Luke 18:34

“And they understood none of these things, etc.] “Not one of them”, as the Syriac and Persic versions render it; every article of his sufferings and death were unintelligible by them; they knew not how to understand him in any one point: or how to reconcile these things to the notions they had entertained of the temporal grandeur, and glory, of the Messiah, and his kingdom; and which shows their great ignorance of the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning these things. And this saying, or “thing”; for it answers to the Hebrew word rbd, which signifies any affair, or matter, as well as a word, or saying: and so here, the whole of this affair was hid from them; unless it should have a…”

“understood none, &c.--The Evangelist seems unable to say strongly enough how entirely hidden from them at that time was the sense of these exceeding plain statements: no doubt to add weight to their subsequent testimony, which from this very circumstance was prodigious, and with all the simple-hearted irresistible.”

“Understood none of these things - Though they were “plainly” revealed, yet such were their prejudices and their unwillingness to believe them that they did not understand them. They expected that he would be a temporal prince and a conqueror, and they were not “willing” to believe that he would be delivered into the hands of his enemies. They did not see how that could be consistent with the prophecies. To us now these things appear plain, and we may, hence, learn that those things which to us appear most mysterious may yet appear perfectly plain; and we should learn to trust in God, and “believe” just what he has spoken. See Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:23. return to 'Top of Page'”

“They understood none of these things - The literal meaning they could not but understand. But as they could not reconcile this to their preconceived opinion of the Messiah, they were utterly at a loss in what parabolical or figurative sense to take what he said concerning his sufferings; having their thoughts still taken up with the temporal kingdom. Luke 18:35”

“18:34 The significance of his words was hidden from them: Not until after the resurrection did the disciples grasp the saving significance of Jesus’ death (see 9:45; 24:13-34).”

“Luk 2:50, Luk 9:45, Luk 24:25, Luk 24:45; Mar 9:32; Joh 10:6, Joh 12:16, 16:1-19 Luke 18:35”