New King James Version
Luke 7:32
32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep.’
Luke 7:32 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
- New International Version (NIV)They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'
- New Living Translation (NLT)They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, ‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t weep.’
Context of Luke 7:32
30But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. 31And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep.’ 33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
Read all of Luke 7Luke 7:32 word by word
ὅμοιοί εἰσιν παιδίοις τοῖς ἐν ἀγορᾷ καθημένοις καὶ προσφωνοῦσιν ἀλλήλοις ἃ λέγει· ηὐλήσαμεν ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐκ ὠρχήσασθε· ἐθρηνήσαμεν καὶ οὐκ ἐκλαύσατε.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- likeὅμοιοςhomoios · likeG3664
- unto childrenπαιδίονpaidion · childG3813
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- sittingκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the marketplaceἀγοράagora · marketplaceG58
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- callingπροσφωνέωprosphōneō · to call to/summonG4377
- one to anotherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- We have pipedαὐλέωauleō · to play the fluteG832
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- ye haveὀρχέομαιorcheomai · to danceG3738
- notοὐou · noG3756
- we have mournedθρηνέωthrēneō · to lamentG2354
- ye haveκλαίωklaiō · to weepG2799
Cross-references for Luke 7:32
- Proverbs 17:16Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it?
- Isaiah 28:9“Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?
- Isaiah 29:11The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”
- Jeremiah 5:3O Lord, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, But they have not grieved; You have consumed them, But they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to return.
- Matthew 11:16“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,
- Zechariah 8:5The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’
Commentaries on Luke 7:32
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32They are like unto children - See on Matthew 11:16-19; (note). It is probable that our Lord alludes here to some play or game among the Jewish children, no account of which is now on record.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19-35Verses 19-35 See this passage explained in Luke 7:29 The people - The common people. That heard him - That heard “John.” The publicans - The tax-gatherers, the worst kind of people, who had, however, been converted. Justified God - Considered God as “just” or “right” in the counsel which he gave by John - to wit, in calling people to repentance, and in denouncing future wrath on the impenitent. Compare Matthew 11:19. Being baptized - They “showed” that…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-35Verses 19-35 To his miracles in the kingdom of nature, Christ adds this in the kingdom of grace, To the poor the gospel is preached. It clearly pointed out the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, that the messenger he sent before him to prepare his way, did it by preaching repentance and reformation of heart and life. We have here the just blame of those who were not wrought upon by the ministry of John Baptist or of Jesus Christ himself. They made a…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31-35To what, then, can I compare the men of this generation?: Jesus compares Israel to fickle children in the marketplace who play games of make-believe. They called John the Baptist to dance (a wedding game), but the serious prophet refused. Instead, he called them to mourn and repent of their sins. Then they called on Jesus to mourn (a funeral game), but he was the bridegroom who announced the joyful celebration banquet of the kingdom of God. It would not…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 31-3531-35. the Lord said, &c.--As cross, capricious children, invited by their playmates to join them in their amusements, will play with them neither at weddings nor funerals (juvenile imitations of the joyous and mournful scenes of life), so that generation rejected both John and his Master: the one because he was too unsocial--more like a demoniac than a rational man; the other, because He was too much the reverse, given to animal indulgences, and…Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 7:32
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 7
- 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
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries