Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "the Wisdom of God" refers directly to Jesus himself, not a separate entity or ancient text. He is presenting Himself as the embodiment of God's wisdom, speaking about the pattern of rejection and persecution that would follow Him even as He sends His messengers.
Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is directly confronting the religious leaders of his day, calling out their hypocrisy and warning them of impending judgment. He highlights their tendency to honor the prophets their ancestors killed, while simultaneously rejecting and persecuting those God sends in the present. This verse then declares that God, in His wisdom, foresees this pattern and will continue to send messengers, knowing they will face similar persecution.
Who is this 'Wisdom of God' speaking through Jesus? It's not just an abstract concept, but someone intimately involved in God's plan from the beginning.
In Luke 11:49, Jesus refers to Himself as 'the Wisdom of God.' This title isn't new; it echoes the Old Testament's personification of Wisdom in passages like Proverbs 8. Jesus, as the Word and Wisdom of God, is the ultimate expression of God's plan and purpose, both in creation and in redemption.
When Jesus says, 'Therefore also said the Wisdom of God,' He's stepping into the role of God's very own message, speaking with divine authority. This highlights that His words aren't just His own; they are the voice of God's eternal plan unfolding.
Why does Jesus send more prophets and apostles if they're just going to be rejected and killed? This verse reveals a tragic, recurring pattern in Israel's history.
The statement, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' isn't a new threat but a declaration of a historical reality. Jesus is pointing to a long, unbroken line of divine messengers – from the earliest prophets to His own apostles – who faced brutal opposition from the very people God sent them to.
This pattern serves a crucial purpose: to expose the deep-seated rebellion within the hearts of those who claim to follow God but resist His message. By sending more messengers, God isn't just offering salvation; He's also making their rejection undeniably clear, bringing judgment upon those who persistently refuse Him.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
sophia tou Theou · Greek Noun
A divine attribute personified in Jewish literature, often associated with God’s plan of salvation and His active intervention in history. In the New Testament, it is often identified with the person and work of Christ.
apostolos · Greek Noun
A messenger or "sent one," specifically referring to those commissioned by Jesus to carry the message of the Gospel with His authority.
This verse highlights a deep, historical pattern of rejection. Jesus, speaking as the Wisdom of God, connects His own mission and the future of His apostles to the long line of prophets sent by God throughout Israel's history, all of whom faced similar opposition and violence from their own people.
c. 875–835 BC
Zechariah, Son of Jehoiada, is Martyred
Zechariah, a priest, is stoned to death in the temple courtyard for rebuking the people's sin and idolatry under King Joash. This act becomes a stark example of Israel's rejection of God's messengers.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonian army destroys Jerusalem and its temple, marking a catastrophic end to the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Many are exiled, signifying God's judgment on generations of disobedience and rejection of prophets.
c. 440 BC
Malachi's Prophetic Warning
The prophet Malachi delivers a final prophetic message to the post-exilic community, rebuking their spiritual apathy and warning of a coming messenger who will purify the people, signaling the end of the prophetic era.
c. 4 BC – c. AD 30/33— this verse
Ministry of Jesus
Jesus, identified as the Wisdom of God, begins his public ministry, calling disciples and confronting the religious leaders of his day with challenging truths.
c. AD 30–33
Jesus' Confrontation with Religious Leaders
During his ministry, Jesus publicly denounces the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, predicting that they will continue the pattern of rejecting and persecuting God's messengers.
c. AD 30–50s
Early Church Growth and Persecution
Following Jesus' ascension, the apostles and early followers spread the gospel, facing increasing opposition, imprisonment, and martyrdom, fulfilling Jesus' warnings about persecution.
This passage is a parallel account where Jesus directly addresses the scribes and Pharisees, making a very similar statement about sending prophets, wise men, and scribes, and lamenting their rejection and persecution of them, just as in Luke 11:49.
Luke 13:34-35Jesus' lament over Jerusalem here echoes the theme of rejection and persecution. He speaks of his desire to gather Jerusalem's people like a hen gathers her chicks, but their refusal leads to desolation, highlighting the consistent pattern of Israel's rejection of God's messengers.
Acts 7:51-52Stephen, speaking to the very religious leaders of his day, directly accuses them of acting like their fathers by resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting those who spoke of Christ, echoing the prophecy Jesus makes in Luke 11:49 about future persecution.
2 Chronicles 24:20-22This Old Testament account describes the stoning of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, in the temple courts for prophesying against the people's sins. It serves as a stark Old Testament example of the kind of rejection and violence against God's messengers that Jesus predicts.
1 Corinthians 1:22-24This passage speaks of the 'message of the cross' being foolishness to some and a stumbling block, but to believers, it is the 'power of God and the wisdom of God.' This parallels Luke 11:49's reference to 'the Wisdom of God' sending messengers, and the rejection these messengers faced.
barnesLuke 11:49: "Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:"
The wisdom of God - By the "wisdom of God," here, is undoubtedly meant the Saviour himself. What he immediately says is not written in the Old Testament. Jesus is called "the word of God" John 1:1 , because he is the medium by which God "speaks" or makes his will known. He is called "the wisdom of God," because by him God makes his wisdom known in creation…
calvinLuke 11:47-51: "Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them."
- Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the sepulchers of the prophets and embellish the monuments of the righteous, 30. And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their associates in the blood of the prophets. 31. Thus you testify against yourselves, that you are the children of those who killed the prophets. 32. Do you also fill up t…
The phrase "the Wisdom of God" refers directly to Jesus himself, not a separate entity or ancient text. He is presenting Himself as the embodiment of God's wisdom, speaking about the pattern of rejection and persecution that would follow Him even as He sends His messengers.
Jesus is directly confronting the religious leaders of his day, calling out their hypocrisy and warning them of impending judgment. He highlights their tendency to honor the prophets their ancestors killed, while simultaneously rejecting and persecuting those God sends in the present. This verse then declares that God, in His wisdom, foresees this pattern and will continue to send messengers, knowing they will face similar persecution.
Jesus is directly confronting the religious leaders of his day, calling out their hypocrisy and warning them of impending judgment. He highlights their tendency to honor the prophets their ancestors killed, while simultaneously rejecting and persecuting those God sends in the present. This verse then declares that God, in His wisdom, foresees this pattern and will continue to send messengers, knowing they will face similar persecution.
"Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’" — The phrase "the Wisdom of God" refers directly to Jesus himself, not a separate entity or ancient text. He is presenting Himself as the embodiment of God's wisdom, speaking about the pattern of rejec…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026