God’s Word Translation
Matthew 24:27
27The Son of Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east to west.
Matthew 24:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
- New International Version (NIV)For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Context of Matthew 24:27
25Listen! I’ve told you this before it happens. 26So if someone tells you, ‘He’s in the desert!’ don’t go out ⌞looking for him⌟. And don’t believe anyone who says, ‘He’s in a secret place!’ The Son of Man will come again just as lightning flashes from east to west. 28Vultures will gather wherever there is a dead body. 29“Immediately after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the universe will be shaken.
Read all of Matthew 24Matthew 24:27 word by word
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἀστραπὴ ἐξέρχεται ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ φαίνεται ἕως δυσμῶν, οὕτως ἔσται ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
- the lightningὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the lightningἀστραπήastrapē · lightningG796
- comethἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
- outἀπόapo · away fromG575
- of the eastἀνατολήanatolē · eastG395
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- shinethφαίνωphainō · to shine/appearG5316
- even untoἕωςheōs · untilG2193
- the westδυσμήdusmē · westG1424
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- shallεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the comingπαρουσίαparousia · comingG3952
- of the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
Cross-references for Matthew 24:27
- Job 37:3He flashes his lightning everywhere under heaven. His light flashes to the ends of the earth.
- Job 38:35Can you send lightning flashes so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
- Isaiah 30:30The Lord will make his majestic voice heard. He will come down with all his might, with furious anger, with fire storms, windstorms, rainstorms, and hailstones.
- Zechariah 9:14The Lord will appear over them, and his arrow will go out like lightning. The Almighty Lord will blow the ram’s horn and will march in the storms from the south.
- Luke 17:24The day of the Son of Man will be like lightning that flashes from one end of the sky to the other.
- Matthew 16:28I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
- Malachi 3:2But who will be able to endure the day he comes? Who will be able to survive on the day he appears? He is like a purifying fire and like a cleansing soap.
- Malachi 4:5“I’m going to send you the prophet Elijah before that very terrifying day of the Lord comes.
- James 5:8You, too, must be patient. Don’t give up hope. The Lord will soon be here.
- 2 Peter 3:4by saying, “What’s happened to his promise to return? Ever since our ancestors died, everything continues as it did from the beginning of the world.”
Commentaries on Matthew 24:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west - It is worthy of remark that our Lord, in the most particular manner, points out the very march of the Roman army: they entered into Judea on the East, and carried on their conquest Westward, as if not only the extensiveness of the ruin, but the very route which the army would take, were intended in the comparison of the lightning issuing from the east, and shining to the west.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27For as the lightning cometh out of the east - This is not designed to denote the quarter from which he would come, but the manner. He does not mean to affirm that the “Son of man” will come from the “east,” but that he will come in a rapid and unexpected manner, like the lightning. Many would be looking for him in the desert, many in secret places; but he said it would be useless to be looking in that manner; it was useless to look to any particular…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-28Verses 4-28 The disciples had asked concerning the times, When these things should be? Christ gave them no answer to that; but they had also asked, What shall be the sign? This question he answers fully. The prophecy first respects events near at hand, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state, the calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world; but it also looks to the general judgment; and toward…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27-28Lightning here may point to the great cosmic signs that will mark the coming of the Messiah (see Matthew 24:29–31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). The focus is on how easy the lightning is to see, not how suddenly it comes. Jesus probably shared these teachings to prevent early excitement about the end of time (1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12).Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 24:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 24
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries