Luke 23 · Verse 30

Luke 23:30

Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Luke 23:30, King James Version

Luke 23:30 in other translations

BSBAt that time ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
WEBThen they will begin to tell the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’
ASVThen shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
YLTthen they shall begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us; --
DARBYThen shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall upon us; and to the hills, Cover us:
BBEAnd they will say to the mountains, Come down on us, and to the hills, Be a cover over us.
WebsterThen shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

What does Luke 23:30 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 23:27-31

27-31. women--not the precious Galilean women (Lu 23:49), but part of the crowd.

Read the full comment on Luke 23:27-31 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 30. To the mountains, Fall on us, &c. This is an image of great calamities and judgments. So great will be the calamities that they will seek for shelter from the storm, and will call on the hills to protect them. The same figure is used respecting the wicked in the day of judgment in Rev 6:16,17. Compare also Is 2:21

(z) "Then shall they begin" Isa 2:19, Hos 10:8, Rev 16:6, 9:6

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 30 Mountains, fall on us - As this refers to the destruction of Jerusalem, and as the same expressions are used, Rev 6:16, Dr. Lightfoot conjectures that the whole of that chapter may relate to the same event.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 23:26-31

We have here the blessed Jesus, the Lamb of God, led as a lamb to the slaughter, to the sacrifice. Though many reproached and reviled him, yet some pitied him. But the death of Christ was his victory and triumph over his enemies: it was our deliverance, the purchase of eternal life for us. Therefore weep not for him, but let us weep for our own sins, and the sins of our children, which caused his death; and weep for…

Read the full comment on Luke 23:26-31 →

Luke 23:30 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.

τότεtoteThenG5119
ἄρξονταιarxontaiThey will beginG757
λέγεινlegeinto sayG3004
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
ὄρεσιν·oresinmountains;G3735
πέσετεpesetedo fallG4098
ἐφ᾽eph᾽uponG1909
ἡμᾶς·hēmasus;G3165
καὶkaiandG2532
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
βουνοῖς·bounoishills;G1015
καλύψατεkalupsatedo coverG2572
ἡμᾶς.hēmasus.G3165

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

Cross references for Luke 23:30

  • Revelation 6:16

    And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

  • Hosea 10:8

    The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

  • Isaiah 2:19

    And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

  • Revelation 9:6

    And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Isa 2:19; Ho 10:8; Re 6:16; 9:6

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Luke 23:30

    Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

  • Luke 23:31

    For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

Read all of Luke 23

Luke 23:30 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces comenzarán á decir á los montes: Caed sobre nosotros: y á los collados: Cubridnos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Alors ils se mettront à dire aux montagnes: Tombez sur nous; et aux coteaux: Couvrez-nous;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Dann werden sie anheben, zu den Bergen zu sagen: Fallet auf uns! und zu den Hügeln: Bedecket uns!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tunc incipient dicere montibus: Cadite super nos; et collibus: Operite nos.