Luke 22:31
New International Version
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.

New Living Translation
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.

English Standard Version
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,

Berean Standard Bible
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you like wheat.

Berean Literal Bible
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have all of you to sift like wheat.

King James Bible
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

New King James Version
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

New American Standard Bible
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you men like wheat;

NASB 1995
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;

NASB 1977
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;

Legacy Standard Bible
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat.

Amplified Bible
“Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain;

Christian Standard Bible
“Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.

American Standard Version
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat:

Contemporary English Version
Jesus said, "Simon, listen to me! Satan has demanded the right to test each one of you, as a farmer does when he separates wheat from the husks.

English Revised Version
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[Then the Lord said,] "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to have you apostles for himself. He wants to separate you from me as a farmer separates wheat from husks.

Good News Translation
"Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff.

International Standard Version
"Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked permission to sift all of you like wheat,

Majority Standard Bible
And the Lord said ?Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you like wheat.

NET Bible
"Simon, Simon, pay attention! Satan has demanded to have you all, to sift you like wheat,

New Heart English Bible
And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon, look, Satan has demanded to have you all, to sift you like wheat,

Webster's Bible Translation
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Weymouth New Testament
"Simon, Simon, I tell you that Satan has obtained permission to have all of you to sift as wheat is sifted.

World English Bible
The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the LORD said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked for himself to sift you as the wheat,

Berean Literal Bible
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have all of you to sift like wheat.

Young's Literal Translation
And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon, lo, the Adversary did ask you for himself to sift as the wheat,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded you, to sift as wheat:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Lord said: “Simon, Simon! Behold, Satan has asked for you, so that he may sift you like wheat.

New American Bible
“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,

New Revised Standard Version
“Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Jesus said to Simon, Simon, behold Satan wants to sift all of you as wheat;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Yeshua said to Shimeon, “Shimeon, behold, Satan has requested that he may sift you all like wheat,”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the Lord said: Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded you apostles for himself, that he may sift you as wheat.

Godbey New Testament
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan sought you out, to sift you as wheat:

Haweis New Testament
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, lo! Satan hath earnestly sought you, that he might sift you as wheat:

Mace New Testament
Then said Jesus, Simon, Simon, satan has demanded to shake you, and my disciples, like wheat in a sieve.

Weymouth New Testament
"Simon, Simon, I tell you that Satan has obtained permission to have all of you to sift as wheat is sifted.

Worrell New Testament
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked for you, to sift you as the wheat;

Worsley New Testament
And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you my disciples, that he may sift you as wheat:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
30so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”…

Cross References
Job 1:6-12
One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. / “Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.” / Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.” ...

Job 2:1-6
On another day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before Him. / “Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.” / Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” ...

Zechariah 3:1-2
Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. / And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand snatched from the fire?”

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Revelation 12:10
And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down—he who accuses them day and night before our God.

Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. / After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. / The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ...

John 17:15
I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

2 Corinthians 2:11
in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. / For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

1 Thessalonians 3:5
For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter had somehow tempted you and that our labor might have been in vain.

1 John 5:18
We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

Matthew 26:31-35
Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ / But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” / Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.” ...

Mark 14:27-31
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ / But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” / Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I never will.” ...

John 13:36-38
“Lord, where are You going?” Simon Peter asked. Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.” / “Lord,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.” / “Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.

Acts 5:3
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?


Treasury of Scripture

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Simon.

Luke 10:41
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

Acts 9:4
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Satan.

Job 1:8-11
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? …

Job 2:3-6
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause…

Zechariah 3:1
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

sift.

Amos 9:9
For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.

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Luke 22
1. The leaders conspire against Jesus.
3. Satan prepares Judas to betray him.
7. The apostles prepare the Passover.
19. Jesus institutes his holy supper;
21. covertly foretells of the traitor;
24. rebukes the rest of his apostles from ambition;
31. assures Peter his faith should not fail;
34. and yet he should deny him thrice.
39. He prays in the mount, and sweats blood;
47. is betrayed with a kiss;
50. he heals Malchus' ear;
54. he is thrice denied by Peter;
63. shamefully abused;
66. and confesses himself to be the Son of God.














Simon, Simon
The repetition of Simon's name is significant and carries a tone of urgency and affection. In the Greek text, the name is "Σίμων" (Simōn), which is the Hellenized form of the Hebrew name "שִׁמְעוֹן" (Shimon), meaning "he has heard." The double use of his name emphasizes the personal nature of Jesus' address and the seriousness of the warning. It reflects a common Semitic expression used to convey deep emotion or concern. This repetition is reminiscent of other biblical instances where God calls individuals by name twice, such as "Moses, Moses" (Exodus 3:4) and "Samuel, Samuel" (1 Samuel 3:10), indicating a moment of significant divine communication.

Satan has asked
The Greek word for "Satan" is "Σατανᾶς" (Satanas), which means "adversary" or "accuser." This term is used throughout the New Testament to describe the spiritual being who opposes God and His people. The phrase "has asked" is translated from the Greek "ἐξῃτήσατο" (exētēsato), which implies a request or demand. This suggests a scene reminiscent of the heavenly court in the Book of Job, where Satan seeks permission to test Job's faithfulness (Job 1:6-12). It highlights the reality of spiritual warfare and the adversary's desire to challenge the faith of believers.

to sift
The Greek word "σινιάσαι" (siniasai) is used here, which means "to sift" or "to shake." This agricultural metaphor refers to the process of separating wheat from chaff, indicating a severe testing or trial. In the ancient world, sifting was a vigorous process that involved shaking the grain to remove impurities. Spiritually, it symbolizes a time of testing that reveals the true nature of one's faith. This imagery underscores the intensity of the trial that Simon Peter and the other disciples are about to face.

each of you
The phrase "each of you" is translated from the Greek "ὑμᾶς" (hymas), which is the plural form of "you." This indicates that Satan's request was not limited to Simon Peter alone but extended to all the disciples. It serves as a reminder that spiritual trials and temptations are a common experience for all believers, not just for leaders or prominent figures. The communal aspect of this testing highlights the need for mutual support and prayer within the body of Christ.

like wheat
The comparison to "wheat" is significant in biblical symbolism. Wheat is often used to represent God's people, as seen in parables such as the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30). The process of sifting wheat involves separating the valuable grain from the worthless chaff, symbolizing the purification and strengthening of faith through trials. This metaphor reassures believers that while Satan's intent is to destroy, God's purpose in allowing such trials is to refine and purify His people, ultimately leading to spiritual growth and maturity.

(31) And the Lord said, Simon, Simon.--The first three Gospels agree in placing the warning to Peter after the institution of the Lord's Supper. The two-fold utterance of the name, as in the case of Martha (Luke 10:41), is significant of the emphasis of sadness.

Satan hath desired to have you.--Both this verb, and the "I have prayed," are in the Greek tense which indicates an act thought of as belonging entirely to the past. The Lord speaks as though He had taken part in some scene like that in the opening of Job (Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-6), or that which had come in vision before the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 3:1-5), and had prevailed by His intercession against the Tempter and Accuser.

That he may sift you as wheat.--The word and the figure are peculiar to St. Luke's record. The main idea is, however, the same as that of the winnowing fan in Matthew 3:12; the word for "sift" implying a like process working on a smaller scale. The word for "you" is plural. The fiery trial by which the wheat was to be separated from the chaff was to embrace the whole company of the disciples as a body. There is a latent encouragement in the very word chosen. They were "to be sifted as wheat." The good grain was there. They were not altogether as the chaff. . . .

Verses 31-38. - The Lord foretells Simon Peter's fall. He tells She disciples of the hard times coming on them. Verse 31. - And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. The majority of the more ancient authorities omit the words, "and the Lord said." These words were possibly inserted at an early date to obviate the abruptness of this sudden change in the subject-matter of the Lord's discourse. The more accurate translation would be, "Satan obtained you by asking that he," etc. Bengel comments with "not content with Judas." This saying of Jesus is a very mysterious one; it reveals to us something of what is going on in the unseen world. A similar request was made by the same bitter, powerful the in the case or Job (Job 1:12). Are we to understand that these are examples of what is constantly going on in that world so close to us, but from which no whisper ever reaches our mortal ears? Such grave thoughts lend especial intensity to those words in the prayer of prayers, where we ask "our Father which is in heaven" to deliver us from evil, or the evil one, as so many of our best scholars prefer to translate ἀπὸ τοῦ πονήρου. Satan asks that he may test and try the apostles. Judas he had already tempted, and he had won him. Possibly this signal victory emboldened him to proffer this request. We may imagine the evil one arguing thus before the Eternal: "These chosen ones who are appointed to work in the future so tremendous a work in thy Name, are utterly unworthy. Let me just try to lure them away with my lures. Lo, they will surely fall. See, one has already."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Simon,
Σίμων (Simōn)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4613: Simon. Of Hebrew origin; Simon, the name of nine Israelites.

Simon,
Σίμων (Simōn)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4613: Simon. Of Hebrew origin; Simon, the name of nine Israelites.

Satan
Σατανᾶς (Satanas)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4567: An adversary, Satan. Of Chaldee origin corresponding to ma'bad; the accuser, i.e. The devil.

has asked
ἐξῃτήσατο (exētēsato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1809: To demand of, ask for, beg earnestly for. Middle voice from ek and aiteo; to demand.

to sift
σινιάσαι (siniasai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 4617: To sift, prove by trials, winnow. From sinion; to riddle.

each of you
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

like
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

wheat.
σῖτον (siton)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4621: Wheat, grain. Also plural irregular neuter sita of uncertain derivation; grain, especially wheat.


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NT Gospels: Luke 22:31 The Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 22:30
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