English Standard Version
Luke 21:23
23Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people.
Luke 21:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
- New International Version (NIV)How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.
- New Living Translation (NLT)How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people.
Context of Luke 21:23
21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,
Read all of Luke 21Luke 21:23 word by word
Οὐαὶ ταῖς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσαις καὶ ταῖς θηλαζούσαις ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις· ἔσται γὰρ ἀνάγκη μεγάλη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ὀργὴ τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- woeοὐαίouai · woe!G3759
- unto themὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- that areἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- childγαστήρgastēr · bellyG1064
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- give suckθηλάζωthēlazō · to suckleG2337
- thoseἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- there shall beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- distressἀνάγκηanagkē · necessityG318
- inἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- the landγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- wrathὀργήorgē · wrathG3709
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
Cross-references for Luke 21:23
- Luke 23:29For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'
- Deuteronomy 28:56The most tender and refined woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because she is so delicate and tender, will begrudge to the husband she embraces, to her son and to her daughter,
- Lamentations 4:10The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people.
- Hebrews 9:12he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
- Hebrews 13:16Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
- Matthew 24:19And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
- Mark 13:17And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
- Luke 19:27But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'"
- Matthew 21:41They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."
- 1 Thessalonians 2:16by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!
- Hebrews 10:26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
- James 5:1Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
- 1 Peter 4:17For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
Commentaries on Luke 21:23
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-36Verses 7-36 The account of the destruction of Jerusalem contained in this chapter has been fully considered in the notes at Luke 21:9 Commotions - Insurrections. Subjects rising against their rulers. Luke 21:11 Fearful sights - See Matthew 24:7. Luke 21:12, Luke 21:13 Synagogues, and into prisons - See the notes at Mark 13:9-10. Luke 21:14 Settle it, therefore, in your hearts - Fix it firmly in your minds - so firmly as to become a settled principle…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-28Verses 5-28 With much curiosity those about Christ ask as to the time when the great desolation should be. He answers with clearness and fulness, as far as was necessary to teach them their duty; for all knowledge is desirable as far as it is in order to practice. Though spiritual judgements are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer for his name's sake, and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-24Jesus was describing the siege and destruction of Jerusalem that would take place in AD 70.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. woe unto--"alas for." with child, &c.--from the greater suffering it would involve; as also "flight in winter, and on the sabbath," which they were to "pray" against (Mt 24:20), the one as more trying to the body, the other to the soul. "For then shall be tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world, nor ever shall be"--language not unusual in the Old Testament for tremendous calamities, though of this it may perhaps be literally said…Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 21:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries