From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

LUKE 11:51KJV
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Luke 11:51 (KJV)

What does Luke 11:51 mean?

Luke 11:51 says that from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zacharias, all the blood of righteous people killed will be held to account for the current generation. Jesus is warning that the responsibility for these past acts of violence against God’s messengers will come upon those he is addressing.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to religious leaders, criticizing them for following in the footsteps of those who killed God’s prophets. The mention of Abel and Zacharias covers the first and last murders recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, symbolizing the full history of rejecting God’s messengers. Jesus is emphasizing how serious it is to ignore or harm those sent by God, and he is holding his listeners accountable for this ongoing pattern.

The Greek behind Luke 11:51

  • αἷμα (haima) — "blood": This word is used twice and refers to the violent deaths of Abel and Zacharias, highlighting the seriousness of these acts as not just murder, but the shedding of innocent blood.
  • γενεά (genea) — "generation": This word can mean the people living at a particular time, but also sometimes refers to a kind of people (like those who reject God’s messengers). Here, it sharpens the warning that Jesus is speaking about his own contemporaries.
  • ἐκζητηθήσεται (ekzētēthēsetai) — "shall be required": This word carries the sense of demanding an answer or holding someone accountable. Jesus is saying that the consequences for all these acts will be demanded from the current generation.

Why Luke 11:51 matters

  • Luke 11:51 shows that Jesus sees a long history of rejecting God’s messengers, not just isolated incidents, and he connects his listeners to that history.
  • The verse clarifies that Jesus is not only talking about individual guilt, but about a pattern of resistance to God’s message that has built up over time.
  • By naming Abel and Zacharias, Jesus uses well-known examples from Scripture to make his warning clear and memorable, showing the seriousness of ignoring or harming those sent by God.

Where else these words appear

“Abel” Greek G6 · used in 4 verses

  • Matthew 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
  • Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
  • Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

“required” Greek G1567 · used in 7 verses

  • Luke 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
  • Romans 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
  • Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

“between” Greek G3342 · used in 9 verses

  • Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
  • Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
  • Acts 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

“Zacharias” Greek G2197 · used in 11 verses

  • Matthew 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
  • Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
  • Luke 1:40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.