New Testament
Luke 11:48
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You testify that you agree with the deeds of your fathers: they killed them, and you build their tombs.
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Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
What Luke 11:48 means
Plain-English insight for readers
In this verse, Jesus is addressing the religious leaders of His time, pointing out their hypocrisy. He accuses them of honoring the prophets who were killed by their ancestors while simultaneously agreeing with the actions of those ancestors. By building tombs for the prophets, they are outwardly showing respect, but their actions reveal that they share the same spirit of rejection. This highlights a disconnect between their words and their true beliefs. They claim to honor the prophets, yet they are part of a lineage that persecuted them. Jesus is calling them out for their insincerity and warning them that they are repeating the mistakes of the past by not recognizing the truth of His message. This serves as a reminder that true honor for God’s messengers involves more than just outward displays; it requires genuine acceptance and obedience to their teachings.
How to apply Luke 11:48 to your life
This verse challenges us to examine our own lives for hypocrisy. Are we honoring God and His messengers with our words while our actions contradict that honor? True faith requires alignment between what we say and what we do, urging us to live authentically in our beliefs.
Curated for this public verse page. Luke Summary
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Plain Meaning
Jesus says the lawyers are proving they agree with what their fathers did. Their fathers killed the prophets. The lawyers build tombs for those same prophets. Jesus says these two acts go together. The killing and the honoring are part of one story. That makes the lawyers partners in it, not critics of it.
Read It in Context
Jesus is speaking to lawyers — experts in religious law. In verse 47 he pointed out the problem: they build tombs for the prophets their ancestors killed. Verse 48 is his explanation of what that proves about them.
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At a Glance — the Book of Luke
- Author
- Luke the physician
- Written
- Around AD 60-62
- Genre
- Gospel and history
- Original Audience
- Gentile Christians (addressed to Theophilus)
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick, clear answers about this verse
What does Luke 11:48 mean?
In Luke 11:48, Jesus criticizes the religious leaders for honoring the prophets by building tombs while sharing in the same rejection of those prophets as their ancestors did. This highlights their hypocrisy and disconnect between their outward actions and true beliefs.
What is the meaning of hypocrisy in Luke 11:48?
Hypocrisy in Luke 11:48 refers to the religious leaders' practice of outwardly honoring the prophets by building tombs, while inwardly agreeing with their ancestors who persecuted those same prophets. It emphasizes the inconsistency between their words and actions.
How does Luke 11:48 relate to spiritual blindness?
Luke 11:48 illustrates spiritual blindness by showing how the religious leaders fail to recognize their own complicity in the rejection of God's messengers, despite their outward displays of respect. This disconnect reveals a deeper issue of not truly understanding or accepting the truth.
What lesson can we learn from Luke 11:48?
Luke 11:48 teaches us to examine our own lives for authenticity in our faith. It encourages us to ensure that our actions align with our beliefs, avoiding the trap of hypocrisy where we honor God with our words but not with our deeds.
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