Christian Standard Bible
Luke 12:56
56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to 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, right away you say, ‘A storm is coming,’ and so it does. 55And when the south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time? 57“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58As you are going with your adversary to the ruler, make an effort to settle with him on the way. Then he won’t drag you before the judge, the judge hand you over to the bailiff, and the bailiff 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 12:32From the Issacharites, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their relatives under their command.
- Matthew 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.
- Matthew 16:3And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times.
- Matthew 24:32“Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.
- Luke 19:42saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes.
- Daniel 9:24Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city — to bring the rebellion to an end, to put a stop to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.
- Haggai 2:7I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of Armies.
- Malachi 3:1“See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in — see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies.
- Malachi 4:2But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.
- Acts 3:24“In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days.
- Galatians 4:4When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under 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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