Luke 24:29
ESV
but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them.
NIV
But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
NASB
And so they strongly urged Him, saying, 'Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.' So He went in to stay with them.
CSB
But they urged him, "Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
NLT
but they begged him, 'Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.' So he went home with them.
KJV
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
NKJV
But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
What does Luke 24:29 mean?
Two men, Cleopas and a friend, have had an intense day. In the morning, they were hiding in a room with other disciples, trying to make sense of the fact their teacher—whom they believed to be the Christ—was dead. The women disciples, who had gone to the tomb at dawn, came to the others and told the men that Jesus' tomb is empty and angels told them He had risen. When Peter and John went to investigate, they corroborated the empty grave (Luke 24:1–12, 19–23).The two men decided to leave Jerusalem, going to Emmaus, seven miles away. By the end of their walk, they had met another traveler and told Him of their experience. The traveler called them "foolish" and "slow of heart" (Luke 24:25). He then compared the story of their rabbi to the prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures (Luke 24:25–27).
Cleopas and his companion have reached Emmaus. It's getting late and traveling in the dark is dangerous. Hospitality dictates that they invite the man to join them for the night. Most likely, they also want to hear more.
The man agrees. He even assumes the position of host at the meal, praying over the bread, breaking it, and passing out the pieces. Cleopas and his friend come to a startling revelation. The traveler is not a stranger, He's Jesus. The women were right: He has risen from the dead (Luke 24:30–31).
John's writings expand on the themes in this verse. "Stay" is from the Greek root word meno. Elsewhere, it is translated "abide," a strong theme in 1 John. It is by abiding in Christ—keeping His word—that we know Him (1 John 2:2–6). We abide by drawing nourishment and strength from Him, like the branches do a vine (John 15:4–7). Like the two men, we do this when we take advantage of Jesus' nearness and invite Him to stay (Revelation 3:20).
