Luke 11:52
New International Version
“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

New Living Translation
“What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.”

English Standard Version
Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

Berean Standard Bible
Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

Berean Literal Bible
Woe to you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who are entering."

King James Bible
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

New King James Version
“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

New American Standard Bible
Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

NASB 1995
“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

NASB 1977
“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Woe to you, scholars of the Law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”

Amplified Bible
Woe to you lawyers, because you have taken away the key to knowledge (scriptural truth). You yourselves did not enter, and you held back those who were entering [by your flawed interpretation of God’s word and your man-made tradition].”

Christian Standard Bible
“Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were trying to go in.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge! You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in.”

American Standard Version
Woe unto you lawyers! for ye took away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Woe to you Scribes, because you have taken away the keys of knowledge! You have not entered and those who are entering you have hindered.”

Contemporary English Version
You teachers of the Law of Moses are really in for trouble! You carry the keys to the door of knowledge about God. But you never go in, and you keep others from going in.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe to you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you yourselves have not entered in, and those that were entering in, you have hindered.

English Revised Version
Woe unto you lawyers! for ye took away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"How horrible it will be for you experts in Moses' Teachings! You have taken away the key that unlocks knowledge. You haven't gained entrance into [knowledge] yourselves, and you've kept out those who wanted to enter."

Good News Translation
"How terrible for you teachers of the Law! You have kept the key that opens the door to the house of knowledge; you yourselves will not go in, and you stop those who are trying to go in!"

International Standard Version
How terrible it will be for you experts in the Law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn't go in yourselves, and you kept out those who were trying to go in."

Literal Standard Version
Woe to you, the lawyers, because you took away the key of the knowledge; you yourselves did not enter; and you hindered those coming in.”

Majority Standard Bible
Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

New American Bible
Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”

NET Bible
Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in."

New Revised Standard Version
Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

New Heart English Bible
Woe to you Law scholars. For you took away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered."

Webster's Bible Translation
Woe to you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye have not entered in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Weymouth New Testament
"Alas for you expounders of the Law! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you yourselves have not entered, and those who wanted to enter you have hindered."

World English Bible
Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”

Young's Literal Translation
'Woe to you, the lawyers, because ye took away the key of the knowledge; yourselves ye did not enter; and those coming in, ye did hinder.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Woes to Religious Leaders
51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation. 52Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” 53As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things,…

Cross References
Matthew 22:35
One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:

Matthew 23:13
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Luke 11:45
One of the experts in the law told Him, "Teacher, when You say these things, You insult us as well."

Luke 11:46
"Woe to you as well, experts in the law!" He replied. "You weigh men down with heavy burdens, but you yourselves will not lift a finger to lighten their load.

Luke 11:53
As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things,


Treasury of Scripture

Woe to you, lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge: you entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in you hindered.

for.

Luke 19:39,40
And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples…

Malachi 2:7
For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 23:13
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

hindered.

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Luke 11
1. Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11. assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him.
14. He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27. and shows who are blessed;
29. preaches to the people;
37. and reprimands the outward show of holiness.














(52) Woe unto you, lawyers!--The "woe" in this case is uttered against those who were, by their very calling, the professed interpreters of the Law. Its form rests on the fact that each scribe or "doctor of the law," in the full sense of the term, was symbolically admitted to his office by the delivery of a key. His work was to enter with that key into the treasure-chambers of the house of the interpreter, and to bring forth thence "things new and old" (Matthew 13:52). The sin of the "lawyers" of that time, the "divines" as we should call them, was that they claimed a monopoly of the power to interpret, and yet did not exercise the power. Wearisome minuteness, a dishonest and demoralising casuistry, fantastic legends, these took the place of a free and reverential study of the meaning of the sacred Books. Those who "were entering in," answer to the souls not far from the kingdom of God, waiting for the consolation of Israel, pressing as with eagerness to the spiritual meaning of Law and Prophet. Such, at one stage of his life, must have been the Evangelist himself. This, it will be noted, is the third occurrence of the word in St. Luke's Gospel. (See Notes on Luke 8:16; Luke 11:33.) It is obvious that the passage, as a whole, throws light on the promise of the "keys" of the kingdom made to Peter. (See Note on Matthew 16:19.)

Verse 52. - Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. The Talmud gives us the clue to the Master's words of bitter reproach here. There were very many, in that restless age of inquiry, waiting for the consolation of Israel, who longed to enter into the real meaning of psalm and prophecy; but the scribe, the lawyer, and the doctor, with their strange and unreal interpretations, their wild and fantastic legends, their own often meaningless additions, effectually hindered all real study of the Divine oracles. The Talmud - in the form we now possess it - well represents the teaching of these schools so bitterly censured by the Lord.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Woe
Οὐαὶ (Ouai)
Interjection
Strong's 3759: Woe!, alas!, uttered in grief or denunciation. A primary exclamation of grief; 'woe'.

to you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

experts in the law!
νομικοῖς (nomikois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3544: From nomos; according to law, i.e. Legal; as noun, an expert in the law.

For
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

you have taken away
ἤρατε (ērate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 142: To raise, lift up, take away, remove.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

key
κλεῖδα (kleida)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2807: A key. From kleio; a key, literally or figuratively.

to
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

knowledge.
γνώσεως (gnōseōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1108: Knowledge, doctrine, wisdom. From ginosko; knowing, i.e. knowledge.

You yourselves
αὐτοὶ (autoi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

have not entered,
εἰσήλθατε (eisēlthate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

you have hindered
ἐκωλύσατε (ekōlysate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2967: To prevent, debar, hinder; with infin: from doing so and so. From the base of kolazo; to estop, i.e. Prevent.

those who
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

were entering.”
εἰσερχομένους (eiserchomenous)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.


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