Luke 11 · Verse 52

Luke 11:52

Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
Luke 11:52, King James Version

Luke 11:52 in other translations

BSBWoe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
WEBWoe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”
ASVWoe unto you lawyers! for ye took away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
YLT‘Woe to you, the lawyers, because ye took away the key of the knowledge; yourselves ye did not enter; and those coming in, ye did hinder.'
DARBYWoe unto you, the doctors of the law, for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; yourselves have not entered in, and those who were entering in ye have hindered.
BBEA curse is on you, teachers of the law! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you did not go in yourselves, and you got in the way of those who were going in.
WebsterWoe to you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye have not entered in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

What does Luke 11:52 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
52. key of knowledge--not the key to open knowledge, but knowledge, the only key to open heaven. In Mt 23:13, they are accused of shutting heaven; here of taking away the key, which was worse. A right knowledge of God's Word is eternal life (Joh 17:3); but this they took away from the people, substituting for it their wretched traditions.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 52. Woe unto you, lawyers! Mt 23:13.

The key of knowledge. A key is made to open a lock or door. By their false interpretation of the Old Testament they had taken away the true key or method of understanding it. They had hindered the people from understanding it aright.
"You endeavour to prevent the people also from
understanding the Scriptures respecting the Messiah,
and those who were coming to me ye hindered."
If there is any sin of peculiar magnitude, it is that of keeping the people in ignorance; and few men are so guilty as they who by false instructions prevent them from coming to a knowledge of the truth, and embracing it as it is in Jesus.

(m) "key of knowledge" Mal 1:2,7 (7) "hindered" or, "forbade"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 52 Ye have taken away the key of knowledge - By your traditions ye have taken away the true method of interpreting the prophecies: ye have given a wrong meaning to those scriptures which speak of the kingdom of the Messiah, and the people are thereby hindered from entering into it. See on Mat 23:13 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 11:37-54

We should all look to our hearts, that they may be cleansed and new-created; and while we attend to the great things of the law and of the gospel, we must not neglect the smallest matter God has appointed. When any wait to catch something out of our mouths, that they may insnare us, O Lord, give us thy prudence and thy patience, and disappoint their evil purposes. Furnish us with such meekness and patience that we…

Read the full comment on Luke 11:37-54 →

Luke 11:52 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΟὐαὶOuaiWoeG3759
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
τοῖςtois<the>G3588
νομικοῖς,nomikoislawyers,G3544
ὅτιhotiforG3754
ἤρατεērateyou have taken awayG142
τὴνtēntheG3588
κλεῖδαkleidakeyG2807
τῆςtēsof theG3588
γνώσεως.gnōseōsknowledge.G1108
αὐτοὶautoiYou yourselvesG846
οὐκouknotG3756
εἰσήλθατεeisēlthatedid enterG1525
καὶkaiandG2532
τοὺςtousthoseG3588
εἰσερχομένουςeiserchomenousenteringG1525
ἐκωλύσατε.¶ekōlusateyou hindered.G2967

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 11:52

  • Matthew 23:13

    But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

  • Malachi 2:7

    For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

  • Acts 4:17-18

    But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

  • Luke 11:45-46

    Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

  • John 9:24-34

    Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? …

  • John 7:47-52

    Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) …

  • Acts 5:40

    And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

  • Luke 19:39-40

    And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
for.
19:39,40; Mal 2:7; Mt 23:13; Joh 7:47-52; 9:24-34; Ac 4:17,18; 5:40
hindered. or, forbad.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 11:51

    From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

  • Luke 11:52

    Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

  • Luke 11:53

    And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

Read all of Luke 11

Luke 11:52 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¡Ay de vosotros, doctores de la ley! que habéis quitado la llave de la ciencia; vosotros mismos no entrasteis, y á los que entraban impedisteis.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Malheur à vous, les docteurs de la loi! car vous avez enlevé la clé de la connaissance: vous n’êtes pas entrés vous-mêmes, et vous avez empêché ceux qui entraient.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wehe euch Gesetzgelehrten! denn ihr habt den Schlüssel der Erkenntnis weggenommen; ihr selbst seid nicht hineingegangen, und die Hineingehenden habt ihr gehindert.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Væ vobis, legisperitis, quia tulistis clavem scientiæ: ipsi non introistis, et eos qui introibant, prohibuistis.