Luke 20:6But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."
The setting
Jerusalem temple courts, ~30 AD. Day 2 of Passion Week. Religious leaders cornering Jesus publicly, but their trap backfires as they realize any answer endangers them with the crowd who revered John the Baptist.
The emotion here: calculating the political cost of truth
The original word
katalitházo (καταλιθάσωσιν) — to stone to death, public execution by crowd
Why it matters
John the Baptist had been executed only 1-2 years earlier, and his popularity remained dangerously high among common people
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 20:6
These weren't just worried about embarrassment — they feared literal death by stoning
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows the leaders were just embarrassed or confused. They were actually terrified of being murdered by an angry mob if they denied John's divine calling.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 20:6
Bible Genome reading
Luke 20:6 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 20:6 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 anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fear, public opinion. Notable phrases: all the people will stone us; persuaded that John was a prophet.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Luke 20:6 mean to you, today?
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