Luke 24:37

The NET Bible®

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

Parallel Translations

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

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

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

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.

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

Amplified Bible
But they were startled and terrified and thought 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.

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

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

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.

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

Easy-to-Read Version
This surprised the followers. They were afraid. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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;

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Contextual Overview

³⁶ While they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." ³⁷ But they were startled and terrified, thinking they saw a ghost. ³⁸ Then he said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet; it's me! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones like you see I have." ⁴⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. ⁴¹ And while they still could not believe it (because of their joy) and were amazed, he said to them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" ⁴² So they gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in front of them. ⁴⁴ Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could 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 that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose.

Genesis 24:1
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything.

Genesis 24:2
Abraham said to his servant, the senior one in his household who was in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh

Genesis 24:3
so that I may make you solemnly promise by the Lord , the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living.

Genesis 24:9
So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes.

Genesis 27:46
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am deeply depressed because of these daughters of Heth. If Jacob were to marry one of these daughters of Heth who live in this land, I would want to die!"

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.