And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
Luke 2:50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
Luke 9:45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
Luke 24:25,45 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: …
The meaning was hidden from them,
This phrase suggests a divine purpose in their lack of understanding. It implies that God, in His sovereignty, had not yet revealed the full meaning of Jesus' mission to them. This hiddenness can be seen as a protective measure, as the disciples were not yet ready to bear the full weight of the knowledge of Jesus' impending suffering and death. It also points to the mystery of God's plan, which unfolds in His timing. This concept of hiddenness is echoed in other scriptures, such as Daniel 12:9, where certain truths are sealed until the appointed time.
and they did not comprehend what He was saying.
The disciples' inability to comprehend is not just intellectual but spiritual. It underscores the necessity of divine revelation for true understanding. This lack of comprehension is a reminder of the limitations of human wisdom and the need for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the truths of God. After Jesus' resurrection, the Holy Spirit would open their minds to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45), showing that comprehension of divine truths is ultimately a gift from God. This moment foreshadows the transformation that would occur at Pentecost, when the disciples would be empowered to understand and proclaim the Gospel boldly.
Jesus had just detailed His approaching arrest, death, and resurrection (Luke 18:31-33).
• Though His words were clear, the Twelve were still expecting a political deliverer like the conquering Son of David (Acts 1:6).
• Earlier, Peter actually rebuked Jesus for talking about suffering (Matthew 16:21-23), revealing the grip of preconceived ideas.
• Their confusion is not intellectual sluggishness but the clash between their expectations and the true mission of the Messiah foretold in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22.
• John later admits, “His disciples did not understand these things at first” (John 12:16). Only after the resurrection would the pieces fit together (Luke 24:25-27, 45).
Scripture states the cause plainly: God sovereignly withheld full understanding until the appointed hour.
• Luke earlier records, “They did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them” (Luke 9:45).
• Divine concealment prevented premature interference with the redemptive plan (1 Corinthians 2:7-8; Acts 2:23).
• Jesus Himself praises the Father for hiding truths “from the wise and learned” while revealing them to “little children” (Matthew 11:25).
• This hiddenness underscores our dependence on God to open spiritual eyes (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The verse restates their blindness for emphasis, showing how thoroughly they missed the point.
• Mark parallels the scene: “They did not understand the statement and were afraid to ask Him” (Mark 9:32), highlighting fear as an added barrier.
• Moments later, two of them lobby for the best seats in the kingdom (Mark 10:35-37), proving their continued misunderstanding.
• Only after Pentecost, when the Spirit came (John 16:13; Acts 2:1-4), did their comprehension blossom, turning timid followers into bold witnesses (Acts 4:13).
Luke piles up three phrases to stress the disciples’ total lack of insight. The blockage was both internal (misguided expectations) and external (God’s purposeful concealment). Their eventual illumination—after the cross, resurrection, and the Spirit’s arrival—shows that understanding the gospel is a gift granted in God’s timing.
(34) They understood none of these things.--The whole verse is peculiar to St. Luke, and reproduces what had been said before in Luke 9:45, where see Note. It is as though his professional habit of analysis led him to dwell on these psychological phenomena as explaining the subsequent bewilderment of the disciples, and their slowness to believe that their Lord had risen from the dead (Luke 24:11; Luke 24:21; Luke 24:25; Luke 24:38). They heard the words, but, as we say, did not "take in" their meaning. For a like analysis, see Note on Luke 22:45. . . . Verse 34. - And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. But they listened all dazed and confused; they could not take it in, neither the shame of the death of their loved Leader, nor the glory of the Resurrection which was to follow immediately after. They could not persuade themselves that the hopes of an earthly Messianic glory in which they were to; share must positively Be given up. "We must learn to love Divine truths Before we can understand them," said Pascal. "Toward everything which is contrary to natural desire," wrote Riggenbach (in Godet), "there is produced in the heart a Blindness, which nothing but a miracle can heal."