Matthew 23:37-38

Judgment on Israel

23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ¹  you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! ²  How often I have longed ³  to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but ⁴  you would have none of it! ⁵  23:38 Look, your house is left to you desolate!

Matthew 24:15-16

The Abomination of Desolation

24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation ⁶  – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 24:16 then those in Judea must flee ⁷  to the mountains.

Mark 13:14

The Abomination of Desolation

13:14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation ⁸  standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee ⁹  to the mountains.

Mark 13:19

13:19 For in those days there will be suffering ¹⁰  unlike anything that has happened ¹¹  from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen.

Luke 19:43-44

19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build ¹²  an embankment ¹³  against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. 19:44 They will demolish you ¹⁴  – you and your children within your walls ¹⁵  – and they will not leave within you one stone ¹⁶  on top of another, ¹⁷  because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” ¹⁸ 

Luke 21:20-24

The Desolation of Jerusalem

21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem ¹⁹  surrounded ²⁰  by armies, then know that its ²¹  desolation ²²  has come near. 21:21 Then those who are in Judea must flee ²³  to the mountains. Those ²⁴  who are inside the city must depart. Those ²⁵  who are out in the country must not enter it, 21:22 because these are days of vengeance, ²⁶  to fulfill ²⁷  all that is written. 21:23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! For there will be great distress ²⁸  on the earth and wrath against this people. 21:24 They ²⁹  will fall by the edge ³⁰  of the sword and be led away as captives ³¹  among all nations. Jerusalem ³²  will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ³³ 

[23:37]  ¹ sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.

[23:37]  ² tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your… you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill… sent to you”).

[23:37]  ³ sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.

[23:37]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[23:37]  ⁵ tn Grk “you were not willing.”

[24:15]  ⁶ sn The reference to the abomination of desolation is an allusion to Dan 9:27. Though some have seen the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the actions of Antiochus IV (or a representative of his) in 167 b.c., the words of Jesus seem to indicate that Antiochus was not the final fulfillment, but that there was (from Jesus’ perspective) still another fulfillment yet to come. Some argue that this was realized in a.d. 70, while others claim that it refers specifically to Antichrist and will not be fully realized until the period of the great tribulation at the end of the age (cf. Mark 13:14, 19, 24; Rev 3:10).

[24:16]  ⁷ sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.

[13:14]  ⁸ sn The reference to the abomination of desolation is an allusion to Dan 9:27. Though some have seen the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the actions of Antiochus IV (or a representative of his) in 167 b.c., the words of Jesus seem to indicate that Antiochus was not the final fulfillment, but that there was (from Jesus’ perspective) still another fulfillment yet to come. Some argue that this was realized in a.d. 70, while others claim that it refers specifically to Antichrist and will not be fully realized until the period of the great tribulation at the end of the age (cf. Mark 13:19, 24; Matt 24:21; Rev 3:10).

[13:14]  ⁹ sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.

[13:19]  ¹⁰ tn Traditionally, “tribulation.”

[13:19]  ¹¹ sn Suffering unlike anything that has happened. Some refer this event to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. While the events of a.d. 70 may reflect somewhat the comments Jesus makes here, the reference to the scope and severity of this judgment strongly suggest that much more is in view. Most likely Jesus is referring to the great end-time judgment on Jerusalem in the great tribulation.

[19:43]  ¹² sn Jesus now predicted the events that would be fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. The details of the siege have led some to see Luke writing this after Jerusalem’s fall, but the language of the verse is like God’s exilic judgment for covenant unfaithfulness (Hab 2:8; Jer 6:6, 14; 8:13-22; 9:1; Ezek 4:2; 26:8; Isa 29:1-4). Specific details are lacking and the procedures described (build an embankment against you) were standard Roman military tactics.

[19:43]  ¹³ sn An embankment refers to either wooden barricades or earthworks, or a combination of the two.

[19:44]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “They will raze you to the ground.”

[19:44]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “your children within you.” The phrase “[your] walls” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the city of Jerusalem, metaphorically pictured as an individual, is spoken of here.

[19:44]  ¹⁶ sn (Not) one stone on top of another is an idiom for total destruction.

[19:44]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “leave stone on stone.”

[19:44]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the time of your visitation.” To clarify what this refers to, the words “from God” are supplied at the end of the verse, although they do not occur in the Greek text.

[21:20]  ¹⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:20]  ²⁰ sn See Luke 19:41-44. This passage refers to the events associated with the fall of Jerusalem, when the city is surrounded by armies.

[21:20]  ²¹ tn Grk “her,” referring to the city of Jerusalem (the name “Jerusalem” in Greek is a feminine noun).

[21:20]  ²² sn The phrase its desolation is a reference to the fall of the city, which is the only antecedent present in Luke’s account. The parallels to this in Matt 24:15 and Mark 13:14 refer to the temple’s desolation, though Matthew’s allusion is clearer. They focus on the parallel events of the end, not on the short term realization in a.d. 70. The entire passage has a prophetic “two events in one” typology, where the near term destruction (a.d. 70) is like the end. So the evangelists could choose to focus on the near time realization (Luke) or on its long term fulfillment, which mirrors it (Matthew, Mark).

[21:21]  ²³ sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.

[21:21]  ²⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:21]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:22]  ²⁶ tn Or “of punishment.” This is a time of judgment.

[21:22]  ²⁷ tn The passive construction with the infinitive πλησθῆναι (plhsqhnai) has been translated as an active construction for simplicity, in keeping with contemporary English style.

[21:23]  ²⁸ sn Great distress means that this is a period of great judgment.

[21:24]  ²⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:24]  ³⁰ tn Grk “by the mouth of the sword” (an idiom for the edge of a sword).

[21:24]  ³¹ sn Here is the predicted judgment against the nation until the time of Gentile rule has passed: Its people will be led away as captives.

[21:24]  ³² tn Grk “And Jerusalem.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:24]  ³³ sn Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled implies a time when Israel again has a central role in God’s plan.