Luke 21:10

New Century Version

Then he said to them, "Nations will fight against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then he told them: “Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

King James Version (1611)
Then said he vnto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdome against kingdome:

King James Version
Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

English Standard Version
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

New American Standard Bible
Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

Amplified Bible
Then Jesus told them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then He continued saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,

Berean Standard Bible
Then He told them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Contemporary English Version
Nations will go to war against one another, and kingdoms will attack each other.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then he told them, "Peoples will fight each other, nations will fight each other,

Darby Translation
Then he said to them, Nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Jesus said to them, "Nations will fight against other nations. Kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said hee vnto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdome against kingdome,

George Lamsa Translation
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Good News Translation
He went on to say, "Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another.

Lexham English Bible
Then he said to them, "nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom.

Literal Translation
Then He said to them, Nation will be lifted up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

American Standard Version
Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

Bible in Basic English
Then he said to them, Nation will be moved against nation and kingdom against kingdom:

Hebrew Names Version
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

International Standard Version
Then he went on to say to them, "Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.Matthew 24:7;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

Murdock Translation
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde he vnto them: Nation shall ryse agaynst nation, & kyngdome agaynst kyngdome.

English Revised Version
Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

World English Bible
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then said he to them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Weymouth's New Testament
Then He said to them, "Nation will rise in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne he seide to hem, Folk schal rise ayens folk, and rewme ayens rewme;

Update Bible Version
Then he said to them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said he to them, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

New English Translation
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

New King James Version
Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

New Living Translation
Then he added, "Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

New Life Bible
Then Jesus said to them, "Nations will have wars with other nations. Countries will fight against countries.

New Revised Standard
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, said he unto them - There will rise up, nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Revised Standard Version
Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then sayd he vnto the: Nacion shall ryse agaynst nacion and kingdom agaynst kyngdome

Young's Literal Translation
Then said he to them, `Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde he vnto them: One people shal ryse agaynst another, and one realme ageynst another,

Mace New Testament (1729)
then nation, said he, shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

THE MESSAGE
He went on, "Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. You'll think at times that the very sky is falling.

Simplified Cowboy Version
>Then Jesus said, "Nations will fight nations and ranches will fight ranches.

Contextual Overview

⁵ Some people were talking about the Temple and how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts offered to God. But Jesus said, ⁶ "As for these things you are looking at, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be thrown down." ⁷ They asked Jesus, "Teacher, when will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place?" ⁸ Jesus said, "Be careful so you are not fooled. Many people will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the One' and, ‘The time has come!' But don't follow them. ⁹ When you hear about wars and riots, don't be afraid, because these things must happen first, but the end will come later." ¹⁰ Then he said to them, "Nations will fight against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms. ¹¹ In various places there will be great earthquakes, sicknesses, and a lack of food. Fearful events and great signs will come from heaven. ¹² "But before all these things happen, people will arrest you and treat you cruelly. They will judge you in their synagogues and put you in jail and force you to stand before kings and governors, because you follow me. ¹³ But this will give you an opportunity to tell about me. ¹⁴ Make up your minds not to worry ahead of time about what you will say.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Nation shall: This portended the dissensions, insurrections, and mutual slaughter of the Jews, the open wars of different tetrarchies, and the civil wars in Italy between Otho and Vitellius. 2 Chronicles 15:5, 2 Chronicles 15:6, Haggai 2:21, Haggai 2:22, Zechariah 14:2, Zechariah 14:3, Zechariah 14:13, Mark 13:8, Acts 2:19, Acts 2:20, Acts 11:28, Hebrews 12:27, Revelation 6:2-12

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 25:32 - evil Haggai 2:7 - I will shake

Cross-References

Genesis 17:19
God said, "No, Sarah your wife will have a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will make my agreement with him to be an agreement that continues forever with all his descendants.

Genesis 17:21
But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son whom Sarah will have at this same time next year."

Genesis 20:11
Then Abraham answered, "I thought no one in this place respected God and that someone would kill me to get Sarah.

Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, "God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.

Genesis 21:7
No one thought that I would be able to have Abraham's child, but even though Abraham is old I have given him a son."

Genesis 21:11
This troubled Abraham very much because Ishmael was also his son.

Genesis 21:12
But God said to Abraham, "Don't be troubled about the boy and the slave woman. Do whatever Sarah tells you. The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac.

Genesis 21:22
Then Abimelech came with Phicol, the commander of his army, and said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do.

Genesis 21:31
So that place was called Beersheba because they made a promise to each other there.

Genesis 22:10
Then Abraham took his knife and was about to kill his son.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said he unto them, nation shall rise,....

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The account of the destruction of Jerusalem contained in this chapter has been fully considered in the notes at Matthew 24:0. All that will be necessary here will be an explanation of a few words that did not occur in that chapter.

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 - that you are always to depend on God for aid in all your trials. See Mark 13:11.

Luke 21:15

A mouth - Eloquence, ability to speak as the case may demand. Compare Exodus 4:11.

Gainsay - Speak against. They will not be able to “reply” to it, or to “resist” the force of what you shall say.

Luke 21:18

A hair of your head perish - This is a proverbial expression, denoting that they should not suffer any essential injury. This was strikingly fulfilled in the fact that in the calamities of Jerusalem there is reason to believe that no Christian suffered. Before those calamities came on the city they had fled to “Pella,” a city on the east of the Jordan. See the notes at Matthew 24:18.

Luke 21:19

In your patience - Rather by your perseverance. The word “patience” here means constancy or perseverance in sustaining afflictions.

Possess ye your souls - Some read here the “future” instead of the “present” of the verb rendered “possess.” The word “possess” means here to “preserve” or keep, and the word “souls” means “lives.” This passage may be thus translated: By persevering in bearing these trials you “will” save your lives, or you will be safe; or, by persevering “preserve” your lives; that is, do not yield to these calamities, but bear up under them, for he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. Compare Matthew 24:13.

Luke 21:22

All things which are written may be fulfilled - Judgment had been threatened by almost all the prophets against that wicked city. They had spoken of its crimes and threatened its ruin. Once God had destroyed Jerusalem and carried the people to Babylon; but their crimes had been repeated when they returned, and God had again threatened their ruin. Particularly was this very destruction foretold by Daniel, Daniel 9:26-27; “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” See the notes at that passage.

Luke 21:24

Shall fall ... - No less than one million one hundred thousand perished in the siege of Jerusalem.

Shall be led away captive - More than 90,000 were led into captivity. See the notes at Matthew 24:0.

Shall be trodden down by the Gentiles - Shall be in possession of the Gentiles, or be subject to them. The expression also implies that it would be an “oppressive” subjection, as when a captive in war is trodden down under the feet of the conqueror. Anciently conquerors “trod on” the necks of those who were subdued by them, Jos 10:24; 2 Samuel 22:41; Ezekiel 21:29. The bondage of Jerusalem has been long and very oppressive. It was for a long time under the dominion of the Romans, then of the Saracens, and is now of the Turks, and is aptly represented by a captive stretched on the ground whose neck is “trodden” by the foot of the conqueror.

Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled - This passage has been understood very differently by different expositors. Some refer it to the time which the Romans who conquered it had dominion over it, as signifying that “they” should keep possession of it until a part of the pagans should be converged, when it should be rebuilt. Thus it was rebuilt by the Emperor Adrian. Others suppose that it refers to the end of the world, when all the Gentiles shall be converted, and they shall “cease” to be Gentiles by becoming Christians, meaning that it should “always” be desolate. Others, that Christ meant to say that in the times of the millennium, when the gospel should spread universally, he would reign personally on the earth, and that the “Jews” would return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. This is the opinion of the Jews and of many Christians. The meaning of the passage clearly is,

1. That Jerusalem would be completely destroyed.
2. That this would be done by Gentiles - that is, by the Roman armies.
3. That this desolation would continue as long as God should judge it proper in a fit manner to express his abhorrence of the crimes of the nation - that is, until the times allotted to “them” by God for this desolation should be accomplished, without specifying how long that would be, or what would occur to the city after that.

It “may” be rebuilt, and inhabited by converted Jews. Such a thing is “possible,” and the Jews naturally seek that as their home; but whether this be so or not, the time when the “Gentiles,” as such, shall have dominion over the city is limited. Like all other cities on the earth, it will yet be brought under the influence of the gospel, and will be inhabited by the true friends of God. Pagan, infidel, anti-Christian dominion shall cease there, and it will be again a place where God will be worshipped in sincerity - a place “even then” of special interest from the recollection of the events which have occurred there. “How long” it is to be before this occurs is known only to Him “who hath put the times and seasons in his own power,” Acts 1:7.

Luke 21:25

See the notes at Matthew 24:29.

Upon the earth distress of nations - Some have proposed to render the word “earth” by “land,” confining it to Judea. It often has this meaning, and there seems some propriety in so using it here. The word translated “distress” denotes anxiety of mind - such an anxiety as people have when they do not know what to do to free themselves from calamities; and it means here that the calamities would be so great and overwhelming that they would not know what to do to escape. There would be a want of counsel, and deep anxiety at the impending evils.

With perplexity - Rather “on account” of their perplexity, or the desperate state of their affairs. The Syriac has it, “perplexity or wringing of hands,” which is a sign of deep distress and horror.

The sea and the waves roaring - This is not to be understood literally, but as an image of great distress. Probably it is designed to denote that these calamities would come upon them like a deluge. As when in a storm the ocean roars, and wave rolls on wave and dashes against the shore, and each succeeding surge is more violent than the one that preceded it, so would the calamities come upon Judea. They would roll over the whole land, and each wave of trouble would be more violent than the one that preceded it, until the whole country would be desolate. The same image is also used in Isaiah 8:7-8, and Revelation 18:15.

Luke 21:26

Men’s hearts failing them - This is an expression denoting the highest terror. The word rendered “failing” commonly denotes to “die,” and here it means that the terror would be so great that people would faint and be ready to die in view of the approaching calamities. And if this was true in respect to the judgments about to come upon Judea, how much more so will it be in the day of judgment, when the wicked will be arraigned before the Son of God, and when they shall have before them the prospect of the awful sufferings of hell - the pains and woes which shall continue forever! It will be no wonder, then, if they call on the rocks and mountains to hide them from the face of God, and if their hearts sink within them at the prospect of eternal suffering.

Luke 21:28

Your redemption draweth nigh - See the notes at Matthew 24:33. This is expressed in Luke 21:31 thus: “the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” - that is, from that time God will signally build up his kingdom. It shall be fully established when the Jewish policy shall come to an end; when the temple shall be destroyed, and the Jews scattered abroad. Then the power of the Jews shall be at an end; they shall no longer be able to persecute you, and you shall be completely delivered from all these trials and calamities in Judea.

Luke 21:34

Lest at any time your hearts be overcharged ... - The meaning of this verse is, “Be continually expecting these things. Do not forget them, and do not be “secure” and satisfied with this life and the good things which it furnishes. Do not suffer yourselves to be drawn into the fashions of the world; to be conformed to its customs; to partake of its feasts and revelry; and so these calamities shall come upon you when you least expect them.” And from this we may learn - what alas! we may from the “lives” of many professing Christians - that there is need of cautioning the disciples of Jesus now that they do not indulge in the festivities of this life, and “forget” that they are to die and come to judgment. How many, alas! who bear the Christian name, have forgotten this caution of the Saviour, and live as if their lives were secure; as if they feared not death; as if there were no heaven and no judgment! Christians should feel that they are soon to die, and that their portion is not in this life; and, feeling this, they should be “looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.”

Overcharged - Literally, “be made heavy,” as is the case with those who have eaten and drunken too much.

Surfeiting - Excessive eating and drinking, so as to oppress the body; indulgence in the pleasures of the table. This word does not include “intoxication,” but merely indulgence in food and drink, though the food and drink should be in themselves lawful.

Drunkenness - Intoxication, intemperance in drinking. The ancients were not acquainted with the poison that we chiefly use on which to become drunk. They had no distilled spirits. They became intoxicated on wine, and strong drink made of a mixture of dates, honey, etc. All nations have contrived some way to become intoxicated - to bring in folly, and disease, and poverty, and death, by drunkenness; and in nothing is the depravity of men more manifest than in thus endeavoring to hasten the ravages of crime and death.

Luke 21:35

As a snare - In Matthew and Mark Jesus compares the suddenness with which these calamities would come to the deluge coming in the days of Noah. Here he likens it to a snare. Birds are caught by a snare or net. It is sprung on them quickly, and when they are not expecting it. So, says he, shall these troubles come upon Judea. The figure is often used to denote the suddenness of calamities, Psalms 69:22; Romans 11:9; Psalms 124:7; Isaiah 24:17.

Luke 21:36

To stand before the Son of man - These approaching calamities are represented as the “coming of the Son of man” to judge Jerusalem for its crimes. Its inhabitants were so wicked that they were not worthy to stand before him and would be condemned, and the city would be overthrown. To “stand before him” here denotes approbation, acquittal, favor, and is equivalent to saying that “they” would be free from these calamities, while they should come upon others. See Romans 14:4; Psalms 1:5; Psalms 130:3; Revelation 6:17. Perhaps, also, there is a reference here to the day of judgment. See the notes at Matthew 24:0.