Communed together – Talked together.

And reasoned – They reasoned, doubtless, about the probability or improbability that Jesus was the Messiah; about the evidence of his resurrection; about what was to be done in the present state of things.

Jesus himself drew near … – The disciples were properly employed. Their minds were anxious about the state of things, and they endeavored to arrive at the truth. In this state of things Jesus came to solve their doubts, and to establish them in the belief that he was the Christ; and we may learn from this that Christ will guide those who are sincerely endeavoring to know the truth. They who candidly and seriously endeavor to ascertain what is true and right he will direct; and often in an unexpected manner he will appear, to dissipate their doubts and to scatter all their perplexities. Our duty is sincerely to strive to ascertain the truth, and to do his will; and if his people do this, he will not leave them to perplexity and wandering.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. And reasoned] , concerning the probability or improbability of Christ being the Messiah, or of his resurrection from the dead. It was a laudable custom of the Jews, and very common also, to converse about the law in all their journeyings; and now they had especial reason to discourse together, both of the law and the prophets, from the transactions which had recently taken place.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

He overtook them upon the way, and joined himself to their company. It is a good thing to be discoursing of Christ, it is the way to have his presence and company with us.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And it came to pass, that while they communed together,…. About the above said things:

and reasoned; with one another; about the truth and credibility of the late report:

Jesus himself drew near: the Persic version adds, “suddenly”; he came up at once to them, as if he had been a traveller on the road, and overtook them:

and went with them; joined himself in company to them, and travelled with them.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

While they communed and questioned together ( ). Same idiom as in verse 14, which see. Note ; each questioned the other.

Jesus himself ( ). In actual person.

Went with them ( ). Imperfect middle, was going along with them.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Went with [] . The use of the imperfect here is very beautiful. Jesus drew near while they were absorbed in their talk, and was already walking with them when they observed him.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1)“And it came to pass,” (kai egeneto) “And it happened,”

2)“That, while they communed together and reasoned,” (en to homilein autous kai suzetein) “As they talked and discussed,” the matters revolving around their Lord and their church company of disciples and apostles, Luk 24:22. They compared thoughts and feelings of each other about the recent events.

3) “Jesus himself drew near,” (kai autos lesous engisas) “Jesus himself drew near to them,” or appeared along the way and joined them. He is never far from His sad saints, 1Co 10:31; Heb 13:5.

4) “And went with them.” (suneporeueto autois) “And went along in colleague with them,” as a friend, a pilgrim, or companion. He comes to His own in special acts of providence, to help in times of need, Psa 23:1-4; Mat 28:20; Heb 13:5. Can He join us, go with us where we go today?

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(15) While they communed together . . .The verb is the same as that translated talked in the preceding verse.

Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.Excluding, as we must do in such a case, the element of chance, we are left to conjecture the reasons for this special manifestation. Neither of the two travellers belonged to the Twelve. They may possibly have been of the number of the Seventy. May we think that it was in tender sympathy with the trials to which their thoughtful and yearning temper specially exposed them, that their Master thus drew near to them? They had cherished the hope that the kingdom of God would immediately appear (Luk. 19:11), and now it seemed further off than ever. And He came, partly, it may be, with altered garb and tone, partly as holding their senses under supernatural control, so that they knew Him not. He was to them as a man of like passions with themselves. (Comp. the appearance to Mary Magdalene, Joh. 20:15.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

15. Reasoned Comparing opposite views (as the Greek word implies) in regard to the late events.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And it came about that while they communed and questioned together, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.’

But as they were talking together in this way a man caught up with them who was a stranger to them, who began to walk with them. A man walking by himself would always be glad of companionship in view of possible muggers, especially at a time when many strangers were around. We are told immediately that it was Jesus, but to them He was just another Jew who had been in Jerusalem for the feast and was returning home.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Luk 24:15-16 . ] is the usual form after (comp. Luk 24:4 ; see on v. 12), and , He Himself , of whom they were speaking.

] probably overtaking them from behind.

. . .] they were held so that they knew Him not . Examples of of organs of the body: impediri, quominus vim et actionem sibi propriam exserant , see in Kypke. The expression itself, which indicates a peculiar external influence, not to speak of its telic connection, as well as the correlative . . . in Luk 24:31 , should have prevented their failure to recognise Him from being attributed to an unfamiliar dress of Jesus, and to an alteration of His countenance by the tortures of crucifixion; or, on the other hand, to the disciples’ own dejection (Paulus, Kuinoel, Lange, and others). The text represents only a wonderful divine effect. The matter is otherwise represented in Mar 16:12 , where Jesus appears .

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

Ver. 15. Jesus himself ] He made the third among them, as Dionysius, the king of Sicily, wished that he might be admitted into fellowship of friendship with those two fast friends, Damon and Pythias. (Cic. de Offic. ) Christ still delights to be one among those that meet to confer about the things of his kingdom.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

15. ] . , the ordinary construction. The last does not mean ‘ also .’

. ] Jesus Himself, of whom they had been speaking. But this expression forbids the supposition that He was here, strictly speaking , , as we find it less precisely expressed in Mar 16:12 . The reason why they did not know Him was ( Luk 24:16 ), that their eyes were supernaturally influenced, so that they could not: see also Luk 24:31 . No change took place in Him nor apparently in them , beyond a power upon them, which prevented the recognition just so much as to delay it till aroused by the well-known action and manner of His breaking the bread. The cause of this was the will of the Lord himself, who would not be seen by them till the time when He saw fit.

from behind: see Luk 24:18 , where they take Him for an inhabitant of Jerusalem.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Luk 24:15 . . This word, added to to describe the converse of the two disciples, suggests lively discussion, perhaps accompanied by some heat. One might be sceptical, the other more inclined to believe the story of the resurrection.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

while, &c. = in (Greek. en) their communing, &c.

drew near, and = having drawn near.

went = was walking.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

15.] . , the ordinary construction. The last does not mean also.

.] Jesus Himself, of whom they had been speaking. But this expression forbids the supposition that He was here, strictly speaking, , as we find it less precisely expressed in Mar 16:12. The reason why they did not know Him was (Luk 24:16), that their eyes were supernaturally influenced, so that they could not:-see also Luk 24:31. No change took place in Him-nor apparently in them, beyond a power upon them, which prevented the recognition just so much as to delay it till aroused by the well-known action and manner of His breaking the bread. The cause of this was the will of the Lord himself, who would not be seen by them till the time when He saw fit.

-from behind: see Luk 24:18, where they take Him for an inhabitant of Jerusalem.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Jesus: Luk 24:36, Mat 18:20, Joh 14:18, Joh 14:19

Reciprocal: 1Ki 10:2 – communed Joh 21:4 – but

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

THE WALK TO EMMAUS

And it came to pass, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know Him.

Luk 24:15-16, R.V.

The story of the walk of the two disciples to Emmaus is full of vivid touches which show that it is based on personal experience. How startling sometimes is the apathy with which we are content to ignore Gods presence in our daily life. On our road, as we journey onwards from youth to old age, Jesus Himself draws near and goes with us, but our eyes are holden that we do not know Him. Why is it that we have this difficulty in realising His presence?

I. In some cases, no doubt, the cause is a moral one.Vice and worldliness both cut men off from God. The thoroughly vicious man eventually reaches a stage in which he cannot recognise the value of either Divine or human goodness; he not merely does not know God, but he cannot know Him.

II. But Cleopas and his companion suggest quite a different kind of spiritual blindness.They are types of those genuine followers of Christ, of those true seekers after Christ, who yet fail for some reason or other to recognise Him, who for a time, at any rate, or perhaps in some cases their whole lives through, cannot realise His presence, His voice, His teaching, His willingness to abide with them. There is a real desire to know Goda real longing after God, like as the hart desireth the waterbrooksa real cry of the soul, O that I knew where I might find Him; and then along with all this comes at times a sense of something akin to despair.

III. How hard it is to know what to do under these circumstances; and how still more hard it is to help other people. The preacher can but draw a bow at a venture, and yet he feels it would be wrong always to be silent about difficulties which are, he knows, often pressing heavily on sensitive consciences. If I am speaking to any one here whose eyes are holden, I would ask these two questions: (a) Are you in earnest in your effort to find God? and (b) Are you trying to live as Jesus would have you live? Not every one, perhaps, will honestly be able to say Yes to these questions; but those who can may rest assured that God will not hold them accountable for their doubts.

Rev. Dr. H. G. Woods.

Illustration

Our intellectual difficulties about Christianity sometimes proceed from a mistaken view of the province of reason in matters of faith. Reason may rightly claim to be a judge of the evidence on which Christianity is based. But for the acceptance of the teaching of Christ, for the knowledge of Christ, something more than reason is required. Belief is not a purely intellectual process. Christianity cannot be demonstrated like a proposition of Euclid by a purely intellectual process. That is what St. Paul means by saying that with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. We need to try continually to bring ourselves into touch with the spirit of Christ. We need to study earnestly and reverently the teaching and character of Christ. We need to learn how to see in His words a real meaning for ourselves, here and now.

Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

6

Holden is from KRATEO, which Thayer defines at this place, “To hold in check, restrain.” In Mark’s account of this circumstance (chapter 16:12), he says Jesus appeared in another “form.” That word is defined in the lexicon, “The form by which a person or thing strikes the vision; the external appearance.” The two passages considered together makes the matter clear. The person of Jesus was not literally changed, but since the eyes of the disciples were restrained, it caused Him to look like some other human being with whom they were not acquainted.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.

[Jesus himself drew near, and went along with them.] “After that, he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.” But what form that was, it would be something bold to determine. But it seems to be different from the form of a gardener; and indeed not the form of any plebeian; but rather of some scholar, because he instructs them while they were upon the road, and giveth thanks for them when they sat at meat. So Beracoth; “If two eat together, the one of them a learned man; the other of them an unlearned man; he that is the learned man gives thanks.” Hence that passage: “Janneus the king calls out Simeon Ben Shetahh, vice-president of the Sanhedrim, and a doctor, to say grace after supper: and thus he begins; ‘Blessed be God for the meat which Janneus and his guests have eaten.’ To whom the king, ‘How long wilt thou persist in thy frowardness?’ Saith the other, ‘Why, what should I have said? Must we bless God for the meat that we have eaten, when as I have eaten none at all?'”

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

Luk 24:15. Jesus himself drew near. Probably coming from behind and overtaking them, since He went with them. Further, they assume that He had been in Jerusalem (Luk 24:18). Jesus draws near to commune with those who commune of Him.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Luke pictured the scene dramatically. The two people were walking along discussing Jesus’ death and the reports of His resurrection (Luk 24:10), but not knowing what to make of them, when Jesus Himself joined them. Some writers have seen this situation as parallel to Jesus’ presence with His often non-perceptive disciples in the present age. [Note: E.g., Liefeld, "Luke," p. 1051.] Luke’s obvious implication was that God was preventing them from recognizing Jesus (cf. Luk 9:45; Luk 18:34). Evidently Jesus looked like the real man that He was albeit now immortal, but they could not recognize Him. The key to recognizing Jesus for who He was would be the illumination of God through the Scriptures.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)