Luke 22:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough."

NIV: The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." "That’s enough!" he replied.

NASB: They said, 'Lord, look, here are two swords.' And He said to them, 'It is enough.'

CSB: "Lord," they said, "look, here are two swords." "That is enough!" he told them.

NLT: Look, Lord,' they replied, 'we have two swords among us.' 'That’s enough,' he said.

KJV: And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

NKJV: So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

According to Jesus, when the disciples travel in the future, they should be well-supplied. They will need money, a knapsack, and a sword. Although the meaning of the terms "moneybag," "knapsack," "sandals," and "cloak" are almost always taken literally, some scholars take the term "sword" as a metaphor. To make their case, they point to this verse as well as passages when the early church withstood persecution without physically defending themselves (Acts 4:25–31; 8:1–3; 9:1–2; 12:1–5). Because Jesus tells Peter to put his sword away (Luke 22:51; John 18:10–11), they suggest that the "sword" merely means the disciples should be ready to face persecution.

Scholars who hold to this interpretation suggest that Jesus is ending the conversation because the disciples, once again, misinterpret what He is saying. The disciples somehow still think Jesus is going to defeat the Romans and take His throne. Jesus is telling them to be ready to die but they think He's telling them to be ready to fight.

Others note that Jesus' explanation of these items seems very literal. He tells Peter to "put away" the sword, not "throw away" the weapon. They also note that there is a difference between submitting to faith-based persecution and random criminal mayhem, such as robbers.

There is yet another option. Jesus mentioned the idea of being considered a lawbreaker (Luke 22:37) using a quote of Isaiah 53:12. Most scholars apply this to the fact Jesus was crucified between two thieves. But the Jewish religious and civil leaders also accused Jesus of sedition against the emperor. In this way, they grouped Him with a long line of Jews who led futile revolutions against the Roman occupation (John 19:12).

When the guards and servants go to arrest Jesus, Peter slices off the servant Malchus's ear (Luke 22:50). Only one sword was needed to give Jesus' enemies room to claim this was a revolt.

Luke 22:35–38 contains material unique to this gospel. Jesus updates the instructions He gave in Luke 9:1–6 and 10:1–12. As before, the disciples will travel, spreading the message of the kingdom of God. But they can no longer rely on the kindness of strangers as they build the church (Acts 1:8). Theologians and Bible scholars are typically more concerned about what Jesus means about taking swords. Next, Jesus leads the disciples to the Mount of Olives where He will pray before Judas returns with the soldiers to arrest Him (Luke 22:39–53).

Luke 22 is a long chapter which records events leading to Jesus' political trials and crucifixion. He has successfully taught crowds at the temple and proved His authority over the religious leaders (Luke 19:47—20). Meanwhile the leaders have spent the week planning to arrest Jesus and have Him killed (Luke 19:47–48). This chapter records the Last Supper, the arrest on the Mount of Olives, and the trials before the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 18 cover much of the same information.

Luke 23 continues Jesus' trials before Pilate and Herod Antipas. He is then led to the cross where He forgives His murderers and saves a thief before He dies. In Luke 24, Jesus rises from the dead, meets two disciples while they travel, and explains to them how the Old Testament prophesied the death of the Messiah. In the final scene of the gospel, Jesus is reunited with His disciples, blesses them, and ascends into heaven.

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.