Luke 9:45

45 But the followers did not understand what this meant; the meaning was hidden from them so they could not understand. But they were afraid to ask Jesus about it.

Luke 9:45 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 9:45

But they understood not this saying
What was meant by being betrayed into the hands of men, and by his being put to death; they knew not, how these things could possibly be, for they could not by any means reconcile them with the notions they had of a temporal Redeemer, and victorious Messiah:

and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not;
the true meaning of this saying was hid from their understanding, which was veiled with the above notion of the worldly grandeur of the Messiah, that they did not take it in;

and they feared to ask him of that saying,
of the meaning of it; imagining that he had a secret mystical meaning in it, which they could not reach; lest he should reproach them with their dulness and stupidity; or should rebuke them with the like sharpness and severity he had reproved Peter not long ago, upon the same head.

Luke 9:45 In-Context

43 All the people were amazed at the great power of God. While everyone was wondering about all that Jesus did, he said to his followers,

44 "Don't forget what I tell you now: The Son of Man will be handed over to people."

45 But the followers did not understand what this meant; the meaning was hidden from them so they could not understand. But they were afraid to ask Jesus about it.

46 Jesus' followers began to have an argument about which one of them was the greatest.

47 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he took a little child and stood the child beside him.