Luke 22:53

53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

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Luke 22:53 in Other Translations

KJV

53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

ESV

53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

NLT

53 Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.”

MSG

53 Day after day I've been with you in the Temple and you've not so much as lifted a hand against me. But do it your way - it's a dark night, a dark hour."

CSB

53 Every day while I was with you in the temple complex, you never laid a hand on Me. But this is your hour-and the dominion of darkness."

Luke 22:53 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 22:53

When I was daily with you in the temple
As he had been for some days past, teaching the people, and disputing with them, the chief priests ye stretched forth no hands against me;
to lay hold upon him, and kill him; the reason was, because his time was not come, and they had no licence or permission to hurt him, or any power given them against him from above: but this is your hour;
the time was now come for the betraying of him by Judas; for the seizing and apprehending him by the Roman soldiers and officers; and for the delivery of him into the hands of the "chief" priests and elders; and for them to insult, mock, buffet, scourge him, and spit upon him: and for the crucifixion of him, and putting him to death: the hour fixed for this was now come; it was now, and not before, and therefore they could not lay hold on him, and do to him what they listed, but now they might; yet this was but an hour, a short time that they had to triumph over him, in Caiaphas's palace, and Pilate's hall, upon the cross, and in the grave; for on the third day he arose again, notwithstanding all the precautions they took, and is ascended to heaven, and is received there, and is out of their reach: and since then, it has been his hour to take vengeance on them; on their nation, city, and temple, for their disbelief, rejection, and ill usage of him; and it will be likewise his hour at the day of judgment, when they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn; and hide their faces from him, and call to the mountains to cover them, and when they will be punished with everlasting destruction from his presence: he adds, and the power of darkness.
The Persic version reads, "the power of your darkness"; that is, either the power granted to them, who were darkness itself, born and brought up in darkness; were walking in darkness, and in the ignorance of their minds; and did works of darkness, and shunned the light, because their deeds were evil; and for which reason they now chose the night, to execute their black designs upon Christ: or rather, the power of the prince of darkness is here meant; that power which he usurped, and was now permitted him to exercise against Christ: and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "the power of the lord of darkness"; who was, once an angel of light, but now full of darkness, and who darkens the minds of men, and for whom blackness of darkness is reserved: the Jews were used to call the evil angels by this name; for so they say ^F9,

``the destroying angels are called, (hlpaw Kvx) , "darkness, and thick darkness".''

The sense of the whole passage is, that now was the time come, that Christ should be delivered up into the hands of wicked men and devils; that the former should have him in their power, and triumph over him for a season; and that hell was now let loose, and all the infernal powers were about him, throwing their poisoned arrows and fiery darts at him; all which Christ endured, to deliver his people from the present evil world, from the wrath of God, the curses of the law, and from the power of darkness.

FOOTNOTES:

F9 Raya Mehimna in Zohar in Lev. fol. 37. 2.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Luke 22:53 In-Context

51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?

53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.

55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.