Luke 21:32
in Luke 21Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all things be accomplished.
KJV
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
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This verse in Luke 21
Commentary
14 notes on this verseAll these things are confirmed with great certainty when the sentence is added which says: "Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away until all things come to pass. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
This site's exposition
this generation will not pass away
on Luke 21:32-33
The clause this generation will not pass away is among the most argued here. Some read generation as those then living, fulfilled in AD 70. Some read the Greek genea as this race, Israel, and others as the generation that sees the signs of verses 25 to 27.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Or by generation He means the new generation of His holy Church, showing that the generation of the faithful would last up to that time, when it would see all things, and embrace with its eyes the fulfilment of our Saviour's words.
The Medieval Church4 voices
Amen, I say to you, that this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Indeed, the Lord greatly emphasizes what He thus pronounces. In a way, if it is permitted to say, it is His oath: Amen, I say to you. …
He strongly commends that which he thus foretels. And, if one may so speak, his oath is this, Amen, I say unto you. Amen is by interpretation "true." Therefore the truth says, I tell you the truth, and though He spoke not thus, He could by no means lie. But by generation he means either the whole human race, or especially the Jews.
"Truly I say to you: this generation shall not pass away until all these things come to pass." By "generation" He does not mean those who were living at that time, but all the generations of believers. For Scripture sometimes calls "generation" also those who …
Third, as regards the certifying assertion, he adds: Amen I say to you, this generation shall not pass away until all things are fulfilled. Gloss: "What I say to you, await with certainty." This generation, however, he calls the mortal generation, according to that passage …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
(in Hom. 1. in Ev.) But all the things before mentioned are confirmed with great certainty, when He adds, Verily I say unto you, &c.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Verily I say unto you, this generation,.... See Gill on Mat 24:34. See Gill on Mat 24:35. All the Oriental versions read here as there, "all these things"; before related.
): This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled. There were some now alive that should see it; some that now heard the prediction of it. It was sure; the sentence was irreversible; it was a consumption determined; the decree was gone forth (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
Till all things be effected - All that has been spoken of the destruction of Jerusalem, to which the question, ver. 7, relates: and which is treated of from ver. 8-24.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-7/8-anchored-32-32
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
The subject of this portion of our Lord's great prophecy, is His own second coming to judge the world. The strong expressions of the passage appear inapplicable to any event less important than this. To confine the words before us, to the taking of Jerusalem by the Romans, in an unnatural straining of Scripture language. We see, firstly, in this passage — how terrible will be the circumstances accompanying the second coming of Christ. Our Lord tells us that "there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The subject of this portion of our Lord's great prophecy, is His own second coming to judge the world. The strong expressions of the passage appear inapplicable to any event less important than this. To confine the words before us, to the taking of Jerusalem by the Romans, in an unnatural straining of Scripture language. We see, firstly, in this passage — how terrible will be the circumstances accompanying the second coming of Christ. Our Lord tells us that "there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." This is a singularly solemn picture. It may not be easy perhaps to attach a precise meaning to every part of it. One thing however, is abundantly plain. The second coming of Christ will be attended by everything which can make it alarming to the senses and heart of man. If the giving of the law at Sinai was so terrible that even Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and tremble" — then the return of Christ when He comes to earth in power and great glory, shall be much more terrible. If the hardy Roman soldiers "became as dead men," when an angel rolled the stone away and Christ rose again — then how much greater will the terror be when Christ shall return to judge the world. No wonder that Paul said, "Knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." (Hebrews 12:21; Matthew 28:4; 2 Corinthians 5:11.) The thoughtless and impenitent man may well tremble, when he hears of this second coming of Christ. What will he do when worldly business is suddenly stopped, and the precious things of the world are made worthless?
This generation - This race of men; but see on Mat 24:34 (note), and Mar 13:30 (note).
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀμὴν | amen | Amen | G281 → | 127 times |
| λέγω | lego | I say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οὐ | ou | certainly | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| παρέλθῃ | parelthe | may have passed away | G3928 → | 29 times |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γενεὰ | genea | generation | G1074 → | 43 times |
| αὕτη | haute | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἕως | he'os | until | G2193 → | 146 times |
| ἂν | an | when | G302 → | 165 times |
| πάντα | panta | all [these things] | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| γένηται. | genetai | may happen. | G1096 → | 667 times |
ἈμὴνAmen
amenG281 →127 times
λέγωI say
legoG3004 →1325 times
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οὐcertainly
ouG3756 →1664 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
παρέλθῃmay have passed away
pareltheG3928 →29 times
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
γενεὰgeneration
geneaG1074 →43 times
αὕτηthis
hauteG3778 →1381 times
ἕωςuntil
he'osG2193 →146 times
ἂνwhen
anG302 →165 times
πάνταall [these things]
pantaG3956 →1235 times
γένηται.may happen.
genetaiG1096 →667 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
Matthew 24:34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
it leads to
- Mark 13:30–31
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 21:32–33
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 16:28
Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 23:36
Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 13:30–31
Through
Matthew 16:28Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
it leads to
- Mark 9:1
Then Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 9:27
But I tell you truthfully, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
- Matthew 10:23
When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 9:1
Through
Mark 13:30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
it leads to
- Matthew 24:34
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 24:34
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 21; Eusebius of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 1; Gregory the Dialogist, 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 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.