Luke 19:40

He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

He answered them, “I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out.”

BSB

“I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.”

KJV

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

ASV

And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, 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.

Original Greek

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καὶ kai And G2532 ἀποκριθεὶς apokritheis answering G611 εἶπεν eipen He said G2036 αὐτοῖς autois to them G846 λέγω legō I say G3004 ὑμῖν humin to you G4771 ὅτι hoti that G3754 ἐὰν ean if G1437 οὗτοι houtoi these G3778 σιωπήσουσιν siōpēsousin will be silent G4623 οἱ hoi the G3588 λίθοι lithoi stones G3037 κράξουσιν.¶ kraxousin will cry out G2896

The early church

When we also are silent, (that is, when the love of many waxeth cold,) the stones cry out, for God can from stones raise up children to Abraham.

Origen of Alexandria · d. 253Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

But the Lord forbade not them that glorified Him as God, but rather forbade those that blamed them, so bearing witness to Himself concerning the glory of the Godhead. Hence it follows, He answered and said unto them, I tell you, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Cyril of Alexandria · d. 444Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

And so at the crucifixion of our Lord, when His kinsfolk were silent from fear, the stones and rocks sang forth, while after that He gave up the ghost, the earth was moved, and the rocks were rent, and the graves opened.

Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

As if He said, Not without cause do men praise me thus, but being constrained by the mighty works which they have seen.

Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Nor is it wonderful that the stones against their nature should chaunt forth the praises of the Lord, whom His murderers, harder than the rocks, proclaim aloud, that is, the multitude, in a little while about to crucify their God, denying Him in their hearts, whom with their mouths they confess. Or perhaps it is said, because, when the Jews were struck silent after the Lord's Passion, the living stones, as Peter calls them, (1 Pet. 2:5.) were about to cry out. Rightly we read that the crowds praising God met Him at the descent of the mountain, that they might signify that the works of the heavenly mystery had come to them from heaven.

Ambrose of Milan · d. 397Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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 can out of stones raise up children unto Abraham, and turn the stony heart to himself, so he can bring praise out of the mouths of children. And what will be the feelings of men when the Lord returns in glory to judge the world!

Read Matthew Henry on Luke 19 →

Cross-references

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.