Bible Commentaries
Luke 21

Verses 1-4

Luke 21:1-4 . The Widow’ s Two Mites.— With some abbreviation Lk. closely follows Mark 12:41-44 *.

Verses 5-36

Luke 21:5-36 . The Eschatological Discourse (Mark 13*, Matthew 24*).— Lk. follows Mk., though with certain modifications and amplifications. In Mt., Mk. is blended with Q, but Lk. has already used the Q material in ch. 17.

The following table shows the parallels:

Luke 21. Mark 13. Matthew 24. Introduction Luke 21:5-7 Mark 13:1-4 Matthew 24:1-3 First Signs of the End Luke 21:8-11 Mark 13:5-8 Matthew 24:4-8 Persecution Luke 21:12-19 Mark 13:9-13 Matthew 24:9-14 ( Matthew 10:17-21) Luke 21:20-23 Mark 13:14-20 Matthew 24:15-22 The Fall of Jerusalem For Mark 13:21-23 For Matthew 24:23-28 Luke 21:24 (Lk. only) cf. Luke 17:20-25 Natural commotions. Luke 21:25-28 Mark 13:24-27 Matthew 24:29-31 The Summer and the Kingdom. Luke 21:29-31 Mark 13:28 f. Matthew 24:32 f. Luke 21:32 f. Mark 13:30-32 Matthew 24:34-36 Concluding injunctions Luke 21:34-36 (Lk. only, but cf. Luke 21:33-37)

Luke 21:8 . I am he, i.e. for whom you are looking, the man you expect. It is curious that the saying the time is at hand,” should be a mark of deception. It reveals the later date at which Lk. was writing.

Luke 21:9 . Note Lk.’ s additions to Mk., “ first” and “ immediately.”

Luke 21:12 . before all these things: Lk. here slips into history disguised as prediction (in Luke 21:25 he returns to prediction). In Mk. it is implied that the persecutions are contemporaneous with the wars, etc.

Luke 21:13 . “ That will turn out an opportunity for you to bear witness” (Moffatt); “ it will end for you in martyrdom” (J. Weiss).

Luke 21:14 . Cf. Luke 12:11 f.*.

Luke 21:15 . a mouth, i.e. words. The promise had been fulfilled in Peter and John, Stephen and Paul, when Lk. wrote.

Luke 21:18 f. Lk.’ s substitute for “ he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Luke 21:18 apparently contradicts the end of Luke 21:16; it may refer to the real (spiritual) victory and well-being of the confessors, and have the same meaning as Luke 21:19, where patience is endurance, steadfast holding out. The soul, the true life, is to be won in the conflict (RV is much to be preferred here to AV). Or Luke 21:18 (and Luke 21:19) may be a word of hope for Lk.’ s contemporaries, while Luke 21:16 may look back to some who had actually met death.

Luke 21:20 . Lk. omits the reference to the “ abomination of desolation,” though using the latter word.

Luke 21:22 is peculiar to Lk. (and may have behind it Micah 3:12).

Luke 21:24 . Lk. only. The best commentary on this verse is the description of the siege and fall of Jerusalem in Josephus.— times of the Gentiles: an apocalyptic catchword; the period set for the Roman Empire.

Luke 21:25 . Jerusalem has fallen, but the end is not yet. Grim portents will usher it in; for the language cf. Isaiah 13:10, Joel 2:10. These calamities are to inspire the Christians with hope. As the sprouting of the trees indicates the approach of summer, so these dire happenings betoken the Parousia which is to effect their deliverance and salvation from all the woes they have been enduring.

Luke 21:34 ff. Lk.’ s substitute for the saying that “ no one knows the day or the hour.” It runs off into the injunction to “ watch” which we find in Mk. and Mt., though this also is given in Lk.’ s own form.— of this life: the Gr adjective thus translated is found in the papyri in the sense of business (documents) or livelihood.

Luke 21:36 . Cf. 1 John 2:28.

Luke 21:37 f. Cf. Mark 11:19. Matthew 21:17 says Jesus slept at Bethany, but not necessarily more than one night.