Woe
to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Luke 21:23-24
Luke 21 [19.] “By your endurance you will win your lives.
Luke 21 [20.] “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the middle of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein. For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
Luke 21 [29.] He told them a parable. “See the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near. Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that God’s Kingdom is near. Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
Meaning:
Jesus had just told his disciples, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand,” and urged those in Judea to flee to the mountains (Luke 21:20-22). These two verses describe what would happen to those caught in the city’s fall, and they look beyond it to a long period in which Jerusalem would be under Gentile rule. Mark and Matthew speak of the same distress (Mark 13:14-18; Mark 13:19-20; Matthew 24:17-22).
- “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days!”
The word “woe” here is a cry of grief, not a curse. Jesus feels for the most vulnerable. Flight from a besieged city is hardest for expectant mothers and those carrying babies. On the way to the cross Jesus would say again to the women who mourned him, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28). His compassion reaches even those who would reject him.
- “great distress in the land, and wrath to this people”
The siege of Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus in AD 66-70 was one of the most terrible in ancient history. The Jewish historian Josephus describes famine, internal fighting and massive loss of life within the walls. Jesus calls it “wrath to this people,” the judgment Moses had warned of if Israel turned away from God: “Yahweh will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth” (Deuteronomy 28:64). Daniel also foresaw that “the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (Daniel 9:26). Jesus had wept over the city because it “didn’t know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44).
- “They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations”
Many died in the siege, and Josephus reports that tens of thousands were taken captive and sold as slaves throughout the empire. The scattering of the Jewish people among the nations followed, and it lasted for centuries.
- “Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”
Jesus looks past AD 70 to an extended period in which Jerusalem would be under the power of Gentile nations. The phrase “the times of the Gentiles” suggests a period set by God, with an appointed end. During this time the Good News goes out to the nations. Paul speaks of a similar divine timetable: “a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-26). The word “until” carries hope. God has not finished with his people, and his purposes for Israel and the nations will be completed.
The Significance of Luke 21:23-24
- God’s warnings are real
Jesus’ words came true within a generation. His warnings about judgment are not empty, and they call every generation to respond to God’s visitation while there is time.
- Compassion in judgment
Even while announcing judgment, Jesus grieves for mothers and children. God takes no pleasure in suffering. Believers are called to share that compassion for those who face disaster, whatever its cause.
- History in God’s hands
The “times of the Gentiles” are measured by God. Nations rise and fall, cities are taken and rebuilt, but the Lord of history sets the limits. That gives hope and patience to those who wait for his kingdom.
Cross-References:
Luke 21:20-22: "when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand." The verses just before.
Daniel 9:26: "the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;" Daniel’s prophecy.
Luke 23:28: "Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." Jesus’ grief on the way to the cross.
Romans 11:25: "until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in," God’s plan for Israel and the nations.
Conclusion: Jesus grieved over the suffering that would fall on Jerusalem, especially on mothers and little children, when the city was besieged and its people scattered among the nations. His words were fulfilled in AD 70, a sober reminder that God’s warnings are real. Yet the word “until” points to a set limit: the times of the Gentiles are in God’s hands, and his purposes for Israel and the nations will be completed.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible