Luke 24:37

Green's Literal Translation

But being terrified, and being filled with fear, they thought they saw a spirit.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
But the boys didn't have peace, they were scared out of their minds. They thought a ghost had shown up.

Legacy Standard Bible
But being startled and frightened, they were thinking that they were seeing a spirit.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit.

Bible in Basic English
But they were full of fear, being of the opinion that they were seeing a spirit.

Darby Translation
But they, being confounded and being frightened, supposed they beheld a spirit.

New King James Version
But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.

Christian Standard Bible®
But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.

World English Bible
But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they saw a spirit.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But being terrified and affrighted, they thought they saw a spirit.

Weymouth's New Testament
Startled, and in the utmost alarm, they thought they were looking at a spirit;

King James Version (1611)
But they were terrified, and afrighted, and supposed that they had seene a spirit.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But they were abashed and afrayed, supposinge that they had sene a sprete.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but they were in a consternation and fright, imagining, that they saw a spirit.

Amplified Bible
But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a spirit.

American Standard Version
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they beheld a spirit.

Revised Standard Version
But they were startled and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they were abasshed and afrayde supposinge yt they had sene a sprete

Update Bible Version
But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that they saw a spirit.

Webster's Bible Translation
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

New Century Version
They were fearful and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.

New English Translation
But they were startled and terrified, thinking they saw a ghost.

Contemporary English Version
They were frightened and terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost.

Complete Jewish Bible
Startled and terrified, they thought they were seeing a ghost.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But they were abashed and afraide, supposing that they had seene a spirit.

George Lamsa Translation
And they were confused and frightened, for they thought they saw a spirit. The walk to Emmaus.

Hebrew Names Version
But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they saw a spirit.

International Standard Version
They were startled and terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost.Mark 6:49;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
I am; fear not. And they were troubled, and were in fear; for they thought they beheld a spirit.

Murdock Translation
And they were in trepidation and fear, for they supposed they saw a spirit.

New Living Translation
But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

New Life Bible
But they were afraid and full of fear. They thought they saw a spirit.

English Revised Version
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they beheld a spirit.

Berean Standard Bible
But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.

New Revised Standard
They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, being agitated and becoming, afraid, they began to imagine, that, upon a spirit, they were looking.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But they being troubled and frightened, supposed that they saw a spirit.

King James Version
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

Lexham English Bible
But they were startled and became terrified, and thought they had seen a ghost.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But they were abasshed and afrayde, & supposed that they had seene a spirite.

Easy-to-Read Version
This surprised the followers. They were afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost.

English Standard Version
But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

New American Standard Bible
But they were startled and frightened, and thought that they were looking at a spirit.

Good News Translation
They were terrified, thinking that they were seeing a ghost.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But thei weren affraied and agast, and gessiden hem to se a spirit.

Young's Literal Translation
and being amazed, and becoming affrighted, they were thinking themselves to see a spirit.

Contextual Overview

³⁶ And as they were telling these things, Jesus Himself stood in their midst, and said to them, Peace to you! ³⁷ But being terrified, and being filled with fear, they thought they saw a spirit. ³⁸ And He said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do reasonings come up in your hearts. ³⁹ See My hands and My feet, that I am He? Feel Me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see Me having. ⁴⁰ And saying this, He showed them His hands and feet. ⁴¹ But yet they not believing from the joy, and marveling, He said to them, Have you any food here? ⁴² And they handed a broiled part of a fish to Him, and from a honeycomb. ⁴³ And taking these before them, He ate. ⁴⁴ And He said to them, These are the Words which I spoke to you yet being with you, that all the things must be fulfilled having been written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms, concerning Me. ⁴⁵ Then He opened up their mind to understand the Scriptures,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Luke 16:30, 1 Samuel 28:13, Job 4:14-16, Matthew 14:26, Matthew 14:27, Mark 6:49, Mark 6:50, Acts 12:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 45:3 - for they Genesis 50:19 - fear not Job 4:15 - a spirit Mark 16:8 - for they trembled Revelation 1:17 - Fear not

Cross-References

Genesis 6:2
The sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were good, and they took wives for themselves from all those whom they chose.

Genesis 24:1
And Abraham was old, going on in days, and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things.

Genesis 24:2
And Abraham said to his slave, oldest in his house, the one who governed in all that was to him, Please put your hand under my thigh.

Genesis 24:3
And I will cause you to swear by Jehovah, God of the heavens and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, among whom I dwell.

Genesis 24:9
And the slave put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore to him concerning this thing.

Genesis 27:46
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life from the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these from the daughters of the land, what is my life to me?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But they were terrified and affrighted,.... At the sight of him, and at his sudden appearance among them, without being heard, or seen before, and the doors shut and bolted; they could not tell how to account for it, that it should be Jesus himself risen from the dead in his own body, though they had been just speaking of his resurrection, and had had a confirmation of it from the disciples that went to Emmaus:

and supposed that they had seen a spirit; that what they saw was a phantom, or apparition, or a spirit, that had assumed, and appeared in, the shape of Jesus, and was not he himself.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jesus stood in the midst of them - This was when the apostles were assembled, and when they had closed the doors for fear of the Jews, John 20:19. It was this fact, as well as his sudden and unexpected appearance, that alarmed them. The doors were shut, and the suddenness of his appearance led them to suppose they had seen a spirit.

Peace be unto you - This was a form of salutation among the Hebrews denoting a wish of peace and prosperity. See Genesis 43:23. It was especially appropriate for Jesus, as he had said before his death that he left “his peace” with them as their inheritance John 14:27, and as they were now alarmed and fearful at their state, and trembling for fear of the Jews, John 20:19.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 37. And supposed that they had seen a spirit. — But if there be no such thing as a disembodied spirit, would not our Lord have shown them their error? Instead of this, he confirms them in their opinion, by saying, A spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have, Luke 24:39; therefore he says, handle me and see me. They probably imagined that it was the soul only of our blessed Lord which they saw; but they were soon fully convinced of the identity of his person, and the reality of his resurrection; for,

1. They saw his body.

2. They heard him speak.

3. They handled him.

4. They saw him eat a piece of broiled fish and honeycomb, which they gave him.

In these things it was impossible for them to have been deceived.