Luke 12:56

56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

Luke 12:56 in Other Translations

56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.

56 Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don't tell me you can't tell a change in the season, the God-season we're in right now.

56 Ye hypocrites, ye know how to interpret the face of the earth and the heaven; but how is it that ye know not how to interpret this time?

56 You hypocrites! You can forecast the weather by judging the appearance of earth and sky. But for some reason you don't know how to judge the time in which you're living.

56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why don't you know how to interpret this time?

56 You pretenders! You know how to understand the appearance of the earth and the sky. Why can't you understand the meaning of what is happening right now?

Luke 12:56 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 12:56

Ye hypocrites
A word often used of the Scribes and Pharisees, and which suggests, that there were such in company, to whom Christ more especially directs his discourse; and this may be the rather thought, since much the like things are said by him to the Pharisees, with the Sadducees, in ( Matthew 16:1-3 ) and the same appellation is given them there, as here:

ye can discern the face of the sky, and of the earth;
from the appearance of the sky, they could tell how it would be with the earth, and the inhabitants of it, whether they should have dry or wet weather, heat or cold:

but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
that this is the time of the Messiah's coming, and that it is the accepted time, and day of salvation, if ye receive him, and believe in him; and a time of vengeance, if ye reject him: this might have been discerned by the prophecies of the Old Testament, which fix the characters of the Messiah, and the time of his coming; and describe the manners of the men of that generation, in which he should come: and point out both their happiness and their ruin; as also by the doctrines they heard Christ preach, and especially by the miracles which were wrought by him, it might have been known he was come.

Luke 12:56 In-Context

54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.

55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.

56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 16:3