Words Dismissed: Literary and Theological Context of Luke 24:11
Luke 24:11 — καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς.
(“And their words appeared to them as nonsense, and they did not believe them.”)
This verse captures the initial reaction of the apostles to the report of the women who witnessed the empty tomb and angelic proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection. It stands as a moment of ironic inversion: those who are closest to Jesus and trained by him to expect his resurrection dismiss the testimony of the first witnesses. Luke’s narrative choice to present women as the first bearers of the resurrection news—and the disciples’ rejection of it—carries theological weight and is linguistically intensified through specific grammatical constructions. The phrase ὡσεὶ λῆρος and the imperfect verb ἠπίστουν work together to depict deep-seated resistance cloaked in perceived rationality.
Grammatical Feature Analysis: Simile, Perception Verbs, and the Imperfect Tense
The first clause centers around the verb ἐφάνησαν (aorist passive of φαίνω, “to appear”), used impersonally with the dative reference ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν (“in their presence” or “to them”). What appeared? τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν (“their words”), the subject of the clause. The core simile is ὡσεὶ λῆρος—“like nonsense” or “like delirium.” The term λῆρος is a rare hapax legomenon in the New Testament and appears elsewhere in Greek medical literature to describe the ramblings of the sick or insane (see LSJ, s.v. λῆρος).
The second clause contains the imperfect active verb ἠπίστουν (from ἀπιστέω, “to disbelieve”), third person plural. The imperfect tense here indicates ongoing or progressive action in past time—the disbelief was not a momentary hesitation but a sustained rejection. The object αὐταῖς (“them”) refers to the women witnesses, making the disbelief not just about the message, but also about the messengers.
Exegetical Implications of Dismissive Grammar
The comparison ὡσεὶ λῆρος heightens the psychological and cultural disbelief. The disciples did not merely question the report—they categorized it as madness. The simile implies that the words were outside the realm of credible testimony. The construction frames a particular kind of disbelief: one shaped by social expectations and cognitive dissonance.
The use of the imperfect ἠπίστουν reinforces this. It portrays not a single act of doubt but a settled, collective resistance. Luke’s Greek subtly critiques the disciples by allowing the grammar to expose their spiritual insensitivity. The narrative thus anticipates Jesus’ later rebuke in Luke 24:25: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe.” Grammar becomes a mirror reflecting theological irony.
Cross-Linguistic Comparisons and Historical Context
In Classical and Koine Greek, the term λῆρος is used in medical contexts for incoherent or feverish speech. Its presence here suggests that the apostles regarded the women’s report as not just false but irrational. This corresponds with Greco-Roman and Jewish attitudes that often devalued women’s testimony in legal and religious settings (cf. Josephus, Ant. 4.219; Talmudic references to testimony).
In the LXX, verbs of disbelief (ἀπιστέω) often reflect covenantal unfaithfulness (e.g., Num. 20:12, “because you did not believe me”). Luke’s usage may thus carry subtle echoes of Israel’s pattern of resistance to God’s messengers. The placement of the verb in the imperfect aligns Luke’s narrative with prophetic motifs of divine truth rejected by hardened hearts.
Theological and Literary Significance of Disbelief
Luke’s use of ὡσεὶ λῆρος is not merely descriptive—it is theologically subversive. By allowing the apostles to label the resurrection message as nonsense, Luke inverts expectations: the men, expected to believe, disbelieve; the women, marginalized in their culture, become first proclaimers of truth. The syntax sharpens the irony: the perceived “nonsense” is in fact the most profound truth of the gospel.
The imperfect ἠπίστουν captures the internal resistance of the disciples. It also demonstrates that resurrection faith is not intuitive or immediate—it is granted through revelation, which will come through Jesus’ appearances and Scripture exposition. This syntactical nuance supports Luke’s theology of progressive revelation and Spirit-enabled understanding.
Truth in the Face of Nonsense: Grammar as Theological Exposure
Luke 24:11 combines subtle Greek grammar with theological reversal. The impersonal aorist passive ἐφάνησαν and the simile ὡσεὶ λῆρος expose the apostles’ dismissive posture, while the imperfect ἠπίστουν shows their entrenched disbelief. The words of the women—truthful and Spirit-attested—are misread as madness.
Luke allows grammar to do theological work. The structure not only narrates disbelief but critiques it. What appears irrational to human minds is, in fact, divine wisdom. The resurrection is not grasped by natural sight or social norms but by divine grace. And grammar, finely tuned, unveils the failure—and future transformation—of those called to be witnesses.
