Luke 21:6
in Luke 21“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
KJV
As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
⋯
This verse in Luke 21
Commentary
15 notes on this verseAs for these things which ye behold,.... Some, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, read these words by way of interrogation; "are these the things which ye behold?" do ye look upon these with wonder and delight? the days will come; and they are hastening on; a little while, a few years more: in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down; See Gill on Mat 24:2.
This site's exposition
adorned with beautiful stones
on Luke 21:5-6
As disciples remarked on the temple's beautiful stones and consecrated gifts, Jesus answered that not one stone will be left on another. In AD 70 the legions of Titus pulled down the temple Herod had rebuilt, stone by stone.
This site's exposition
not one stone will be left on another
Jesus answers the praise of the temple's stones with a sentence on those same stones. John Gill notes that the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read the opening as a question. They ask whether these are the things they gaze at with delight.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
The future signs that are foretold in the Gospel according to Luke are the same as those in Matthew and Mark. These three tell how the Lord answered his disciples. They asked him when the events that he had foretold of the destruction of the temple would happen. They also asked him what was to be the sign of his coming and of the end of the world. There is no discrepancy in the Gospels as to facts, although one tells one detail that another passes over or describes differently. They rather supplement each other when they are compared, and they thus give direction to the mind of the reader. It would take too long to discuss them all now. The Lord answered their questions by telling what was to happen from that time on: the destruction of Jerusalem that prompted their inquiry, and his coming in the church in which he does not cease to dwell until the end. Christ is recognized when he comes to his own, while his members are daily born. He said of this coming, "Hereafter you shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds."
How beautiful was every thing relating to the structure of the temple, history informs us, and there are yet preserved remains of it, enough to instruct us in what was once the character of the buildings. But our Lord proclaimed to those that were wondering at the building of the temple, that there should not be left in it one stone upon another. For it was meet that that place, because of the presumption of its worshippers, should suffer every kind of desolation.
Some of them showed Christ the mighty works that were in the temple and the beauty of the offerings. They expected that he would admire the spectacle as they did, although he is God and heaven is his throne. He did not allow any regard for these earthly buildings, since they were unimportant. Absolutely nothing compared with the mansions that are above. Dismissing the conversation about them, he turned to what was necessary for their use. Christ forewarned them that however worthy of admiration they might think the temple was, yet at a certain time it would be destroyed from its foundations. The power of the Romans would tear it down and burn Jerusalem with fire, and retribution would be required from Israel for the Lord's murder. They had to suffer these things after the Savior's crucifixion.
The Medieval Church2 voices
And to some who were speaking of the temple, that it was adorned with good stones and gifts, he said: The days will come when, looking at all these things, not one stone will be left upon another that will not be thrown down. For …
For it was ordained by the dispensation of God that the city itself and the temple should be overthrown, lest perhaps some one yet a child in the faith, while wrapt in astonishment at the rites of the sacrifices, should be carried away by the mere sight of the various beauties.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
The Lord, as One who in a short time would undergo the Crucifixion, fittingly prophesies now concerning Jerusalem, so that we might have in this a strong proof that He is the true God. Therefore even when some were praising the buildings of the temple …
Second, as to the prediction introduced from the occasion taken, there is added: These things which you see, the days will come in which there shall not be left stone upon stone that shall not be destroyed. This indeed was said generally and is true …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Of what should happen between that and the destruction of Jerusalem--false Christs arising, bloody wars and persecutions of Christ's followers,
): " As for those things which you behold, those dear things which you are so much in love with, behold, the days will come, and some now living may live to see them, in which there shall not be left one stone upon another.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
These words were a striking prophecy. An English mind can hardly conceive how strange and startling they must have sounded to Jewish ears. They were spoken of a building which every Israelite regarded with almost idolatrous veneration. They were spoken of a building which contained the ark, the holy of holies, and the symbolic furniture formed on a pattern given by God Himself. They were spoken of a building associated with most of the principal names in Jewish history; with David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
These words were a striking prophecy. An English mind can hardly conceive how strange and startling they must have sounded to Jewish ears. They were spoken of a building which every Israelite regarded with almost idolatrous veneration. They were spoken of a building which contained the ark, the holy of holies, and the symbolic furniture formed on a pattern given by God Himself. They were spoken of a building associated with most of the principal names in Jewish history; with David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah. They were spoken of a building toward which every devout Jew turned his face in every quarter of the world, when he offered up his daily prayers. (1 Kings 8:44; Jonah 2:4; Daniel 6:10.) But they were words spoken advisedly . They were spoken in order to teach us the mighty truth — that the true glory of a place of worship does not consist in outward ornaments. "The Lord does not see as man sees." (1 Samuel 16:7.) Man looks at the outward appearance of a building. The Lord looks for spiritual worship, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. In the temple at Jerusalem, these things were utterly lacking — and therefore Jesus Christ could take no pleasure in it. Professing Christians will do well to remember our Lord's words in the present day. It is fit and right beyond doubt that buildings set apart for Christian worship, should be worthy of the purpose for which they are used. Whatever is done for Christ, ought to be well done. The house in which the Gospel is preached, and the Word of God read, and prayer offered up — ought to lack nothing that can make it lovely and substantial. But let it never be forgotten that the material part of a Christian Church is by far the least important part of it.
One stone upon another - This was literally fulfilled. See Mat 24:2.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ταῦτα | tauta | [As to] these things | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἃ | ha | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| θεωρεῖτε, | theoreite | you are beholding, | G2334 → | 58 times |
| ἐλεύσονται | eleusontai | will come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| ἡμέραι | hemerai | [the] days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| αἷς | hais | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἀφεθήσεται | aphethesetai | will be left | G863 → | 143 times |
| λίθος | lithos | stone | G3037 → | 58 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| λίθῳ | litho | stone | G3037 → | 58 times |
| ὃς | hos | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| καταλυθήσεται.¶ | kataluthesetai | will be thrown down. | G2647 → | 17 times |
ταῦτα[As to] these things
tautaG3778 →1381 times
ἃwhich
haG3739 →1405 times
θεωρεῖτε,you are beholding,
theoreiteG2334 →58 times
ἐλεύσονταιwill come
eleusontaiG2064 →628 times
ἡμέραι[the] days
hemeraiG2250 →389 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
αἷςwhich
haisG3739 →1405 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἀφεθήσεταιwill be left
aphethesetaiG863 →143 times
λίθοςstone
lithosG3037 →58 times
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
λίθῳstone
lithoG3037 →58 times
ὃςwhich
hosG3739 →1405 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
καταλυθήσεται.¶will be thrown down.
kataluthesetaiG2647 →17 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 24:2“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
it leads to
- Micah 3:12
Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.
Reached by 4 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 26:18
“Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 9:7–8
then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Luke 19:44
They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
- Ezekiel 7:20–22
His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.
- Micah 3:12
Through
Zechariah 14:2For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the…
it leads to
- Luke 21:20–24
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near.
- Romans 9:27–29
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
- Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.
- Luke 21:20–24
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 199; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 21; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 139; Eusebius of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.