Matthew 24 · Verse 19

Matthew 24:19

And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Matthew 24:19, King James Version

Matthew 24:19 in other translations

BSBHow miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!
WEBBut woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
ASVBut woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!
YLT‘And woe to those with child, and to those giving suck in those days;
DARBYBut woe to those that are with child, and those that give suck in those days.
BBEBut it will be hard for women who are with child and for those with babies at the breast in those days.
WebsterAnd woe to them that are with child, and to them that nurse infants in those days!

What does Matthew 24:19 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 19.

(r) "woe unto" Lk 23:29

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 And wo unto them (alas! for them) that are with child, etc. - For such persons are not in a condition to make their escape; neither can they bear the miseries of the siege. Josephus says the houses were full of women and children that perished by the famine; and that the mothers snatched the food even out of their own children's mouths. See War, b. v. c. 10. But he relates a more horrid story than this, of one Mary, the daughter of Eliezar, illustrious for her family and riches, who, being stripped and plundered of all her goods and provisions by the soldiers, in hunger, rage, and despair, killed and boiled her own sucking child, and had eaten one half of him before it was discovered. This shocking story is told, War, b. vi. c. 3, with several circumstances of aggravation.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 24:4-28

The disciples had asked concerning the times, When these things should be? Christ gave them no answer to that; but they had also asked, What shall be the sign? This question he answers fully. The prophecy first respects events near at hand, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state, the calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world; but it also looks to the…

Read the full comment on Matthew 24:4-28 →

Matthew 24:19 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.

οὐαὶouaiWoeG3759
δὲdethenG1161
ταῖςtaisto thoseG3588
ἐνeninG1722
γαστρὶgastriwomb [pregnancy]G1064
ἐχούσαιςechousaishavingG2192
καὶkaiandG2532
ταῖςtaisto thoseG3588
θηλαζούσαιςthēlazousaisnursing infantsG2337
ἐνeninG1722
ἐκείναιςekeinaisthoseG1565
ταῖςtaistheG3588
ἡμέραις.hēmeraisdays.G2250

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

Cross references for Matthew 24:19

  • Luke 23:29-30

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

  • Deuteronomy 28:53-56

    And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the Lord thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee: So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave: So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat: because he hath nothing left him in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates. 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,

  • 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.

  • Mark 13:17-18

    But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

  • 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.

  • Lamentations 4:3-4

    Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.

  • Hosea 13:16

    Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

  • 2 Samuel 4:4

    And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

  • 2 Kings 15:16

    Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
De 28:53-56; 2Sa 4:4; 2Ki 15:16; La 4:3,4,10; Ho 13:16; Mr 13:17,18
Lu 21:23; 23:29,30

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

Context

  • Matthew 24:18

    Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

  • Matthew 24:19

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

  • Matthew 24:20

    But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

Read all of Matthew 24

Matthew 24:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Mas ¡ay de las preñadas, y de las que crían en aquellos días!
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Mais malheur à celles qui sont enceintes et à celles qui allaitent en ces jours-là!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wehe aber den Schwangeren und den Säugenden in jenen Tagen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Væ autem prægnantibus et nutrientibus in illis diebus!