Luke 20:20They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
The setting
Jerusalem, Wednesday of Passion Week. Religious leaders recruit fake-sincere questioners to entrap Jesus with political questions that could get him arrested...
The emotion here: documenting the mounting conspiracy with journalistic precision
The original word
paraterēsis (παρατήρησις) — to watch closely like a hunter stalking prey
Why it matters
Roman law allowed anyone to bring accusations to the governor — these spies hoped to get Jesus charged with sedition
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 20:20
The spies 'pretended to be righteous' — they came as sincere seekers but were actually entrapment agents
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows how evil the religious leaders were, but Luke is actually showing their desperation — when direct confrontation failed, they resorted to espionage. They felt cornered.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 20:20
Bible Genome reading
Luke 20:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 20:20 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Luke. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 5% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include deception, plotting. Notable phrases: sent out spies; pretended righteous; trap him.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Luke 20:20 mean to you, today?
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