Matthew 24 · Verse 3

Matthew 24:3

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Matthew 24:3, King James Version

Matthew 24:3 in other translations

BSB	While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”
WEB	As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”
ASV	And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
YLT	And when he is sitting on the mount of the Olives, the disciples came near to him by himself, saying, ‘Tell us, when shall these be? and what is the sign of thy presence, and of the full end of the age?'
DARBY	And as he was sitting upon the mount of Olives the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what is the sign of thy coming and the completion of the age?
BBE	And while he was seated on the Mountain of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Make clear to us, when will these things be? and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?
Webster	And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be? and what will be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

What does Matthew 24:3 mean?

Barnes' Notes

Verse 3. He sat upon the mount of Olives. Mt 21:1. From that mount there was a magnificent view of the whole city.

The disciples came unto him privately. Not all of them, but Peter, James, John, and Andrew, Mk 13:3. The prediction that the temple would be destroyed, Mt 24:2 had been made in the presence of all the apostles. A part now came privately to know more particularly when this would be.

When shall these things be! There are three questions here:

1st. When those things should take place.

2nd. What should be the signs of his coming.

3rd. What should be the signs that the end of the world was near. To these questions he replies in this and the following chapters. This he does, not by noticing them distinctly, but by intermingling the descriptions of the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the end of the world; so that it is sometimes difficult to tell to what particular subject his remarks apply. The principle on which this combined description of two events was spoken appears to be, that they could be described in the same words, and, therefore, the accounts are intermingled. A similar use of language is found in some parts of Isaiah, where the same language will describe the return from the Babylonish captivity, and deliverance by the Messiah, and therefore was used by the prophet. Isa 1:1, paragraph 7.

Sign of thy coming. Evidence that thou art coming. By what token shall we know that thou art coming?

(c) "end of the world" 1Thes 5:1

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 Tell us, when shall these things be? - There appear to be three questions asked here by the disciples. 1st. When shall these things be? viz. the destruction of the city, temple, and Jewish state. 2dly. What shall be the sign of thy coming? viz. to execute these judgments upon them, and to establish thy own Church: and 3dly. When shall this world end? When wilt thou come to judge the quick and the dead? But there are some who maintain that these are but three parts of the same question, and that our Lord's answers only refer to the destruction of the Jewish state, and that nothing is spoken here concerning the Last or judgment day. End of the world - Του αιωνος; or, of the age, viz. the Jewish economy, which is a frequent accommodated meaning of the word Αιων, the proper meaning of which is, as Aristotle (De Caelo) observes, Eternal. Αιων, quasi αει ων continual being: and no words can more forcibly point out eternity than these. See the note on Gen 21:33.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 24:1-3

Christ foretells the utter ruin and destruction coming upon the temple. A believing foresight of the defacing of all worldly glory, will help to keep us from admiring it, and overvaluing it. The most beautiful body soon will be food for worms, and the most magnificent building a ruinous heap. See ye not all these things? It will do us good so to see them as to see through them, and see to the end of them. Our Lord…

Read the full comment on Matthew 24:1-3 →

Matthew 24:3 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.

ΚαθημένουKathēmenouWhen was sittingG2521

δὲdenowG1161

αὐτοῦautouHeG846

ἐπὶepiuponG1909

τοῦtoutheG3588

ὄρουςorousMountG3735

τῶνtōn<the>G3588

ἐλαιῶνelaiōnof OlivesG1638

προσῆλθονprosēlthoncame toG4334

αὐτῷautōto HimG846

οἱhoitheG3588

μαθηταὶmathētaidisciplesG3101

κατ᾽kat᾽inG2596

ἰδίανidianprivateG2398

λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004

εἰπὲeipedo tellG2036

ἡμῖνhēminusG3165

πότεpotewhenG4219

ταῦταtautathese thingsG3778

ἔσταιestaiwill beG1510

καὶkaiAndG2532

τίtiwhat [is]G5101

τὸtotheG3588

σημεῖονsēmeionsignG4592

τῆςtēs<the>G3588

σῆςsēsof YourG4771

παρουσίαςparousiascomingG3952

καὶkaiandG2532

συντελείαςsunteleiasconsummationG4930

τοῦtouof theG3588

αἰῶνος;¶aiōnosage?G165

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

Cross references for Matthew 24:3

Mark 13:3-4
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
Acts 1:7
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. …
Matthew 24:37
But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 13:49
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Daniel 12:6-8
And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
Luke 21:7
And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?
Matthew 13:39-40
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Matthew 24:32-33
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Matthew 21:1
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
Matthew 24:27
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

he sat.
21:1; Mr 13:3,4
the disciples.
13:10,11,36; 15:12; 17:19
Tell.
Da 12:6-8; Lu 21:7; Joh 21:21,22; Ac 1:7; 1Th 5:1-11
the sign.
32,33,43
the end.
13:39,40,49; 28:20; Heb 9:26

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

Context

Matthew 24:2
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Matthew 24:3
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Matthew 24:4
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Read all of Matthew 24

Matthew 24:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y sentándose él en el monte de las Olivas, se llegaron á él los discípulos aparte, diciendo: Dinos, ¿cuándo serán estas cosas, y qué señal habrá de tu venida, y del fin del mundo?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et comme il était assis sur la montagne des Oliviers, les disciples vinrent à lui en particulier, disant: Dis-nous quand ces choses auront lieu, et quel sera le signe de ta venue et de la consommation du siècle.
German Elberfelder 1871	Als er aber auf dem Ölberge saß, traten seine Jünger zu ihm besonders und sprachen: Sage uns, wann wird dieses sein, und was ist das Zeichen deiner Ankunft und der Vollendung des Zeitalters?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Sedente autem eo super montem Oliveti, accesserunt ad eum discipuli secreto, dicentes: Dic nobis, quando hæc erunt? et quod signum adventus tui, et consummationis sæculi?