perceive the divine reality unfolding. This implies a transition from a state of physical and spiritual dullness to alertness.
- they saw: Indicates direct visual perception. The disciples were not dreaming; this was an objective, visible reality witnessed by their waking eyes, a profound experience confirming the truth of the manifestation.
- His glory: The Greek is "τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ" (tēn doxan autou), referring to the manifest radiant presence and divine nature of Jesus, His inherent splendor. This is not merely an external glow, but the bursting forth of His internal divine essence, similar to the "Shekinah glory" of God in the Old Testament. It reveals Jesus' true identity as God Incarnate, a preview of His glorified state after the resurrection.
- and the two men: Identifies Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets—the two foundational pillars of the Old Testament. Their appearance alongside Jesus signifies that He is the fulfillment and culmination of all that the Law and the Prophets foretold.
- who stood with Him: Indicates their respectful presence and interaction with Jesus. It affirms their legitimacy as prophetic figures who acknowledged Jesus' supremacy, demonstrating continuity and fulfillment in God's redemptive plan.
- "were heavy with sleep; and when they woke": This phrase starkly contrasts the human limitation and vulnerability with the overwhelming power of divine revelation. It suggests that while God's glory can burst forth, humanity often struggles to remain spiritually attentive, highlighting the grace by which they were awakened to witness such a pivotal event.
- "saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him": This complete observation confirms Jesus' divine identity through both internal radiance and external corroboration. The disciples were privileged to see Jesus in a state of glory that foreshadowed His resurrection and future coming, validated by the foundational figures of Israelite faith, establishing Him as superior to both Moses (the Lawgiver) and Elijah (the preeminent Prophet).
Luke 9 32 Bonus section
The concept of "glory" in this verse, stemming from the Greek "doxa," is foundational to understanding Jesus' nature. It ties back directly to the Hebrew "kavod," which signifies the weighty, manifested presence of God. This aligns the Transfiguration directly with theophanies of the Old Testament, where God's glory appeared in clouds, fire, and light, solidifying Jesus as Yahweh Incarnate, rather than merely a prophet or messianic figure. Furthermore, the selection of Peter, James, and John—who also witnessed Jesus raising Jairus' daughter (Lk 8:51) and His agony in Gethsemane (Lk 22:39-46)—suggests a pattern of privileged witness to both His divine power and His human suffering. Their initial unreadiness due to sleep and their subsequent awakening for revelation emphasize God's grace in drawing His chosen ones into profound encounters, preparing them not just for understanding, but for testimony.
Luke 9 32 Commentary
Luke 9:32 vividly captures the disciples' human weakness amidst divine grandeur. Their profound sleep, akin to an overwhelming heaviness, highlights the contrast between finite man and the infinite God. Yet, by divine design, they were roused to witness the preeminent truth: Jesus’ inherent, revealed glory. This was no ordinary light but a manifestation of His divine essence, an affirmation that He is indeed God incarnate. The presence of Moses and Elijah underscored Jesus as the culmination of the Law and Prophets, validating His mission and His impending "departure" in Jerusalem. This fleeting glimpse of ultimate reality served as a crucial reinforcement of the disciples' faith, preparing them for the profound sufferings and challenges they would soon face, assuring them of the triumphant and glorious truth of who Jesus truly is. It teaches that even in our spiritual weakness, God's revelation can break through to equip us for His purposes.