Luke 9:34 kjv

While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

Luke 9:34 nkjv

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.

Luke 9:34 niv

While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

Luke 9:34 esv

As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

Luke 9:34 nlt

But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.

Luke 9 verses

Luke 9 34 Meaning

Luke 9:34 describes a pivotal moment during Jesus' transfiguration where, as Peter speaks about building shelters, a divine cloud appears and envelops Peter, James, and John. This "overshadowing" signifies the powerful, manifest presence of God, similar to the Shekinah glory of the Old Testament. The disciples' reaction of fear is a natural and reverent response to encountering such profound holiness and overwhelming divine majesty. It represents God's immediate interruption of human understanding and the assertion of His unique, divine authority.

Luke 9 34 Context

Luke 9:34 is embedded within the Transfiguration narrative (Luke 9:28-36). This miraculous event follows Jesus' first explicit prediction of His suffering and death (Luke 9:22) and His challenging call for His disciples to embrace cross-bearing discipleship (Luke 9:23-27). The Transfiguration serves as a divine affirmation of Jesus' identity as the Son of God, a glimpse of His future glory, and a strengthening experience for His chosen disciples before the difficult journey to Jerusalem and His eventual passion. Peter's suggestion in Luke 9:33—to build three tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah—reflects a well-intentioned but misguided attempt to preserve the moment and place these figures on an equal footing. Luke 9:34 immediately details God's abrupt and powerful response, interrupting Peter's words with a direct, manifest presence, emphasizing that Jesus stands above all prophets and the Law. Culturally, the imagery of a cloud evokes the presence of God at Mount Sinai (where Moses received the Law) and filling the Tabernacle/Temple (where God dwelled among His people), indicating this is a moment of profound divine revelation and authority.

Luke 9 34 Word analysis

• "While he was still speaking": This phrase immediately precedes the divine intervention, emphasizing that God's manifestation was a direct and sudden interruption of Peter's words, underscoring His sovereignty and cutting short any human misdirection.
• "a cloud" (Greek: νεφέλη, nephelē): This term frequently symbolizes God's direct presence, glory, and often mystery throughout Scripture. From the pillar of cloud guiding Israel in the wilderness to the cloud filling the Tabernacle and Temple, it signals divine action and revelation, distinguishing the holy from the ordinary.
• "came and overshadowed them" (Greek: ἐπεσκίαζεν, episkiazen): Derived from epi (upon) and skiazō (to cast a shadow, shade). This is not merely a passive shading but an active, encompassing, and powerful divine covering or enshrouding. The unique use of episkiazen here (and in Luke 1:35 regarding Mary's conception) denotes a profound, transformative, and direct impact of divine power and presence upon those being overshadowed. It implies intimate, overwhelming presence rather than distant observation.
• "and they were fearful" (Greek: ἐφοβοῦντο, ephobounto, or specifically phoboumenoi in v.34 in the participle): This signifies a mixture of profound awe, reverential dread, and intense apprehension. It is a common human response in the Bible when confronted directly with the manifest holiness, power, and glory of God, highlighting the stark contrast between human finitude and divine infinitude.
• "as they entered the cloud": This detail emphasizes that the disciples were not just witnesses to the cloud's appearance, but they were enveloped, brought into the very heart of the divine manifestation. This physical proximity intensifies their encounter with God, making them direct recipients of His immediate, overwhelming presence and ensuing declaration.

Luke 9 34 Bonus section

• The dual use of episkiazen in Luke (1:35 for Mary, 9:34 for the disciples) highlights a key Lukan theological thread: God's empowering, miraculous presence works to bring about pivotal moments in salvation history. It connects Jesus' divine origin directly to His divine authentication, emphasizing God's direct agency in both the incarnation and the revelation of His Son.
• The interruption of Peter's words by God Himself serves as a strong theological statement against human attempts to limit, define, or misinterpret the nature and mission of Christ. It immediately re-centers the narrative on divine prerogative and revelation, moving from Peter's well-meaning but misguided plans to God's authoritative pronouncement in the next verse.
• The experience of entering the cloud indicates a progression in the disciples' encounter: from observing Jesus' transfiguration (internal change) to being enveloped by God's manifest glory (external presence). This depth of experience serves to deepen their faith and understanding, making them prime witnesses to the unparalleled divine identity of Jesus.

Luke 9 34 Commentary

Luke 9:34 dramatically signifies God the Father's decisive intervention in the Transfiguration narrative. As Peter presumptuously suggests equating Jesus with Moses and Elijah by proposing three tabernacles, God immediately responds with a direct, visual, and experiential manifestation of His own glory. The cloud, reminiscent of the Shekinah glory that enveloped Mount Sinai and the Tabernacle, emphatically declares God's unique presence. The act of "overshadowing" (Greek: episkiazen), a term also used to describe the Holy Spirit's anointing of Mary for Jesus' conception, powerfully conveys a sacred, intimate, and divine covering, demonstrating God's creative power and holy presence directly impacting the disciples. Their resultant fear is a natural, proper, and humbling response to being plunged into the awe-inspiring presence of the Holy One, shifting their focus from any human agenda to the imminent divine declaration from the cloud. This moment unequivocally establishes Jesus' unparalleled authority as God's beloved Son, above all law and prophets, preparing the disciples for His true mission.