Matthew 24:3-8

Signs of the End of the Age

24:3 As ¹  he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things ²  happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 24:4 Jesus answered them, ³  “Watch out ⁴  that no one misleads you. 24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ ⁵  and they will mislead many. 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁶  24:7 For nation will rise up in arms ⁷  against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines ⁸  and earthquakes ⁹  in various places. 24:8 All ¹⁰  these things are the beginning of birth pains.

[24:3]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:3]  ² sn Because the phrase these things is plural, more than the temple’s destruction is in view. The question may presuppose that such a catastrophe signals the end.

[24:4]  ³ tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[24:4]  ⁴ tn Or “Be on guard.”

[24:5]  ⁵ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[24:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “it is not yet the end.”

[24:7]  ⁷ tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see L&N 55.2.

[24:7]  ⁸ sn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.

[24:7]  ⁹ tc Most witnesses (C Θ 0102 Ë^1,13 Ï) have “and plagues” (καὶ λοιμοί, kai loimoi) between “famines” (λιμοί, limoi) and “earthquakes” (σεισμοί, seismoi), while others have “plagues and famines and earthquakes” (L W 33 pc lat). The similarities between λιμοί and λοιμοί could explain how καὶ λοιμοί might have accidentally dropped out, but since the Lukan parallel has both terms (and W lat have the order λοιμοὶ καὶ λιμοί there too, as they do in Matthew), it seems more likely that scribes added the phrase here. The shorter reading does not enjoy overwhelming support ([א] B D 892 pc, as well as versional witnesses), but it is nevertheless significant; coupled with the internal evidence it should be given preference.

[24:8]  ¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.