The Meaning of Luke 22:54 Explained

Luke 22:54

KJV: Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

YLT: And having taken him, they led and brought him to the house of the chief priest. And Peter was following afar off,

Darby: And having laid hold on him, they led him away, and they led him into the house of the high priest. And Peter followed afar off.

ASV: And they seized him, and led him away , and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed afar off.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  took they  him,  and led  [him], and  brought  him  into  the high priest's  house.  And  Peter  followed  afar off. 

What does Luke 22:54 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This verse introduces Jesus" trials and Peter"s denial. Even though Peter followed Jesus at a distance he at least followed Him. The only other disciple to do so was evidently John ( John 18:15-16). Seemingly this house or palace was the dwelling in which both Annas and Caiaphas resided (cf. Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65).
The following table identifies the aspects of Jesus" two trials that each evangelist recorded.
Jesus" Religious TrialMatthewMarkLukeJohnBefore Annas John 18:12-14; John 18:19-24Before Caiaphas Matthew 26:57-68 Mark 14:53-65 Luke 22:54; Luke 22:63-65Before the Sanhedrin Matthew 27:1 Mark 15:1 Luke 22:66-71Jesus" Civil TrialBefore Pilate Matthew 27:2; Matthew 27:11-14 Mark 15:1-5 Luke 23:1-5 John 18:28-38Before Herod Antipas Luke 23:6-12Before Pilate Matthew 27:15-26 Mark 15:6-15 Luke 23:13-25 John 18:39 to John 19:16

Context Summary

Luke 22:54-62 - The Disciple Who Denied His Lord
Peter loved Christ truly, but miscalculated his strength. Be very careful not to adventure yourself into the midst of temptation. If God leads you thither, that is another matter. We do well to remember Psalms 1:1-3. Let us beware of warming ourselves at the world's fires. It was the firelight falling on his face that revealed Peter, and his brogue that betrayed him.
If, even at that hour, however, He had looked to God, a way of escape would have been found. "He delivereth and rescueth, and worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth," Daniel 6:27. But Peter sought to save himself from the results of his folly and sin; only to land deeper and deeper in the morass.
What a look that must have been, Luke 22:61! But, even now, when we sin, Christ looks at us from out of His holy heaven, with such mingled pity and love, that these constitute the worst torment. There is no need of literal fire to make hell. Disappointed love is hotter than "coals of juniper." [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 22

1  The leaders conspire against Jesus
3  Satan prepares Judas to betray him
7  The apostles prepare the Passover
19  Jesus institutes his holy supper;
21  covertly foretells of the traitor;
24  rebukes the rest of his apostles from ambition;
31  assures Peter his faith should not fail;
34  and yet he should deny him thrice
39  He prays in the mount, and sweats blood;
47  is betrayed with a kiss;
50  he heals Malchus' ear;
54  he is thrice denied by Peter;
63  shamefully abused;
66  and confesses himself to be the Son of God

Greek Commentary for Luke 22:54

Into the high priest‘s house [εις την οικιαν του αρχιερεως]
Luke alone mentions “the house.” Though it is implied in Mark 14:53; Matthew 26:57. [source]
Followed [ηκολουτει]
Imperfect, was following, as Matthew 26:58; John 18:15. Curiously Mark 14:54 has the aorist. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 22:54

Mark 14:54 Peter had followed him afar off [ο Πετρος απο μακροτεν ηκολουτησεν αυτωι]
Here Mark uses the constative aorist (ηκολουτησεν — ēkolouthēsen) where Matthew 26:58, and Luke 22:54 have the picturesque imperfect (ηκολουτει — ēkolouthei), was following. Possibly Mark did not care to dwell on the picture of Peter furtively following at a distance, not bold enough to take an open stand with Christ as the Beloved Disciple did, and yet unable to remain away with the other disciples. [source]
Luke 5:7 Unto their partners [τοις μετεχοις]
This word μετοχος — metochos from μετεχω — metechō to have with, means participation with one in common blessings (Hebrews 3:1, Hebrews 3:14; Hebrews 6:4; Hebrews 12:8). While κοινωνος — koinōnos (Luke 5:10 here of James and John also) has the notion of personal fellowship, partnership. Both terms are here employed of the two pairs of brothers who have a business company under Simon‘s lead.Help them (συλλαβεσται — sullabesthai). Second aorist middle infinitive. Take hold together with and so to help. Paul uses it in Philemon 4:3. It is an old word that was sometimes employed for seizing a prisoner (Luke 22:54) and for conception (con-capio) by a woman (Luke 1:24).So that they began to sink Consecutive use of ωστε — hōste and the infinitive (present tense, inchoative use, beginning to sink). An old verb from βυτος — buthos In the N.T. only here and 1 Timothy 6:9. [source]
Luke 5:7 Help them [συλλαβεσται]
Second aorist middle infinitive. Take hold together with and so to help. Paul uses it in Philemon 4:3. It is an old word that was sometimes employed for seizing a prisoner (Luke 22:54) and for conception (con-capio) by a woman (Luke 1:24). [source]
John 18:12 Took [συνέλαβον]
Rev., better, seized. It is the technical word for arresting. Literally, took with them, of which there is a suggestion in the modern policeman's phrase, go along with me. Compare Luke 22:54. [source]
John 18:28 They lead [αγουσιν]
Dramatic historical present of αγω — agō plural “they” for the Sanhedrists (Luke 23:1). John gives no details of the trial before the Sanhedrin (only the fact, John 18:24, John 18:28) when Caiaphas presided, either the informal meeting at night (Mark 14:53, Mark 14:55-65; Matthew 26:57, Matthew 26:59-68; Luke 22:54, Luke 22:63-65) or the formal ratification meeting after dawn (Mark 15:1; Matthew 27:1; Luke 22:66-71), but he gives much new material of the trial before Pilate (John 18:28-38). Into the palace For the history and meaning of this interesting Latin word, praetorium, see note on Matthew 27:27; note on Acts 23:35; and note on Philemon 1:13. Here it is probably the magnificent palace in Jerusalem built by Herod the Great for himself and occupied by the Roman Procurator (governor) when in the city. There was also one in Caesarea (Acts 23:35). Herod‘s palace in Jerusalem was on the Hill of Zion in the western part of the upper city. There is something to be said for the Castle of Antonia, north of the temple area, as the location of Pilate‘s residence in Jerusalem. Early Technically the fourth watch (3 a.m. to 6 a.m.). There were two violations of Jewish legal procedure (holding the trial for a capital case at night, passing condemnation on the same day of the trial). Besides, the Sanhedrin no longer had the power of death. A Roman court could meet any time after sunrise. John (John 19:14) says it was “about the sixth hour” when Pilate condemned Jesus. That they might not be defiled Purpose clause with ινα μη — hina mē and first aorist passive subjunctive of μιαινω — miainō to stain, to defile. For Jewish scruples about entering the house of a Gentile see Acts 10:28; Acts 11:3. But might eat the passover Second aorist active subjunctive of the defective verb εστιω — esthiō to eat. This phrase may mean to eat the passover meal as in Matthew 27:17 (Mark 14:12, Mark 14:14; Luke 22:11, Luke 22:15), but it does not have to mean that. In 2 Chronicles 30:22 we read: “And they did eat the festival seven days” when the paschal festival is meant, not the paschal lamb or the paschal supper. There are eight other examples of πασχα — pascha in John‘s Gospel and in all of them the feast is meant, not the supper. If we follow John‘s use of the word, it is the feast here, not the meal of John 13:2 which was the regular passover meal. This interpretation keeps John in harmony with the Synoptics. [source]
Acts 1:16 It was needful [εδει]
Imperfect tense of the impersonal δει — dei with the infinitive clause (first aorist passive) and the accusative of general reference as a loose subject. Peter here assumes that Jesus is the Messiah and finds scripture illustrative of the treachery of Judas. He applies it to Judas and quotes the two passages in Acts 1:20 (Psalm 69:25; Psalm 109:8). The Holy Spirit has not yet come upon them, but Peter feels moved to interpret the situation. He feels that his mind is opened by Jesus (Luke 24:45). It is a logical, not a moral, necessity that Peter points out. Peter here claims the Holy Spirit as speaking in the scriptures as he does in 2 Peter 1:21. His description of Judas as “guide” (οδηγου — hodēgou) to those who seized (συλλαβουσιν — sullabousin) Jesus is that of the base traitor that he was. This very verb occurs in Luke 22:54 of the arrest of Jesus. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 22:54 mean?

Having seized then Him they led [Him] away and led [Him] into the house of the high priest - And Peter was following afar off
Συλλαβόντες δὲ αὐτὸν ἤγαγον καὶ εἰσήγαγον εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως δὲ Πέτρος ἠκολούθει μακρόθεν

Συλλαβόντες  Having  seized 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: συλλαμβάνω  
Sense: to seize, take: one as prisoner.
ἤγαγον  they  led  [Him]  away 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἄγω  
Sense: to lead, take with one.
εἰσήγαγον  led  [Him] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἰσάγω  
Sense: to lead in.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
οἰκίαν  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: οἰκία  
Sense: a house.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀρχιερέως  high  priest 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀρχιερεύς  
Sense: chief priest, high priest.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πέτρος  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
ἠκολούθει  was  following 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀκολουθέω  
Sense: to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him.
μακρόθεν  afar  off 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μακρόθεν  
Sense: from afar, afar.