Luke 19:40

THE MESSAGE

But he said, "If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out.”

King James Version (1611)
And he answered, and said vnto them, I tell you, that if these should holde their peace, the stones would immediatly cry out.

King James Version
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

English Standard Version
He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."

New American Standard Bible
Jesus replied, "I tell you, if these stop speaking, the stones will cry out!"

New Century Version
But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if my followers didn't say these things, then the stones would cry out."

Amplified Bible
Jesus replied, "I tell you, if these [people] keep silent, the stones will cry out [in praise]!"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"

Legacy Standard Bible
But Jesus answered and said, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones will cry out!"

Berean Standard Bible
"I tell you," He answered, "if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out."

Contemporary English Version
But Jesus answered, "If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting."

Complete Jewish Bible
But he answered them, "I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones will shout!"

Darby Translation
And he answering said to them, I say unto you, If these shall be silent, the stones will cry out.

Easy-to-Read Version
But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if my followers didn't say them, these stones would shout them."

Geneva Bible (1587)
But he answered, and sayd vnto them, I tell you, that if these should holde their peace, the stones would crie.

George Lamsa Translation
He said to them, I say to you, that if these should keep silent, the stones would cry out.

Good News Translation
Jesus answered, "I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start shouting."

Lexham English Bible
And he answered and said, "I tell you that if these keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

Literal Translation
And answering, He said to them, I say to you, If these should be silent, the stones will cry out.

American Standard Version
And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.

Bible in Basic English
And he said in answer, I say to you, if these men keep quiet, the very stones will be crying out.

Hebrew Names Version
He answered them, "I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out."

International Standard Version
He replied, "I tell you, if they were quiet, the stones would cry out!"Habakkuk 2:11;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
He saith to them, I tell you, if these should be silent, the stones would cry out.

Murdock Translation
He said to them: I tell you, that, if these should be silent, the stones would cry out.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He saide vnto them: I tell you, that if these holde their peace, then shall the stones crye.

English Revised Version
And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.

World English Bible
He answered them, "I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he answering said to them, I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Weymouth's New Testament
"I tell you," He replied, "that if *they* became silent, the very stones would cry out."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide to hem, Y seie to you, for if these ben stille, stoonus schulen crye.

Update Bible Version
And he answered and said, I tell you, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he answered and said to them, I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

New English Translation
He answered, "I tell you, if they keep silent, the very stones will cry out!"

New King James Version
But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

New Living Translation
He replied, "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!"

New Life Bible
Jesus said to them, "I tell you that if these did not speak, the very stones would call out."

New Revised Standard
He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he answered and said - I tell you - If, these, shall hold their peace, the stones, will cry out.

Douay-Rheims Bible
To whom he said: I say to you that if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.

Revised Standard Version
He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
He answered and sayde vnto the: I tell you yf these shuld holde their peace the stones wold crye.

Young's Literal Translation
and he answering said to them, `I say to you, that, if these shall be silent, the stones will cry out!'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he answered and sayde vnto them: I tell you, yf these holde their peace, yet shal the stones crye.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but he answer'd them, if they should be silent, the stones would exclaim.

Simplified Cowboy Version
He replied, "If they didn't say it, the stones in the road would sing out."

Contextual Overview

²⁸After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem. When he got near Bethphage and Bethany at the mountain called Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: "Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you'll find a colt tethered, one that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says anything, asks, ‘What are you doing?' say, ‘His Master needs him.'" ³²The two left and found it just as he said. As they were untying the colt, its owners said, "What are you doing untying the colt?" ³⁴ They said, "His Master needs him." ³⁵They brought the colt to Jesus. Then, throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. As he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street. ³⁷Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed: Blessed is he who comes, the king in God's name! All's well in heaven! Glory in the high places! ³⁹ Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, "Teacher, get your disciples under control!" ⁴⁰ But he said, "If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 96:11, Psalms 98:7-9, Psalms 114:1-8, Isaiah 55:12, Habakkuk 2:11, Matthew 3:9, Matthew 21:15, Matthew 21:16, Matthew 27:45, Matthew 27:51-54, 2 Peter 2:6

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 31:28 - call heaven Joshua 4:3 - twelve stones Joshua 24:27 - it hath 1 Kings 13:2 - O altar Psalms 30:12 - and Ecclesiastes 10:20 - thought Micah 6:1 - contend Mark 3:5 - grieved Luke 3:8 - of these Luke 11:52 - for Luke 12:49 - and 1 Corinthians 1:27 - General Hebrews 12:3 - contradiction

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you,.... As a truth, which may be depended on, and you may be assured of; this he spake with great earnestness, fervour, and courage:

that if these should hold their peace; be silent, and not sing the praises of God, and ascribe glory to him, and profess the Messiah, and make this public acknowledgment of him:

the stones would immediately cry out; either against them, or in a declaration of the Messiah: by which expression our Lord means, that it was impossible it should be otherwise; it would be intolerable if it was not; and rather than it should not be, God, who is able out of stones to raise up children to Abraham, would make the stones speak, or turn stones into men, who should rise up and praise the Lord, and confess the Messiah; hereby commending his disciples, and tacitly reflecting upon the Pharisees, for their stupidity; and also giving a hint of the conversion of the Gentiles, who might be compared to stones, especially in the opinion of the Jews.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The stones would ...cry out - It is “proper” that they should celebrate my coming. Their acclamations “ought” not to be suppressed. So joyful is the event which they celebrate - the coming of the Messiah - that it is not fit that I should attempt to impose silence on them. The expression here seems to be “proverbial,” and is not to be taken literally. Proverbs are designed to express the truth “strongly,” but are not to be taken to signify as much as if they were to be interpreted literally. The sense is, that his coming was an event of so much importance that it “ought” to be celebrated in some way, and “would” be celebrated. It would be impossible to restrain the people, and improper to attempt it. The language here is strong proverbial language to denote that fact. We are not to suppose, therefore, that our Saviour meant to say that the stones were “conscious” of his coming, or that God would “make” them speak, but only that there was “great joy” among the people; that it was “proper” that they should express it in this manner, and that it was not fit that he should attempt to repress it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 40. If these should hold their peace, the stones would - cry out. — Of such importance is my present conduct to you and to others, being expressly predicted by one of your own prophets, Zechariah 9:9, as pointing out the triumph of humility over pride, and of meekness over rage and malice, as signifying the salvation which I bring to the lost souls of men, that, if this multitude were silent, God would give even to the stones a voice, that the advent of the Messiah might be duly celebrated.