What Does Luke 20:19 Mean in the King James?
And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
They recognize that the parable names them, yet their first response is to seize its speaker, the crowd, not conviction, restrains them.
THE MEANING
A truth can reach the place a person is protecting and be clearly recognized without being welcomed. The impulse to seize control can coexist with that recognition, while fear of other people restrains what the hand intends. Here, that restraint comes from public pressure, not a changed response to the truth.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that recognizing truth automatically means yielding to it: they perceive whom the parable addresses and still seek to seize its speaker.
THE ROOT
ἔγνωσαν
egnōsan
GROWS FROM
γινώσκω
ginōskō
To know, recognize, or perceive.
“perceived” in this verse is egnōsan. The verb presents their understanding as recognition: they see that the parable is directed at them. The same root can name knowing and recognition, yet the verse shows that recognition alone does not change the response.
ALSO GROWS
ginōskō: To know or recognize.
γινώσκω
The lexical form behind “perceived” makes their recognition explicit.
epiginōskō: To recognize or come to know.
ἐπιγινώσκω
This compound appears in Acts 4:13, where the authorities recognize Peter and John’s connection to Jesus.
gnōsis: Knowledge.
γνῶσις
This noun shares the knowing root and keeps the focus on recognition as something the verse names directly.
ἐφοβήθησαν
ephobēthēsan
GROWS FROM
φοβέομαι
phobeomai
To fear or be afraid.
“feared” in this verse is ephobēthēsan. The object of their fear is the people, so the word describes fear of human response. Their fear limits their action even while their perception of the parable’s target is clear.
ALSO GROWS
phobos: Fear or alarm.
φόβος
The related noun names the fear that restrains their attempt to act.
phoberos: Fearful or awe-inspiring.
φοβερός
This related adjective shows the same root’s range for what evokes fear.
THE PATTERN
Recognizing a threat to one’s position can lead to attempts at control, while fear of public response limits those attempts.
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.THE THREAD
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.“Perceived” in Luke and “took knowledge” in Acts use forms of the same Greek root, γινώσκω (ginōskō), meaning to know or recognize. In both verses, the authorities recognize something clearly, but recognition does not by itself settle how they respond.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us