God’s Word Translation
Luke 21:23
23“How horrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. Indeed, the land will suffer very hard times, and its people will be punished.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Luke 21:23
21Then those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. Those of you in Jerusalem should leave it. Those of you in the fields shouldn’t go back into them. 22This will be a time of vengeance. Everything that is written about it will come true. “How horrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. Indeed, the land will suffer very hard times, and its people will be punished. 24Swords will cut them down, and they will be carried off into all nations as prisoners. Nations will trample Jerusalem until the times allowed for the nations ⌞to do this⌟ are over. 25“Miraculous signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea.
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 23:29The time is coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the women who couldn’t get pregnant, who couldn’t give birth, and who couldn’t nurse a child.’
- Deuteronomy 28:56The most tender and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and tender that she wouldn’t even step on an ant—will become stingy toward the husband she loves or toward her own son or daughter.
- Lamentations 4:10The hands of loving mothers cooked their own children. The children were used for food by my people when they were being destroyed ⌞by a blockade⌟.
- Hebrews 9:12He used his own blood, not the blood of goats and bulls, for the sacrifice. He went into the most holy place and offered this sacrifice once and for all to free us forever.
- Hebrews 13:16Don’t forget to do good things for others and to share what you have with them. These are the kinds of sacrifices that please God.
- Matthew 24:19“How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days.
- Mark 13:17“How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days.
- Luke 19:27Bring my enemies, who didn’t want me to be their king. Kill them in front of me.’ ”
- Matthew 21:41They answered, “He will destroy those evil people. Then he will lease the vineyard to other workers who will give him his share of the produce when it is ready.”
- 1 Thessalonians 2:16because they try to keep us from telling people who are not Jewish how they can be saved. The result is that those Jews always commit as many sins as possible. So at last they are receiving ⌞God’s⌟ anger.
- Hebrews 10:26If we go on sinning after we have learned the truth, no sacrifice can take away our sins.
- James 5:1Pay attention to this if you’re rich. Cry and moan about the misery that is coming to you.
- 1 Peter 4:17The time has come for the judgment to begin, and it will begin with God’s family. If it starts with us, what will be the end for those who refuse to obey the Good News 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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