Luke 21:24
in Luke 21They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
KJV
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
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This verse in Luke 21
Commentary
17 notes on this verseFor after He had declared that "Jerusalem was to be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled," -meaning, of course, those which were to be chosen of God, and gathered in with the remnant of Israel-He then goes on to proclaim, against this world and dispensation (even as Joel had done, and Daniel, and all the prophets with one consent ), that "there should be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.
This site's exposition
pregnant and nursing mothers
on Luke 21:23-24
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations, as Josephus reports. The word until sets a limit on Jerusalem being trodden down by the Gentiles, and many read it as pointing to Israel's restoration.
This site's exposition
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled
The word until sets a limit on Jerusalem's ruin. John Wesley saw the verse fulfilled when Jews were barred from the city after its fall. Matthew Henry records Whitby's view that it looks ahead to the conversion of the Jews.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
For the Jews thought that the abomination of desolation took place when the Romans, in mockery of a Jewish observance, cast a pig's head into the temple. Now mystically, the abomination of desolation is the coming of Antichrist, for with ill-omened sacrilege he pollutes the innermost recesses of the heart, sitting as it is literally in the temple, that he may claim to himself the throne of divine power.
For so in truth it was, that when the Romans came and were taking the city, many multitudes of the Jewish people perished in the mouth of the sword; as it follows, And they shall fall by the edge of the sword. But still more were cut off by famine. And these things happened at first indeed under Titus and Vespasian, but after them in the time of Hadrian the Roman general, when the land of their birth was forbidden to the Jews. Hence it follows, And they shall be led away captive into all nations. For the Jews filled the whole land, reaching even to the ends of the earth, and when their land was inhabited by strangers, they alone could not enter it; as it follows, And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
The signs given in the Gospel and in prophecy and fulfilled in us show the coming of the Lord.… We know that the coming is near by the fact that we see the fulfillment of certain signs of that coming that have been accomplished.… The signs that Christ told them to look for are listed in the Gospel of Saint Luke: "Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the nations are fulfilled." This has happened and no one doubts that it has happened.… It is plain that there is no country or place in our time that is not harassed or humbled according to the words "for fear and expectation of what will come on the whole world." All the signs that the gospel describes in the earlier verses have mostly been accomplished.
The Medieval Church2 voices
And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles. Immediately following the prophecy which sings: In wrath remember mercy, he appended and said:
"And Jerusalem," He says, "shall be trodden down by the Gentiles." Up to this point the discourse was about the captivity; then about the end.
9 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
Which indeed the Apostle makes mention of when he says, Blindness in part is happened to Israel, and so all Israel shall be saved. (Rom. 11:25.) Which when it shall have gained the promised salvation, hopes not rashly to return to the land of its fathers.
Until the times of the nations are fulfilled. For those times of the nations are indeed those which the Apostle mentions, saying: Because blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be …
Secondly, as regards the destruction of the oppressed city, there is added: And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations. We see this fulfilled literally in the Jews, of whom Josephus narrates a wondrous slaughter, …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,.... Or "mouth of the sword", an Hebraism; see the Septuagint in Jdg 1:
So terribly was this prophecy fulfilled! And Jerusalem shall be trodden by the Gentiles - That is, inhabited. The land was sold, and no Jew suffered even to come within sight of Jerusalem.
Others understand it of what is yet to come; so Dr. Whitby. Jerusalem shall be possessed by the Gentiles, of one sort or other, for the most part, till the time come when the nations that yet remain infidels shall embrace the Christian faith, when the kingdoms of this world shall become Christ's kingdoms, and then all the Jews shall be converted.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
They shall fall by the edge of the sword - Those who perished in the siege are reckoned to be not less than eleven hundred thousand. See Mat 24:22. And shall be led away captive - To the number of ninety-seven thousand. See Josephus, War, b. vi. c. ix. s. 2, 3, and on Mat 24:31 (note). Trodden down of the Gentiles - Judea was so completely subjugated that the very land itself was sold by Vespasian; the Gentiles possessing it, while the Jews were either nearly all killed or led away into captivity.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
The subject of the verses before us, is the capturing of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans. It was fit and right that this great event, which wound up the Old Testament dispensation — should be especially described by our Lord's mouth. It was fitting that the last days of that holy city, which had been the seat of God's presence for so many centuries — should receive a special notice in the greatest prophecy which was ever delivered to the Church. We should mark in this passage — our Lord Jesus Christ's perfect knowledge.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The subject of the verses before us, is the capturing of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans. It was fit and right that this great event, which wound up the Old Testament dispensation — should be especially described by our Lord's mouth. It was fitting that the last days of that holy city, which had been the seat of God's presence for so many centuries — should receive a special notice in the greatest prophecy which was ever delivered to the Church. We should mark in this passage — our Lord Jesus Christ's perfect knowledge. He gives us a fearful picture of the miseries which were coming on Jerusalem. Forty years before the armies of Titus encompassed the city — the dreadful circumstances which would attend the siege are minutely described. The distress of weak and helpless women — the slaughter of myriads of Jews — the final scattering of Israel in captivity among all nations — the treading down of the holy city by the Gentiles — are things which our Lord narrates with as much particularity as if He saw them with His own eyes! Foreknowledge like this is a special attribute of God. Of ourselves we "know not what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1.) To say what will happen to any city or kingdom in forty years from the present time — is far beyond the power of man. The words in Isaiah are very solemn, "I am God — and there is no other. I am God — "and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times — what is still to come. My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." (Isaiah 46:9, 10.) He who could speak with authority of things to come, as our Lord did in this place — must have been true God as well as true man. The Christian should continually keep this perfect knowledge of Christ in mind.
The words behind it
21 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πεσοῦνται | pesountai | they will fall | G4098 → | 90 times |
| στόματι | stomati | by [the] edge | G4750 → | 78 times |
| μαχαίρης | machaires | of [the] sword | G3162 → | 29 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| αἰχμαλωτισθήσονται | aichmalotisthesontai | will be led captive | G163 → | |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνη | ethne | nations | G1484 → | 161 times |
| πάντα, | panta | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Ἰερουσαλὴμ | ierousalem | Jerusalem | G2419 → | 76 times |
| ἔσται | estai | will be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| πατουμένη | patoumene | trodden down | G3961 → | |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| ἐθνῶν | ethnon | [the] Gentiles | G1484 → | 161 times |
| ἄχρι | achri | until | G891 → | 48 times |
| οὗ | hou | that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| πληρωθῶσιν | plerothosin | may be fulfilled | G4137 → | 86 times |
| καιροὶ | kairoi | [the] times | G2540 → | 84 times |
| ἐθνῶν. | ethnon | of [the] Gentiles. | G1484 → | 161 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πεσοῦνταιthey will fall
pesountaiG4098 →90 times
στόματιby [the] edge
stomatiG4750 →78 times
μαχαίρηςof [the] sword
machairesG3162 →29 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
αἰχμαλωτισθήσονταιwill be led captive
aichmalotisthesontaiG163 →
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνηnations
ethneG1484 →161 times
πάντα,all
pantaG3956 →1235 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἸερουσαλὴμJerusalem
ierousalemG2419 →76 times
ἔσταιwill be
estaiG1510 →2333 times
πατουμένηtrodden down
patoumeneG3961 →
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
ἐθνῶν[the] Gentiles
ethnonG1484 →161 times
ἄχριuntil
achriG891 →48 times
οὗthat
houG3739 →1405 times
πληρωθῶσινmay be fulfilled
plerothosinG4137 →86 times
καιροὶ[the] times
kairoiG2540 →84 times
ἐθνῶν.of [the] Gentiles.
ethnonG1484 →161 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 12:7And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever,…
it leads to
- Daniel 7:25
He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 8:24
His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause terrible destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men along with the holy people.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 12:14
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times,…
- Daniel 7:25
Through
Romans 11:25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 3:14–16
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.
- Romans 16:25
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
- 2 Corinthians 3:14–16
Through
Daniel 9:27And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple…
it leads to
- Matthew 24:15
So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),
- Daniel 12:11
And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days.
- Mark 13:14
So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
- Matthew 24:15
Where this verse is studied
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About Luke
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 198; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 21; Eusebius of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On the Resurrection of the Flesh and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.