Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, December 24th, 2025
Christmas Eve
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

Luke 24:16

But they were prevented from recognizing him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dead, the;   Mortality-Immortality;   Resurrection;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Resurrection of Christ, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hospitality;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Resurrection of Christ;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Hagar;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Cleopas;   Luke, Gospel of;   Resurrection of Jesus Christ;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Resurrection;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Body (2);   Cleopas ;   Manuscripts;   Propitiation (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 48 To Know, Perceive, Understand;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Emmaus;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Body, Spiritual;   Eye;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for November 28;   Every Day Light - Devotion for October 31;  

Parallel Translations

King James Version (1611)
But their eyes were holden, that they should not know him.
King James Version
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
English Standard Version
But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
New American Standard Bible
But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
New Century Version
but they were kept from recognizing him.
Amplified Bible
But their eyes were [miraculously] prevented from recognizing Him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.
Legacy Standard Bible
But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.
Berean Standard Bible
But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
Contemporary English Version
But they did not know who he was.
Complete Jewish Bible
but something kept them from recognizing him.
Darby Translation
but their eyes were holden so as not to know him.
Easy-to-Read Version
(But the two men were not allowed to recognize Jesus.)
Geneva Bible (1587)
But their eyes were holden, that they could not know him.
George Lamsa Translation
But the sight of their eyes was holden, so that they could not recognize him.
Good News Translation
they saw him, but somehow did not recognize him.
Lexham English Bible
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
Literal Translation
But their eyes were held so as not to recognize Him.
American Standard Version
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
Bible in Basic English
But their eyes were not open that they might have knowledge of him.
Hebrew Names Version
But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
International Standard Version
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.John 20:14; 21:4;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And their eyes were holden, that they should not know him.
Murdock Translation
And their eyes were held, that they did not recognize him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But their eyes were holden, that they shoulde not knowe him.
English Revised Version
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
World English Bible
But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But their eyes were holden, so that they did not know him.
Weymouth's New Testament
though they were prevented from recognizing Him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But her iyen weren holdun, that thei knewen him not.
Update Bible Version
But their eyes were held that they should not know him.
Webster's Bible Translation
But their eyes were held, that they should not know him.
New English Translation
(but their eyes were kept from recognizing him).
New King James Version
But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
New Living Translation
But God kept them from recognizing him.
New Life Bible
Something kept their eyes from seeing Who He was.
New Revised Standard
but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
but, their eyes, were held, so as not to know him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But their eyes were held, that they should not know him.
Revised Standard Version
But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But their eyes were holden that they coulde not knowe him.
Young's Literal Translation
and their eyes were holden so as not to know him,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But their eyes were holden, that they shulde not knowe hi.
Mace New Testament (1729)
but their eyes were affected so as not to discern who he was.
Simplified Cowboy Version
God kept the two from recognizing Jesus.

Contextual Overview

13Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. 15And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. 16But they were prevented from recognizing him. 17Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having 18The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?” 19“What things?” 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Luke 24:31, 2 Kings 6:18-20, Mark 16:12, John 20:14, John 21:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:19 - General Genesis 42:8 - but they knew Numbers 22:31 - opened 2 Kings 6:19 - I will bring

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
The man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.”
Genesis 24:17
Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jug.”
Genesis 24:18
She replied, “Drink, my lord.” She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink.
Genesis 26:7
When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.”
Genesis 39:6
He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Song of Solomon 5:2
I was sleeping, but my heart was awake.A sound! My love was knocking!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But their eyes were holden, c] The Ethiopic version adds, "and were covered" and the Arabic version renders it, "now he had veiled their eyes", ascribing it to Christ; and the Persic version renders it, "and the eyes of the disciples were shut": to me it seems, that their eyes: were held downwards; or they kept looking upon the ground as they walked, which was a posture suitable to their melancholy spirits; and there might be a peculiar influence of divine power and providence, so disposing them, that they did not look up to Christ their new fellow traveller, who walked on with them: and this was so ordered, that they should not know him; that so they might not be surprised at once, as they would have been, had they looked at him, and discerned who he was; and that they might converse the more freely with him; and that he might convince them of their stupidity and unbelief, by proper arguments.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Their eyes were holden - This expression is used merely to denote that they did not “know” who he was. It does not appear that there was anything supernatural or miraculous in it, or that God used any power to blind them. It may easily be accounted for without any such supposition; for,

  1. Jesus appeared “in another form” Mark 16:12 - that is, different from his “usual” appearance.
  2. They were not “expecting” to see him - indeed, they did not suppose that he was alive, and it required the strongest evidence to convince them that he was really risen from the dead.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 24:16. Their eyes were holden — It does not appear that there was any thing supernatural here, for the reason why these persons (who were not apostles, see Luke 24:33) did not recollect our Lord is given by Mark, Mark 16:12, who says that Christ appeared to them in another form.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile