Luke 17:22
What does Luke 17:22 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 17:22 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 17:22 means
Turning to His disciples, Jesus foresees days when they will deeply desire even one of the days of the Son of man but not see it. After His departure, longing will mark their experience amid trials and delay. This word validates the ache for Christ’s presence and the impatience we feel for His return. It also cautions that such longing can make us vulnerable to false hopes. The absence of visible fulfillment is not failure; it is part of the plan. The promise of seeing Him is sure, but there will be seasons when faith must endure without sight, sustained by His earlier words and present Spirit.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And he said to his disciples, The time will come when you will have a great desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, but you will not see it.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And he said unto his disciples, `Days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and ye shall not behold <FI>it<Fi> ;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And he said to his disciples: The days will come when you shall desire to see one day of the Son of man. And you shall not see it.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And he said to the disciples, Days are coming, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and shall not see [it].
Context
This shift in audience follows Jesus’ statements to the Pharisees about the kingdom’s present nearness (verses 20–21). Now He prepares His followers for the interim between His rejection and His return. That leads to warnings about false reports (verse 23), an assurance of the unmistakable visibility of His day (verse 24), and the essential note that suffering comes first (verse 25). The sequence sets expectations: longing, deception to avoid, and the true manner in which the Son of man will be revealed.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- John 12:35
Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not: and he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
- John 13:33
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say unto you.
- Luke 13:35
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
- John 17:11
And I am no more in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
- Matthew 9:15
And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast.
- Mark 2:20
But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then will they fast in that day.
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