Luke 21:24

New Testament Gospel ASV (1901)

What does Luke 21:24 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Luke 21:24 — American Standard Version

Context — Luke 21

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
24And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, etc.] Or “mouth of the sword”, an Hebraism; see the Septuagint in (<070108>Judges 1:8,25). The number of those that perished by the famine and sword, were eleven hundred thousand f650: and shall be led away captive unto all nations; when the city was taken, the most beautiful of the young men were kept for the triumph; and those that were above seventeen years of age, were sent bound into Egypt, to labour in the mines; many were distributed through the provinces, to be destroyed in the theatres, by the sword or beasts; and those that were under seventeen years of age, were led captive to be sold; and the number of these only, were ninety-seven…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Jerusalem . . . trodden down . . . until, &c.--Implying (1) that one day Jerusalem shall cease to be "trodden down by the Gentiles" (Rev 11:2), as then by pagan so now by Mohammedan unbelievers; (2) that this shall be at the "completion" of "the times of the Gentiles," which from Rom 11:25 (taken from this) we conclude to mean till the Gentiles have had their full time of that place in the Church which the Jews in their time had before them--after which, the Jews being again "grafted into their own olive tree," one Church of Jew and Gentile together shall fill the earth (Rom. 11:1-36). What a vista this opens up!”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The account of the destruction of Jerusalem contained in this chapter has been fully considered in the notes at Matthew 24:0. All that will be necessary here will be an explanation of a few words that did not occur in that chapter. Luke 21:9 Commotions - Insurrections. Subjects rising against their rulers. Luke 21:11 Fearful sights - See Matthew 24:7. Luke 21:12, Luke 21:13 Synagogues, and into prisons - See the notes at Mark 13:9-10. Luke 21:14 Settle it, therefore, in your hearts - Fix it firmly in your minds - so firmly as to become a settled principle - that you are always to depend on God for aid in all your trials. See Mark 13:11. Luke 21:15 A mouth - Eloquence, ability to speak as the…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive - Eleven hundred thousand perished in the siege of Jerusalem, and above ninety thousand were sold for slaves. So terribly was this prophecy fulfilled! And Jerusalem shall be trodden by the Gentiles - That is, inhabited. So it was indeed. The land was sold, and no Jew suffered even to come within sight of Jerusalem. The very foundations of the city were ploughed up, and a heathen temple built where the temple of God had stood. The times of the Gentiles - That is, the times limited for their treading the city; which shall terminate in the full conversion of the Gentiles. Luke 21:25”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“21:24 until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end: Daniel predicted a period of successive Gentile empires before the coming of God’s Kingdom (Dan 2:44; 7:27).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“led: Deu 28:64-68 Jerusalem: Isa 5:5, Isa 63:18; Lam 1:15; Rev 11:2 until: Isa 66:12, Isa 66:19; Dan 9:27, Dan 12:7; Mal 1:11; Rom 11:25 Luke 21:25”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification