And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

LUKE 9:35KJV
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Luke 9:35 (KJV)

What does Luke 9:35 mean?

Luke 9:35 presents Jesus as God’s beloved Son and directs the disciples with him to hear what he says. The voice gives Jesus a place of special importance at a moment when Moses and Elijah have also appeared beside him.

The voice comes from the cloud that has just surrounded them and caused fear (verse 34). Its words identify the speaker as God, who calls Jesus “my beloved Son.” The cloud makes the moment more than a sight for the disciples to witness: they also hear a direct instruction.

The Greek behind Luke 9:35

  • “beloved” — ἀγαπητός (agapētos): This word means loved or dearly loved. In the voice’s address, it expresses the speaker’s affection for the Son.
  • “hear” — ἀκούω (akouō): This word can mean to hear or to listen. Here the command calls for attention to what Jesus says, rather than merely noticing the sound of his voice.

Why Luke 9:35 matters

  • Jesus is the one the disciples are told to listen to, even though Moses and Elijah are present in the scene. The voice singles out Jesus with the words “hear him.”
  • Peter’s response before the voice shows that he has not grasped the moment. He proposes making three shelters, one for each figure, while Luke says Peter did not know what he was saying (verse 33).
  • The command comes before the disciples return to ordinary surroundings. After the voice, Jesus is found alone, and the disciples keep quiet about what they have seen at that time (verse 36).

Where else these words appear

“cloud” Greek G3507 · used in 22 verses

  • Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
  • Luke 12:54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.
  • Jude 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

“beloved” Greek G27 · used in 61 verses

  • Matthew 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
  • 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
  • 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

“voice” Greek G5456 · used in 129 verses

  • Matthew 2:18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
  • John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
  • Revelation 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;