^13:31At that time,¹⁰⁶ some Pharisees¹⁰⁷ came up and said to Jesus,¹⁰⁸ “Get away from here,¹⁰⁹ because Herod¹¹⁰ wants to kill you.” ^13:32But¹¹¹ he said to them, “Go¹¹² and tell that fox,¹¹³ ‘Look, I am casting out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day¹¹⁴ I will complete my work.¹¹⁵^13:33Nevertheless I must¹¹⁶ go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is impossible¹¹⁷ that a prophet should be killed¹¹⁸ outside Jerusalem.’¹¹⁹^13:34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,¹²⁰ you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you!¹²¹ How often I have longed¹²² to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but¹²³ you would have none of it!¹²⁴^13:35Look, your house is forsaken!¹²⁵ And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”¹²⁶

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Footnotes

106 Grk “At that very hour.”
107 See the note on Pharisees in .
108 Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
109 Grk “Go away and leave from here,” which is redundant in English and has been shortened to “Get away from here.”
110 Herod refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in .
111 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
112 The participle πορευθέντες (poreuthentes) has been taken as indicating attendant circumstance.
113 That fox. This is not fundamentally a figure for cleverness as in modern western culture, but could indicate (1) an insignificant person (Neh 4:3; 2 Esd 13:35 ); (2) a deceiver (Song Rabbah 2.15.1 on 2:15); or someone destructive, a destroyer (Ezek 13:4; Lam 5:18; 89:10, 42–49, 55). Luke’s emphasis seems to be on destructiveness, since Herod killed John the Baptist, whom Luke calls “the greatest born of women” (Luke 7:28) and later stands opposed to Jesus (Acts 4:26–28). In addition, “a person who is designated a fox is an insignificant or base person. He lacks real power and dignity, using cunning deceit to achieve his aims” (H. W. Hoehner, Herod Antipas [], 347).
114 The third day is a figurative reference to being further on in time, not a reference to three days from now. Jesus is not even in Jerusalem yet, and the events of the last days in Jerusalem take a good week.
115 Or “I reach my goal.” The verb τελειόω (teleioō) is a key NT term for the completion of God’s plan: See Luke 12:50; 22:37; John 19:30; and (where it has the additional component of meaning “to perfect”) Heb 2:10; 5:8–9; 7:28.
116 This is the frequent expression δεῖ (dei, “it is necessary”) that notes something that is a part of God’s plan.
117 Or “unthinkable.” See L&N 71.4 for both possible meanings.
118 Or “should perish away from.”
119 Death in Jerusalem is another key theme in Luke’s material: 7:16, 34; 24:19; Acts 3:22–23. Notice that Jesus sees himself in the role of a prophet here. Jesus’ statement, it is impossible that a prophet should be killed outside Jerusalem, is filled with irony; Jesus, traveling about in Galilee (most likely), has nothing to fear from Herod; it is his own people living in the very center of Jewish religion and worship who present the greatest danger to his life. The underlying idea is that Jerusalem, though she stands at the very heart of the worship of God, often kills the prophets God sends to her (v. 34). In the end, Herod will be much less a threat than Jerusalem. For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
120 The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.
121 Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your … you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill … sent to you”).
122 How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.
123 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
124 Grk “you were not willing.”
125 Your house is forsaken. The language here is from Jer 12:7 and 22:5. It recalls exilic judgment.
126 A quotation from Ps 118:26. The judgment to come will not be lifted until the Lord returns. See Luke 19:41–44.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

At that time some Pharisees came and told him, “Go, get out of here. Herod wants to kill you.”

He said to them, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I’m driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work.’ Yet it is necessary that I travel today, tomorrow, and the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See, your house is abandoned to you. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!”

NLTNew Living Translation

At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!”

Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

At that same hour some Pharisees came up and said to him, “Go out and depart from here, because Herod wants to kill you!” And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I am expelling demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will complete my work.’ Nevertheless, it is necessary for me to be on the way today and tomorrow and on the next day, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house has been left to you! And I tell you, you will never see me until the time will come when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

KJV 1900King James Version

The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

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