Luke 21:5-7

The Signs of the End of the Age

21:5 Now ¹  while some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned ²  with beautiful stones and offerings, ³  Jesus ⁴  said, 21:6 “As for these things that you are gazing at, the days will come when not one stone will be left on another. ⁵  All will be torn down!” ⁶  21:7 So ⁷  they asked him, ⁸  “Teacher, when will these things ⁹  happen? And what will be the sign that ¹⁰  these things are about to take place?”

[21:5]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[21:5]  ² sn The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus, Ant. 15.11 (15.380-425); J. W. 5.5 (5.184-227) and Tacitus, History 5.8, who called it “immensely opulent.” Josephus compared it to a beautiful snowcapped mountain.

[21:5]  ³ tn For the translation of ἀνάθημα (anaqhma) as “offering” see L&N 53.18.

[21:5]  ⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:6]  ⁵ sn With the statement days will come when not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in a.d. 70.

[21:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”

[21:7]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ comments about the temple’s future destruction.

[21:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[21:7]  ⁹ sn Both references to these things are plural, so more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.

[21:7]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “when.”