Chapter
Verse

Luke 21:37

ESV And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet.
NIV Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives,
NASB Now during the day He was teaching in the temple, but at evening He would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.
CSB During the day, he was teaching in the temple, but in the evening he would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.
NLT Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives.
KJV And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives.

What does Luke 21:37 mean?

Luke presents Jesus' schedule as an interlude between sections sometimes labeled as the "presentation of Jesus in Jerusalem" (Luke 19:28—21:36) and His arrest, abuse, and crucifixion, referred to as the "passion" (Luke 22—23). From the time Jesus arrives near Jerusalem until His arrest, He goes to the temple courtyard to teach, then retires to the Mount of Olives. Each morning, the people greet Him, curious about what He has to say and eager to watch Him destroy the arguments of the religious leaders (Luke 20). This aside contrasts the people's adoration of Jesus against the leaders' plan to kill Him (Luke 21:38; 22:2). It also gives context to Judas' betrayal at night on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:47–48) and the leaders' incredible hypocrisy. Jesus has taught in public every day of the last week; if He has legitimately broken the law, why would they come in the dead of night, with secrecy, to take Him in?

Luke includes similar asides in Luke 4:14–15, 19:47–48, and 20:1. In the book of Acts, he uses them to give snippets of background information that will come up later. They include the generosity of the young church (Acts 2:42–47), the introductions of Barnabas and Apollos (Acts 4:32–37; 18:24–28), the conversion of many of the priests (Acts 6:7); Paul's persecution of the church (Acts 8:1–3); and Agabus' prophecy about the famine in Judea (Acts 11:27–30).
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