The Meaning of Luke 19:40 Explained

Luke 19:40

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

ASV: And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.

What is the context of Luke 19:40?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Luke 19:40 Mean?

Verse Meaning

However, Jesus refused to silence the disciples. They spoke the truth. The figure of stones crying out (personification) stresses the appropriateness of the disciples crying out. If the disciples kept silence, the stones would need to declare who Jesus was instead of them. This clear messianic claim is unique to Luke. It shows the blatant rejection of Israel"s leaders in the face of indisputable evidence that Jesus was the Messiah.
"All history had pointed toward this single, spectacular event when the Messiah publicly presented Himself to the nation, and God desired that this fact be acknowledged." [1]
The Triumphal Entry is only the second incident in Jesus" ministry that all four evangelists recorded, the first being the feeding of the5 ,000. This indicates its great importance in God"s messianic program.

Context Summary

Luke 19:28-40 - The Welcome Of The King
This humble triumph is a further revelation of our Lord's character. The lowliness of it, which exposed Him to the sneers and ridicule of scribe and Pharisee, greatly pleased the simple folk from Galilee, who recognized Him as their own, and were proud to identify themselves with Him. See Matthew 21:11. It is thus that Jesus pursues His way through the ages; the princes of this world know Him not, but His character is appreciated and His claims are recognized by babes, Matthew 11:25; 1 Corinthians 2:8. Are you in the Master's procession?
Jesus' royalty is not of this world. It is based on character. It is ignored by the proud, but welcomed by the poor. It is fairest to those whose eyes are anointed to penetrate the veil and discern the eternal realities, and of their enthusiasm, praise to God is the irresistible expression. Note that their song is an echo of Luke 2:14. Oh, to glorify God to the highest degree!
The Lord's need is the master-motive. We can hold nothing back from His request, whether child, or money, or life. Let these words ring in our hearts: The Lord hath need. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 19

1  Of Zacchaeus a tax collector
11  The ten minas
28  Jesus rides into Jerusalem with triumph;
41  weeps over it;
45  drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple;
47  Teaching daily in it The rulers seek to destroy him, but fear the people

Greek Commentary for Luke 19:40

If these shall hold their peace [εαν ουτοι σιωπησουσιν]
A condition of the first class, determined as fulfilled. The use of εαν — ean rather than ει — ei cuts no figure in the case (See note on Acts 8:31; note on 1 Thessalonians 3:8; and the note on 1 John 5:15). The kind of condition is determined by the mode which is here indicative. The future tense by its very nature does approximate the aorist subjunctive, but after all it is the indicative. [source]
The stones will cry out [οι λιτοι κραχουσιν]
A proverb for the impossible happening. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 19:40

Mark 8:30 Of him [περι αυτου]
As being the Messiah, that he was the Christ (Matthew 16:20). Not yet, for the time was not yet ripe. When that comes, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the very stones will cry out, if men will not (Luke 19:40). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 19:40 mean?

And answering He said I say to you that if these will be silent the stones will cry out
Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν Λέγω ὑμῖν ‹ὅτι› ἐὰν οὗτοι σιωπήσουσιν οἱ λίθοι κράξουσιν

ἀποκριθεὶς  answering 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
εἶπεν  He  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Λέγω  I  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
‹ὅτι›  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
οὗτοι  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
σιωπήσουσιν  will  be  silent 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: σιωπάω  
Sense: to be silent, hold one’s peace.
λίθοι  stones 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λίθος  
Sense: a stone.
κράξουσιν  will  cry  out 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κράζω  
Sense: to croak.