Luke 19:40 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."

NIV: "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

NASB: Jesus replied, 'I tell you, if these stop speaking, the stones will cry out!'

CSB: He answered, "I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out."

NLT: He replied, 'If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!'

KJV: And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

NKJV: But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Riding a donkey, Jesus comes into Jerusalem, an image of the king prophesied in Zechariah 9:9. His disciples, including new followers who heard He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11), shout His praises and place their cloaks on the road like He's a king of old (2 Kings 9:13). The Pharisees are horrified and tell Jesus to quiet His followers, lest the Romans think it's a revolt and come for blood (Luke 19:28–39).

Jesus' choice of illustration is interesting. Usually, when the Bible describes nature praising God, it is the heavens and earth (Psalm 96:11–12). Jesus claims the stones would cry out. We don't know exactly what He is referring to, but there are at least three possibilities.

In Joshua 3—4, Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. In memorial, God tells the people to gather twelve stones from the Jordan and make a monument where they lodged (Joshua 4:1–8). Joshua set up a similar monument where the feet of the priests had stood when God parted the waters (Joshua 4:9). God told them to tell their children the monument commemorates how God stopped the waters of the Jordan so they could safely pass into their new home. This was a sign of God's faithfulness: His promise to give Abraham's descendants the land came true (Genesis 15:13–21). Jesus may have meant that if the people hadn't celebrated the coming fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, when a descendent of David is recognized as Israel's eternal King, the stones around them would have cried out as an audible memorial.

Habakkuk 2:11 has a completely different context. It is part of a curse against people who harm others when attempting to build a safe house. "For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond." If Jesus is referring to this passage, He may be saying that the walls of the temple He is riding toward would testify to who He is with the same zeal.

The final possibility is just that Jesus is using simple hyperbole: exaggeration for effect. He's highlighting the importance of the moment, and suggesting that the most mindless, inanimate object of God's creation has more spiritual understanding than the Pharisees.

Luke 19:28–40 is the account of the triumphal entry when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem for His final Passover. Jesus presents Himself as the King of the Jews, challenging His followers, the religious leaders, and the many celebrants to choose whether to accept or reject Him. The triumphal entry is the first passage in the so-called "presentation of Jesus in Jerusalem" (Luke 19:28—21:38) where Jesus declares His authority (Luke 19:28—21:4) and reveals the future (Luke 21:5–38). The triumphal entry is one of the few events recorded in every Gospel (Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; John 12:12–15).

Jesus approaches Jerusalem by way of Jericho. Along the road, he encounters Zacchaeus: an unusually short man and infamous tax collector. Zacchaeus responds to Jesus' invitation and demonstrates humility and repentance. Jesus gives a parable explaining a believer's obligation to encourage the spread of the gospel. Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, upsetting local Pharisees. As He rides, Jesus weeps to think of the future destruction in store for the city. He once again drives corrupt businessmen from the temple grounds. His enemies are furious, but too afraid of the adoring crowds to take direct action.

Luke 19 finishes the "travelogue of Christ to Jerusalem" and introduces His first actions there (Luke 9:51—19:27). This long passage semi-chronologically records Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and the theological reasons why He must go to the cross. It finishes here, in this chapter, with Jesus meeting Zacchaeus and the parable of the ten minas. The chapter continues with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as its king—the triumphal entry. Jesus mourns over Jerusalem, its rejection of their Messiah, and its coming destruction in AD 70. He also cleanses the temple and teaches there. In the next segments, Luke covers the last hours of Jesus' earthly life (Luke 22—23) as well as Jesus' resurrection (Luke 24).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.