Luke 24:16

16 But God kept them from recognizing him.

Luke 24:16 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 24:16

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.

Luke 24:16 In-Context

14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

15 As they talked about those things, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.

16 But God kept them from recognizing him.

17 Jesus asked them, "What are you talking about as you walk along?" They stood still, and their faces were sad.

18 One of them was named Cleopas. He said to Jesus, "You must be a visitor to Jerusalem. If you lived there, you would know the things that have happened there in the last few days."