Luke 21:1
Ver. 1. And he looked up,.... As Christ sat over against the treasury, looking upon the ground, he lift up his eyes; for the treasury was not in an high place, or above Christ, who was right against it. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions leave out this clause.
And saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury;
See Gill on "Mr 12:41".
Luke 21:2
Ver. 2. And he saw also a certain poor widow,.... Whom he took particular notice of above all the rest: the poor, and the widow, are regarded by him, and are his care; nor are their mean services, done in faith, and from a principle of love, despised by him, but preferred to the greater services of others, where faith and love are wanting:
casting in thither two mites; the value of a farthing. The Persic version renders it, "two bottoms of yarn";
See Gill on "Mr 12:42":
Luke 21:3
Ver. 3. And he said,.... To his disciples, as the Ethiopic version adds; these he called to him, upon this occasion, as appears from Mr 12:43
of a truth I say unto you, that this poor woman hath cast in more than they all: than all the rich men; not in quantity, but in proportion to her ability; See Gill on "Mr 12:43".
Luke 21:4
Ver. 4. For all these have of their abundance,.... Which they had remaining; the same Hebrew word rty signifying to remain, and to abound: they had large possessions, and gave in much, and yet had a great deal left; out of which they
cast in unto the offerings of God; or "gifts of God": not as gifts unto him; or among the gifts of God; but into the treasury where the gifts, and freewill offerings were put; the same with the "Corban", in Mt 27:6 and so the Syriac version here renders it, "the house of the offering of God": and it is expressed in the plural; because there were several chests, in which these gifts were put, for various uses; See Gill on "Mr 12:41"
but she of her penury hath cast in all the living she had;
See Gill on "Mr 12:44".
Luke 21:5
Ver. 5. And as some spake of the temple,.... These were the disciples; Mark says, one of them; but it seems there were more than one; one might begin the discourse, and others join him:
how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts;
See Gill on "Mt 24:1".
he said; what follows. This was as he went out of the temple.
Luke 21:6
Ver. 6. As for these things which ye behold,.... Some, as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, read these words by way of interrogation; "are these the things which ye behold?" do ye look upon these with wonder and delight?
the days will come; and they are hastening on; a little while, a few years more:
in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down; See Gill on "Mt 24:2".
Luke 21:7
Ver. 7. And they asked him,.... That is, his disciples, when they were come to the Mount of Olives, and as he sat upon that,
Mt 24:3
saying, master, but when shall these things be? when the temple shall be destroyed; and one stone shall not be left upon another;
and what sign [will there be] when these things shall come to pass? which shows that this refers to the destruction of the temple, and so the signs following; See Gill on "Mt 24:3".
Luke 21:8
Ver. 8. And he said, take heed that ye be not deceived,.... With false Christs, and false prophets:
for many shall come in my name; making use of his name, taking it to them; not that they would pretend they were sent by him, but that they were he himself:
saying, I am [Christ]; so the Syriac and Persic versions supply as we do:
and the time draweth near; not that such will come, but when come, they will say, that the time of the deliverance of the Jewish nation from the Roman yoke is at hand:
go ye not therefore after them; do not be their disciples, or follow them where they would lead you; for nothing but destruction will be the consequence of it.
Luke 21:9
Ver. 9. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions,.... Or seditions and tumults; "wars" may design the wars of the Romans, against the Jews; and the "commotions", or seditions, the internal troubles among themselves:
be not terrified; as if the destruction of the nation, city, and temple, would be at once:
for these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by; or "immediately". The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions leave out this last word, and read, as in See Gill on "Mt 24:6".
Luke 21:10
Ver. 10. Then said he unto them, nation shall rise,....
See Gill on "Mt 24:7".
Luke 21:11
Ver. 11. And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines and pestilences,.... See Gill on "Mt 24:7".
and fearful sights; or "terrible things"; whether heard, or seen, as dreadful thunderings, and lightnings; and a voice heard in the temple, saying, let us go hence; and an idiot that went about several years together, saying, woe to the people, woe to the city, &c.; a flame was seen in the temple, and the doors of it opened of themselves:
and great signs shall there be from heaven; as comets and blazing stars, a flaming sword, or a comet like one, hanging over Jerusalem, and armies in the air engaged against each other {b}. The Syriac version adds, "and great winters there shall be"; that is, very long and cold; and so the Persic version, "and winter, and cold, shall be protracted".
{b} Vid. Joseph. de Bello Jud, l. 6. c. 5.
Luke 21:12
Ver. 12. But before all these,.... Before all these things come to pass:
they shall lay their hands on you; as the high priest, the priests, and the captain of the temple did upon the apostles, Ac 4:1
and persecute you; as upon the death of Stephen, Ac 8:1
delivering you up to the synagogues; to be scourged there; or to the courts of judicature, the consistories of the Jews, their great sanhedrim; before these the apostles were brought, Ac 4:6
and into prisons; as were all the apostles together, and Peter at another time separately, Ac 4:3
being brought before kings and rulers, for my name's sake; for being called by his name, and calling upon it; for professing, and preaching his Gospel; See Gill on "Mt 10:18".
Luke 21:13
Ver. 13. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. By this means they would have an opportunity of leaving their testimony for Christ before kings and rulers; and what they should meet with from them, would be a means of strengthening and confirming them in the truths of the Gospel; and be a proof and evidence to them of the certainty of the above things Christ had said should be accomplished; as well as be for a testimony against the rulers and governors, Jews, and Gentiles, before whom they should be convened; see Mt 10:18.
Luke 21:14
Ver. 14. Settle it therefore in your hearts,.... Resolve on this in your minds, and let it be a rule never to be departed from:
not to meditate before what you shall answer; not to sit down, and study a form of words, and scheme of things, what to reply to the ensnaring questions, that may be thought would be asked, by kings and rulers, or any of the judges before whom they should be brought; it being natural for persons, especially of a low life, to be timorous and fearful, to appear before such great personages, and to be thoughtful and solicitous what to say to any question that may be asked them; See Gill on "Mt 10:19".
Luke 21:15
Ver. 15. For I will give you a mouth,.... A faculty of speaking, a freedom of expression, a door of utterance, a good degree of elocution, to speak properly, pertinently and freely to any point:
and wisdom; to answer with great propriety, and in the most prudent manner, to any difficult and ensnaring question; and to furnish with such knowledge of the Gospel, and with such gifts and abilities to preach and defend it, that they should be able to give a clear and distinct account of it, and prove every point in it, by the most strong and convincing arguments, and vindicate it against all objections:
which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist. This was remarkably fulfilled in Peter, and John, and in Stephen, Ac 4:13. The first word, "gainsay", is left out in the Syriac and Persic versions.
Luke 21:16
Ver. 16. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren,.... See Gill on "Mt 10:21"
and kinsfolks, and friends. The Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions add, "your", to each of these relations, as your parents, &c.;
and some of you shall they cause to be put to death; as Stephen was stoned to death, and James, the brother of John, Herod killed with the sword, Ac 7:58 and indeed all of them were put to death, except John, before the destruction of Jerusalem.
Luke 21:17
Ver. 17. And ye shall be hated of all men,....
See Gill on "Mt 10:22".
See Gill on "Mt 24:9".
Luke 21:18
Ver. 18. But there shall not art hair of your head perish. That is, without the will of God, as in Mt 10:29 or not one shall perish, but what shall be restored again: or the sense is, that though they should be betrayed by their friends, and hated, and persecuted, and imprisoned by their enemies, yet they should be no losers in the main; all things should work together for their good; and though even they should be put to death, yet that would be to their advantage, since instead of a temporal, troublesome life, they should enjoy an eternal and happy one: for this cannot be understood of entire preservation from all corporeal damages and hurt; seeing it is, before declared, that they should be put into prisons, and some of them put to death; nor of their preservation at the destruction of Jerusalem, for none of them was living at that time, but the Apostle John, and he was not in those parts.
Luke 21:19
Ver. 19. In your patience, possess ye your souls. By patiently bearing all afflictions, reproaches, indignities, and persecutions, enjoy yourselves; let nothing disturb or distress you; possess that peace and joy in your souls, which the world cannot take away; see Ro 5:3. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "ye shall possess": and the sense may be this; by patient continuance, or by perseverance in the ways of God, and the truths of Christ unto the end, ye shall be saved; shall find your lives, and enjoy your souls, as in Mt 10:22.
Luke 21:20
Ver. 20. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,.... The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions read, "with an army"; that is, with the Roman army, as it was by the army which Titus Vespasian brought against it, and besieged it with:
then know that the desolation thereof is nigh; signifying, that there would be no deliverance to be expected, as when the Assyrian army under Rabshakeh appeared against it; but that whenever the Roman army besieged it, its destruction might be looked upon as inevitable; nor was the siege raised until it was destroyed, which was about four years after.
Luke 21:21
Ver. 21. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains,.... See Gill on "Mt 24:16".
And let them which are in the midst of it; either of Judea, as the preceding clause seems to direct the sense; or in Jerusalem, and which indeed was in the midst of Judea; and this sense is favoured by the Persic version, which renders it, "within the city"; let them go out of it, as the Christians did to Pella, Mount Libanus, and other places:
and let not them that are in the countries; either foreign countries, or in towns and villages;
enter thereinto: either into Judea, or into Jerusalem; contrary to this advice, they came from all countries to the feast of the passover at Jerusalem, and were there shut up by the siege and destroyed {c}.
{c} Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 7. c. 17.
Luke 21:22
Ver. 22. For these be the days of vengeance,.... Of God's vengeance on the Jewish nation, for their rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah;
that all things which are written may be fulfilled; as in Moses and the prophets; see De 28:20
Luke 21:23
Ver. 23. But woe unto them that are with-child,....
See Gill on "Mt 24:19".
For there shall be great distress in the land; of Judea. The Greek word anagkh, here used, properly signifies "necessity", but here intends afflictions and distress; in which sense it is often used by the Septuagint, as in Ps 107:6 and it is also by the Targumists adopted into their language, and used in the same sense {d}: and indeed, the distress was very great, and such a time of tribulation, as was never known since the beginning of the world, nor never will be the like; what with the enemy without, and their seditions and divisions within, the robberies, murders, and famine, which prevailed and abounded, their miseries are not to be expressed:
and wrath upon this people; of the Jews; even the wrath of God, as well as of man, which came upon them to the uttermost; and their own historian observes, that God, who had condemned the people, turned every way of salvation to their destruction {e}.
{d} Vid. Targum in Gen xxii. 14. & xxxviii. 25. & Targum Sheni in Esth. v. 1. {e} Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 15.
Luke 21:24
Ver. 24. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,.... Or "mouth of the sword", an Hebraism; see the Septuagint in Jud 1:8. The number of those that perished by the famine and sword, were eleven hundred thousand {f}:
and shall be led away captive unto all nations; when the city was taken, the most beautiful of the young men were kept for the triumph; and those that were above seventeen years of age, were sent bound into Egypt, to labour in the mines; many were distributed through the provinces, to be destroyed in the theatres, by the sword or beasts; and those that were under seventeen years of age, were led captive to be sold; and the number of these only, were ninety-seven thousand {g}:
and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles