Luke 19 · Verse 40

Luke 19:40

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Luke 19:40, King James Version

Luke 19:40 in other translations

BSB	“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.”
WEB	He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”
ASV	And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.
YLT	and he answering said to them, ‘I say to you, that, if these shall be silent, the stones will cry out!'
DARBY	And he answering said to them, I say unto you, If these shall be silent, the stones will cry out.
BBE	And he said in answer, I say to you, if these men keep quiet, the very stones will be crying out.
Webster	And he answered and said to them, I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

What does Luke 19:40 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

40. the stones, &c.--Hitherto the Lord had discouraged all demonstrations in His favor; latterly He had begun an opposite course; on this one occasion He seems to yield His whole soul to the wide and deep acclaim with a mysterious satisfaction, regarding it as so necessary a part of the regal dignity in which as Messiah He for this last time entered the city, that if not offered by the vast multitude, it would have been wrung out of the stones rather than be withheld (Ha 2:11).

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 40. The stones would--cry out. It is proper that they should celebrate my coming. Their acclamations ought not to be suppressed. So joyful is the event which they celebrate--the coming of the Messiah--that it is not fit that I should attempt to impose silence on them. The expression here seems to be proverbial, and is not to be taken literally. Proverbs are designed to express the truth strongly, but are not to be taken to signify as much as if they were to be interpreted literally. The sense is, that his coming was an event of so much importance that it ought to be celebrated in some way, and would be celebrated. It would be impossible to restrain the people, and improper to attempt it. The language here is strong proverbial language to denote that fact. We are not to suppose, therefore, that our Saviour meant to say that the stones were conscious of his coming, or that God would make them speak, but only that there was great joy among the people; that it was proper that they should express it in this manner, and that it was not fit that he should attempt to repress it.

(z) "the stones would cry out" Hab 2:11, Mt 3:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 40 If these should hold their peace, the stones would - cry out - Of such importance is my present conduct to you and to others, being expressly predicted by one of your own prophets, Zac 9:9, as pointing out the triumph of humility over pride, and of meekness over rage and malice, as signifying the salvation which I bring to the lost souls of men, that, if this multitude were silent, God would give even to the stones a voice, that the advent of the Messiah might be duly celebrated.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 19:28-40

Christ has dominion over all creatures, and may use them as he pleases. He has all men's hearts both under his eye and in his hand. Christ's triumphs, and his disciples' joyful praises, vex proud Pharisees, who are enemies to him and to his kingdom. But Christ, as he despises the contempt of the proud, so he accepts the praises of the humble. Pharisees would silence the praises of Christ, but they cannot; for as God…

Read the full comment on Luke 19:28-40 →

Luke 19:40 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532

ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheisansweringG611

εἶπενeipenHe saidG2036

λέγωlegōI sayG3004

ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771

ἐὰνeanifG1437

οὗτοιhoutoitheseG3778

σιωπήσουσιν,siōpēsousinwill be silent,G4623

οἱhoitheG3588

λίθοιlithoistonesG3037

κράξουσιν.¶kraxousinwill cry out.G2896

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

Cross references for Luke 19:40

Habakkuk 2:11
For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.
Isaiah 55:12
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Matthew 3:9
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Psalms 96:11
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
Psalms 98:7-9
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
Psalms 114:1-8
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs. …
Matthew 27:51-54
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
Matthew 21:15-16
And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
2 Peter 2:6
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ps 96:11; 98:7-9; 114:1-8; Isa 55:12; Hab 2:11; Mt 3:9; 21:15,16
Mt 27:45,51-54; 2Pe 2:6

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

Context

Luke 19:39
And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
Luke 19:40
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
Luke 19:41
And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

Read all of Luke 19

Luke 19:40 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y él respondiendo, les dijo: Os digo que si éstos callaren, las piedras clamarán.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et répondant, il leur dit: Je vous dis que si ceux-ci se taisent, les pierres crieront.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Ich sage euch, wenn diese schweigen, so werden die Steine schreien.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Quibus ipse ait: Dico vobis, quia si hi tacuerint, lapides clamabunt.