Luke 21 · Verse 23

Luke 21:23

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.
Luke 21:23, King James Version

Luke 21:23 in other translations

BSBHow miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people.
WEBWoe 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.
ASVWoe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! for there shall be great distress upon the land, and wrath unto this people.
YLT‘And woe to those with child, and to those giving suck, in those days; for there shall be great distress on the land, and wrath on this people;
DARBYBut woe to them that are with child and to them who give suck in those days, for there shall be great distress upon the land and wrath upon this people.
BBEIt will be hard for women who are with child, and for her with a baby at the breast, in those days. For great trouble will come on the land, and wrath on this people.
WebsterBut woe to them that are with child, and to them that nurse infants in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

What does Luke 21:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. woe unto--"alas for." with child, &c.--from the greater suffering it would involve; as also "flight in winter, and on the sabbath," which they were to "pray" against (Mt 24:20), the one as more trying to the body, the other to the soul. "For then shall be tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world, nor ever shall be"--language not unusual in the Old Testament for tremendous calamities, though of this it may perhaps be literally said, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Mt 24:21, 22). But for this merciful "shortening," brought about by a remarkable concurrence of causes, the whole nation would have perished, in which there yet remained a remnant to be afterwards gathered out. Here in Matthew and Mark (Mt 24:24; Mr 13:22) are some particulars about "false Christs," who should, "if possible"--a precious clause--"deceive the very elect." (Compare 2Th 2:9-11; Re 13:13.)

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 23.

(u) "But woe unto them" Lam 4:10

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 21:5-28

With much curiosity those about Christ ask as to the time when the great desolation should be. He answers with clearness and fulness, as far as was necessary to teach them their duty; for all knowledge is desirable as far as it is in order to practice. Though spiritual judgements are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer…

Read the full comment on Luke 21:5-28 →

Luke 21:23 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΟὐαὶOuaiBut woeG3759
ταῖςtaisto thoseG3588
ἐνeninG1722
γαστρὶgastriwomb [pregnancy]G1064
ἐχούσαιςechousaishavingG2192
καὶkaiandG2532
ταῖςtaisto the [ones]G3588
θηλαζούσαιςthēlazousaisnursingG2337
ἐνeninG1722
ἐκείναιςekeinaisthoseG1565
ταῖςtaistheG3588
ἡμέραις·hēmeraisdays;G2250
ἔσταιestaithere will beG1510
γὰρgarforG1063
ἀνάγκηanagkēdistressG318
μεγάληmegalēgreatG3173
ἐπὶepiuponG1909
τῆςtēstheG3588
γῆςgēslandG1093
καὶkaiandG2532
ὀργὴorgēwrathG3709
τῷtōto theG3588
λαῷlaōpeopleG2992
τούτῳ,toutōthis,G3778

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 21:23

  • Matthew 24:19

    And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

  • Mark 13:17

    But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

  • Luke 23:29

    For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

  • Lamentations 4:10

    The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

  • Deuteronomy 28:56-57

    The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

  • 1 Peter 4:17

    For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

  • James 5:1

    Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:16

    Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

  • Hebrews 10:26-31

    For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? …

  • Luke 19:43

    For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

  • Matthew 21:41

    They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

  • Matthew 21:44

    And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
woe.
23:29; De 28:56,57; La 4:10; Heb 9:12-17; 13:16; Mt 24:19; Mr 13:17
great.
19:27,43; Mt 21:41,44; 1Th 2:16; Heb 10:26-31; Jas 5:1; 1Pe 4:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 21:22

    For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

  • Luke 21:23

    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.

  • Luke 21:24

    And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Read all of Luke 21

Luke 21:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas ¡ay de las preñadas, y de las que crían en aquellos días! porque habrá apuro grande sobre la tierra é ira en este pueblo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais malheur à celles qui sont enceintes et à celles qui allaitent en ces jours-là! car il y aura une grande détresse sur le pays, et de la colère contre ce peuple.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wehe aber den Schwangeren und den Säugenden in jenen Tagen! denn große Not wird in dem Lande sein, und Zorn über dieses Volk.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Væ autem prægnantibus et nutrientibus in illis diebus! erit enim pressura magna super terram, et ira populo huic.