Luke 9:54

When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them, just as Elijah did?”

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

When his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from the sky and destroy them, just as Elijah did?”

BSB

When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”

KJV

And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?

ASV

And when his disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we bid fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?

BBE

And when his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, Lord, may we send fire from heaven and put an end to them?

Original Greek

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ἰδόντες idontes Having seen [it] G1492 δὲ de now G1161 οἱ hoi the G3588 μαθηταὶ mathētai disciples G3101 αὐτοῦ autou of him G846 Ἰάκωβος Iakōbos James G2385 καὶ kai and G2532 Ἰωάννης Iōannēs John G2491 εἶπαν eipan said G2036 κύριε kurie Lord G2962 θέλεις theleis do you want [that] G2309 εἴπωμεν eipōmen we may call G2036 πῦρ pur fire G4442 καταβῆναι katabēnai to come down G2597 ἀπὸ apo from G575 τοῦ tou (the) G3588 οὐρανοῦ ouranou heaven G3772 καὶ kai and G2532 ἀναλῶσαι analōsai to consume G355 αὐτούς autous them G846 ὡς hōs as G5613 καὶ kai and G2532 Ἠλίας Ēlias Elijah G2243 ἐποίησεν; epoiēsen did G4160

The early church

They thought it much juster that the Samaritans should perish for not admitting our Lord, than the fifty soldiers who tried to thrust down Elijah.

Titus of Bostra · d. 378Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

For they knew both that when Phineas had slain the idolaters it was counted to him for righteousness; (Numb. 25:8, Ps. 107:31) and that at the prayer of Elijah fire came down from heaven, that the injuries of the prophet might be avenged. (2 Kings 1:10, 12.) But let him be avenged who fears. He who fears not, seeks not vengeance. At the same time the merits of the Prophets are likewise shown to have been in the Apostles, seeing that they claim to themselves the right of obtaining the same power of which the Prophet was thought worthy; and fitly do they claim that at their command fire should come down from heaven, for they were the sons of thunder.

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

But as yet they were not so, nay, being stirred up with fervid zeal, they wished to bring down fire from heaven upon them. It follows, And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, will thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, &c.

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

For holy men who well knew that that death which detaches the soul from the body was not to be feared, still because of their feelings who feared it, punished some sins with death, that both the living might be struck with a wholesome dread, and those who were punished with death might receive harm not from death itself but from sin, which would be increased were they to live.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 51–56

The disciples did not consider that the conduct of the Samaritans was rather the effect of national prejudices and bigotry, than of enmity to the word and worship of God; and through they refused to receive Christ and his disciples, they did not ill use or injure them, so that the case was widely different from that of Ahaziah and Elijah. Nor were they aware that the gospel dispensation was to be marked by miracles of mercy. But above all, they were ignorant of the prevailing motives of their own hearts, which were pride and carnal ambition. Of this our Lord warned them. It is easy for us to say, Come, see our zeal for the Lord! and to think we are very faithful in his cause, when we are seeking our own objects, and even doing harm instead of good to others.

Read Matthew Henry on Luke 9 →

Cross-references

People & places

Jesus Elijah John James

Topics

Malice John Apostles Presumption James Elijah Revenge Rashness

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