Luke 11 · Verse 53

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:
Luke 11:53, King James Version

Luke 11:53 in other translations

BSBAs Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things,
WEBAs he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly angry, and to draw many things out of him,
ASVAnd when he was come out from thence, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press upon him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things;
YLTAnd in his speaking these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began fearfully to urge and to press him to speak about many things,
DARBYAnd as he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him urgently, and to make him speak of many things;
BBEAnd when he had come out of that place, the scribes and the Pharisees came round him angrily, questioning him about more things;
WebsterAnd as he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to solicit him to speak of many things;

What does Luke 11:53 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 11:53-54
53-54. Exceedingly vivid and affecting. They were stung to the quick--and can we wonder?--yet had not materials for the charge they were preparing against Him. provoke him, &c.--"to harass Him with questions."

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 53. To urge him vehemently. To press upon him violently. They were enraged against him. They therefore pressed upon him; asked him many questions; sought to entrap him, that they might accuse him.

Provoke him, &c. This means that they put many questions to him about various matters, without giving him proper time to answer. They proposed questions as fast as possible, and about as many things as possible, that they might get him, in the hurry, to say something that would be wrong, that they might thus accuse him. This was a remarkable instance of their cunning, malignity, and unfairness.

(n) "provoke" 1Cor 13:5

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 53 Began to urge him vehemently - Δεινως ενεχειν, They began to be furious. They found themselves completely unmasked in the presence of a vast concourse of people. See Luk 12:1, (for we can not suppose that all this conversation passed while Christ was at meat in the Pharisee's house, as Matthew, Mat 23:25, shows that these words were spoken on another occasion). They therefore questioned him on a variety of points, and hoped, by the multitude and impertinence of their questions, to puzzle or irritate him, so as to induce him to speak rashly, (for this is the import of the word αποϚοματιζειν), that they might find some subject of accusation against him. See Wetstein and Kypke. A Minister of the Gospel of God should, above all men, be continent of his tongue; his enemies, in certain cases, will crowd question upon question, in order so to puzzle and confound him that he may speak unadvisedly with his lips, and thus prejudice the truth he was laboring to promote and defend. The following is a good prayer, which all who are called to defend or proclaim the truths of the Gospel may confidently offer to their God. "Let thy wisdom and light, O Lord, disperse their artifice and my darkness! Cast the bright beams of thy light upon those who have to defend themselves against subtle and deceitful men! Raise and animate their hearts, that they may not be wanting to the cause of truth. Guide their tongue, that they may not be deficient in prudence, nor expose thy truth by any indiscretions or unseasonable transports of zeal. Let meekness, gentleness, and longsuffering influence and direct their hearts; and may they ever feel the full weight of that truth: The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God!" The following advice of one of the ancients is good: Στηθι ἑδαιος ὡς ακμων τυπτομενος, καλου γαρ αθλητου δερεσθαι και νικᾳν. "Stand thou firm as a beaten anvil: for it is the part of a good soldier to be flayed alive, and yet conquer."

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 11:53 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.

ἐξελθόντοςexelthontoswhen was expressingG1831
αὐτοῦautouHeG846
ἤρξαντοērxanto[then] beganG757
οἱhoitheG3588
γραμματεῖςgrammateisscribesG1122
καὶkaiandG2532
οἱhoitheG3588
ΦαρισαῖοιPharisaioiPhariseesG5330
δεινῶςdeinōsurgentlyG1171
ἐνέχεινenecheinto press upon [Him]G1758
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀποστοματίζεινapostomatizeinto make speakG653
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
περὶperiaboutG4012
πλειόνωνpleionōnmany thingsG4119

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

Cross references for Luke 11:53

  • Jeremiah 20:10

    For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

  • Luke 20:20

    And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

  • Luke 20:27

    Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

  • Jeremiah 18:18

    Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

  • 1 Corinthians 13:5

    Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

  • Psalms 22:12-13

    Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

  • Isaiah 9:12

    The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
to urge.
Ps 22:12,13; Isa 9:12
to speak.
20:20,27; Jer 18:18; 20:10; 1Co 13:5

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

Context

  • 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:

  • Luke 11:54

    Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Read all of Luke 11

Luke 11:53 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y diciéndoles estas cosas, los escribas y los Fariseos comenzaron á apretar le en gran manera, y á provocarle á que hablase de muchas cosas;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et comme il leur disait ces choses, les scribes et les pharisiens se mirent à le presser fortement; et ils le provoquaient à parler de plusieurs choses,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Als er aber dies zu ihnen sagte, fingen die Schriftgelehrten und die Pharisäer an, hart auf ihn einzudringen und ihn über vieles auszufragen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cum autem hæc ad illos diceret, cœperunt pharisæi et legisperiti graviter insistere, et os ejus opprimere de multis,