Luke 21:23

23 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.

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Luke 21:23 in Other Translations

KJV

23 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.

ESV

23 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.

NLT

23 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.

MSG

23 Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Incredible misery! Torrential rage!

CSB

23 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.

Luke 21:23 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 21:23

But woe unto them that are with-child
(See Gill on Matthew 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 ( Psalms 107:6 Psalms 107:13 Psalms 107:19 Psalms 107:28 ) ( 119:143 ) ( Jeremiah 9:15 ) and it is also by the Targumists adopted into their language, and used in the same sense ^F4: 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 ^F5.

FOOTNOTES:

F4 Vid. Targum in Gen xxii. 14. & xxxviii. 25. & Targum Sheni in Esth. v. 1.
F5 Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 6. c. 15.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Luke 21:23 In-Context

21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.

22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.

23 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.

24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.