Luke 21:32
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Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
This generation--not "this nation," as some interpret it, which, though admissible in itself, seems very unnatural here. It is rather as in Luk 9:27.
Open source ↗In this chapter we have, I. The notice Christ took, and the approbation he gave, of a poor widow that cast two mites into the treasury (Luk 21:1-4). II. A prediction of future events, in answer to his disciples' enquiries concerning them (Luk 21:5-7). 1. Of what should happen between that and the destruction of Jerusalem - false Christs arising, bloody wars and persecutions of Christ's followers (Luk 21:8-19). 2. Of that destruction itself (Luk 21:20-24). 3. Of the second coming of Jesus Christ to judge the world, under the type and figure of that (Luk 21:25-33). III. A practical application of this, by way of caution and counsel (Luk 21:34-36), and an account of Christ's preaching and the people's attendance on it (Luk 21:37, Luk 21:38).
Open source ↗21:32 this generation will not pass from the scene: This saying is puzzling—Jesus seems to have predicted that he would come again before the first generation of his disciples died out. There are three main interpretations: (1) the reference is to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 when Jesus “came” in judgment against the nation of Israel; (2) “this generation” is not Jesus’ contemporaries, but a future generation alive when these signs begin coming to fulfillment; (3) the term generation could be translated “race,” referring to the Jewish race that will not disappear before Christ returns.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.
Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”