Luke 11:49-54

11:49 For this reason also the wisdom ¹  of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 11:50 so that this generation may be held accountable ²  for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning ³  of the world, ⁴  11:51 from the blood of Abel ⁵  to the blood of Zechariah, ⁶  who was killed ⁷  between the altar and the sanctuary. ⁸  Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against ⁹  this generation. 11:52 Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away ¹⁰  the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered ¹¹  those who were going in.”

11:53 When he went out from there, the experts in the law ¹²  and the Pharisees began to oppose him bitterly, ¹³  and to ask him hostile questions ¹⁴  about many things, 11:54 plotting against ¹⁵  him, to catch ¹⁶  him in something he might say.

[11:49]  ¹ sn The expression the wisdom of God is a personification of an attribute of God that refers to his wise will.

[11:50]  ² tn Or “that this generation may be charged with”; or “the blood of all the prophets… may be required from this generation.” This is a warning of judgment. These people are responsible for the shedding of prophetic blood.

[11:50]  ³ tn Or “foundation.” However, this does not suggest a time to the modern reader.

[11:50]  ⁴ tn The order of the clauses in this complicated sentence has been rearranged to simplify it for the modern reader.

[11:51]  ⁵ sn Gen 4:10 indicates that Abel’s blood cried out for justice.

[11:51]  ⁶ sn It is not clear which Zechariah is meant here. It is probably the person mentioned in 2 Chr 24:20-25.

[11:51]  ⁷ tn Or “who perished.”

[11:51]  ⁸ tn Or “and the temple”; Grk “and the house,” but in this context a reference to the house of God as a place of sanctuary.

[11:51]  ⁹ tn Or “required from.”

[11:52]  ¹⁰ sn You have taken away the key to knowledge is another stinging rebuke. They had done the opposite of what they were trying to do.

[11:52]  ¹¹ tn Or “you tried to prevent.”

[11:53]  ¹² tn Or “the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

[11:53]  ¹³ tn Or “terribly.”

[11:53]  ¹⁴ tn For this term see L&N 33.183.

[11:54]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “lying in ambush against,” but this is a figurative extension of that meaning.

[11:54]  ¹⁶ tn This term was often used in a hunting context (BDAG 455 s.v. θηρεύω; L&N 27.30). Later examples of this appear in Luke 20.