Amplified Bible
Luke 12:56
56You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! You know how to analyze and intelligently interpret the appearance of the earth and sky [to forecast the weather], but why do you not intelligently interpret this present time?
Luke 12:56 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
- New International Version (NIV)Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
- English Standard Version (ESV)You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?
Context of Luke 12:56
54He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain,’ and that is how it turns out. 55And when [you see that] a south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it happens. You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! You know how to analyze and intelligently interpret the appearance of the earth and sky [to forecast the weather], but why do you not intelligently interpret this present time? 57“And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? 58For while you are going with your opponent [at law] to appear before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle, so that he does not drag you before the judge, and the judge does not [rule against you and] turn you over to the officer, and the officer does not throw you into prison.
Read all of Luke 12Luke 12:56 word by word
ὑποκριταί, τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οἴδατε δοκιμάζειν, τὸν καιρὸν δὲ τοῦτον πῶς οὐκ οἴδατε δοκιμάζειν;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- hypocritesὑποκριτήςhupokritēs · hypocriteG5273
- ye canεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- discernδοκιμάζωdokimazō · to testG1381
- the faceὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the faceπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383
- of the skyοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- of the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- butδέde · thenG1161
- how is it thatπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- notοὐou · noG3756
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- timeκαιρόςkairos · time/right timeG2540
Cross-references for Luke 12:56
- 1 Chronicles 12:32Of the tribe of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, two hundred chiefs; and all their relatives were at their command;
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose].
- Matthew 16:3And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a threatening look.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but cannot interpret the signs of the times?
- Matthew 24:32“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its young shoots become tender and it puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near;
- Luke 19:42saying, “If [only] you had known on this day [of salvation], even you, the things which make for peace [and on which peace depends]! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
- Daniel 9:24“Seventy weeks [of years, or 490 years] have been decreed for your people and for your holy city (Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make atonement (reconciliation) for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness (right-standing with God), to seal up vision and prophecy and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.
- Haggai 2:7I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the desirable and precious things of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory and splendor,’ says the Lord of hosts.
- Malachi 3:1“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will prepare and clear the way before Me. And the Lord [the Messiah], whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.
- Malachi 4:2But for you who fear My name [with awe-filled reverence] the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go forward and leap [joyfully] like calves [released] from the stall.
- Acts 3:24Indeed, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also announced these days.
- Galatians 4:4But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the [regulations of the] Law,
Commentaries on Luke 12:56
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 56This time? - Can ye not discover from the writings of the prophets, and from the events which now take place, that this is the time of the Messiah, and that I am the very person foretold by them?Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 54-57Verses 54-57 See the notes at Matthew 16:2-3. South wind - To the south and southwest of Judea were situated Arabia, Egypt, and Ethiopia, all warm or hot regions, and consequently the air that came from those quarters was greatly heated. How is it that ye do not discern this time! - You see a cloud rise, and predict a shower; a south wind, and expect heat. These are regular events. So you see my miracles; you hear my preaching; you have the predictions of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 54-59Verses 54-59 Christ would have the people to be as wise in the concerns of their souls as they are in outward affairs. Let them hasten to obtain peace with God before it is too late. If any man has found that God has set himself against him concerning his sins, let him apply to him as God in Christ reconciling the world to himself. While we are alive, we are in the way, and now is our time.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5656. how ... not discern, &c.--unable to perceive what a critical period that was for the Jewish Church.Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 12:56
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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