Luke 11:52
What does Luke 11:52 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 11:52 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 11:52 means
Jesus delivers the final "woe" against the lawyers, accusing them of taking "away the key of knowledge." This means they distorted Scripture and its true meaning, making it inaccessible to ordinary people. By failing to enter into this knowledge themselves and actively "hindering" those who desired to enter, they actively obstructed people from understanding God’s truth and finding the path of salvation through Christ.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Woe unto you lawyers! for ye took away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Woe 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Woe unto you lawyers! for ye took away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949A 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.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`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.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Woe to you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered in: and those that were entering in, you have hindered.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Woe 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.
Context
This verse presents the final and perhaps most damning "woe" against the lawyers, directly following the pronouncement of their historical guilt. It attacks their role in interpreting and teaching the Law, exposing their obstruction of spiritual understanding. This accusation about the key of knowledge directly leads to the escalating hostility from the scribes and Pharisees, as their authority is fundamentally challenged.
v.51from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary: yea, I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation.
v.52This passage
v.53And 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;
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Acts 5:40
And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
- Luke 11:45
And one of the lawyers answering saith unto him, Teacher, in saying this thou reproachest us also.
- John 7:47
The Pharisees therefore answered them, Are ye also led astray?
- Luke 19:39
And some of the Pharisees from the multitude said unto him, Teacher, rebuke thy disciples.
- Acts 4:17
But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
- Matthew 23:13
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.
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