κοινωνός
← κοινωνός

LUK 24:13-35

The Road to Emmaus

13And behold, two of them were traveling on that same day to a village sixty stadia from Jerusalem called Emmaus. [24:14] They were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. [24:15] While they were talking and reasoning together, Jesus himself drew near and was traveling with them. [24:16] But their eyes were being held, so that they did not recognize him. [24:17] Jesus said to them: "What are these words you are exchanging with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, their faces downcast. [24:18] One of them, named Cleopas, answered him: "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who has not known the things that happened there in these days?" [24:19] Jesus said to them: "What things?" They said to him: "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, [24:20] and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. [24:21] But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Moreover, along with all this, this is the third day since these things happened. [24:22] Also, some women from our group astonished us — they were at the tomb early [24:23] and did not find his body. They came saying they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. [24:24] Some of those with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." [24:25] Jesus said to them: "Foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets spoke! [24:26] Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?" [24:27] And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted for them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. [24:28] They drew near to the village where they were going, and he acted as though he were going farther. [24:29] But they constrained him strongly, saying: "Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent." And he went in to stay with them. [24:30] As he was reclining with them, taking the bread he blessed it and broke it and gave it to them. [24:31] Their eyes were opened and they recognized him — and he vanished from their sight. [24:32] They said to each other: "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?" [24:33] Rising that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem and found the Eleven gathered together and those with them, [24:34] saying: "The Lord has truly risen and has appeared to Simon!" [24:35] Then they recounted what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

In the world it was spoken into

In the first-century Jewish context, the journey to Emmaus would have been understood as a moment of profound disorientation and grief. The two travelers, Cleopas and his companion, were likely returning home after the Passover festival in Jerusalem, their hearts heavy with the recent execution of Jesus, whom they had hoped would redeem Israel. The distance of sixty stadia (about seven miles) was a common day’s journey, often undertaken in groups for safety. Their conversation reflects the confusion and despair of those who had witnessed Jesus’ death but had not yet grasped the resurrection. The stranger’s rebuke, calling them 'foolish' , would have resonated with Jewish expectations of the Messiah, rooted in the Scriptures. The breaking of bread, a familiar communal act, became the moment of recognition, echoing Jesus’ earlier meals with his disciples. The sudden disappearance of Jesus underscored the supernatural nature of the encounter, leaving them awestruck and compelled to share the news.

See the receipts

How other translations render this

LUK 24:13

KJV
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
BSB
That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
Koinōnos
And behold, two of them were traveling on that same day to a village sixty stadia from Jerusalem called Emmaus.

LUK 24:14

KJV
And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
BSB
They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
Koinōnos
They were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

LUK 24:15

KJV
And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
BSB
And as they talked and deliberated, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them.
Koinōnos
While they were talking and reasoning together, Jesus himself drew near and was traveling with them.

LUK 24:16

KJV
But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
BSB
But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
Koinōnos
But their eyes were being held, so that they did not recognize him.

LUK 24:17

KJV
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
BSB
He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stood still, with sadness on their faces.
Koinōnos
Jesus said to them: "What are these words you are exchanging with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, their faces downcast.

LUK 24:18

KJV
And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
BSB
One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?”
Koinōnos
One of them, named Cleopas, answered him: "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who has not known the things that happened there in these days?

LUK 24:19

KJV
And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
BSB
“What things?” He asked. “The events involving Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This man was a prophet, powerful in speech and action before God and all the people.
Koinōnos
Jesus said to them: "What things?" They said to him: "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

LUK 24:20

KJV
And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
BSB
Our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and they crucified Him.
Koinōnos
and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him.

LUK 24:21

KJV
But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
BSB
But we were hoping He was the One who would redeem Israel. And besides all this, it is the third day since these things took place.
Koinōnos
But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Moreover, along with all this, this is the third day since these things happened.

LUK 24:22

KJV
Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
BSB
Furthermore, some of our women astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,
Koinōnos
Also, some women from our group astonished us — they were at the tomb early

LUK 24:23

KJV
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
BSB
but they did not find His body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive.
Koinōnos
and did not find his body. They came saying they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.

LUK 24:24

KJV
And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
BSB
Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had described. But Him they did not see.”
Koinōnos
Some of those with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.

LUK 24:25

KJV
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
BSB
Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
Koinōnos
Jesus said to them: "Foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets spoke!

LUK 24:26

KJV
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
BSB
Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”
Koinōnos
Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?

LUK 24:27

KJV
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
BSB
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.
Koinōnos
And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted for them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

LUK 24:28

KJV
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
BSB
As they approached the village where they were headed, He seemed to be going farther.
Koinōnos
They drew near to the village where they were going, and he acted as though he were going farther.

LUK 24:29

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.
BSB
But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.
Koinōnos
But they constrained him strongly, saying: "Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent." And he went in to stay with them.

LUK 24:30

KJV
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
BSB
While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.
Koinōnos
As he was reclining with them, taking the bread he blessed it and broke it and gave it to them.

LUK 24:31

KJV
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
BSB
Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight.
Koinōnos
Their eyes were opened and they recognized him — and he vanished from their sight.

LUK 24:32

KJV
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
BSB
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Koinōnos
They said to each other: "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?

LUK 24:33

KJV
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
BSB
And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, gathered together
Koinōnos
Rising that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem and found the Eleven gathered together and those with them,

LUK 24:34

KJV
Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
BSB
and saying, “The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon!”
Koinōnos
saying: "The Lord has truly risen and has appeared to Simon!

LUK 24:35

KJV
And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
BSB
Then the two told what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
Koinōnos
Then they recounted what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Where the historical framing draws from

  • Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.3
Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.3

And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, 9 those that loved him at the first did not forsake him

Cited to ground: The two travelers, Cleopas and his companion, were likely returning home after the Passover festival in Jerusalem, their hearts heavy with the recent execution of Jesus

Translator's notes

LUK 24:16

  • were held:The word translated 'were held' implies a strong, active restraint, suggesting their eyes were not merely unable to see, but were being actively prevented from recognizing him.

LUK 24:25

  • foolish:The term translated 'foolish' here refers to a lack of understanding or perception, particularly in spiritual matters, rather than a general lack of intelligence.

LUK 24:29

  • they constrained:The word translated 'they constrained' suggests a strong, insistent urging or even a gentle forcefulness, indicating they pressed him firmly to stay, not just politely invited him.

LUK 24:31

  • vanished:The word translated 'vanished' literally means to become invisible or to disappear completely, emphasizing the sudden and complete nature of his departure from their sight.