Luke 19 44

Luke 19:44 kjv

And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Luke 19:44 nkjv

and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Luke 19:44 niv

They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

Luke 19:44 esv

and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Luke 19:44 nlt

They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you. "

Luke 19 verses

Luke 19 44 Meaning

This verse prophesies the complete destruction of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, declaring that no building, especially the Temple, would be left standing. This devastating judgment would fall upon them because they failed to recognize and respond to the specific, divinely appointed time of God's personal presence and redemptive visitation in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Their rejection of Him led to this imminent cataclysm.

Luke 19 44 Context

Luke 19:44 is part of Jesus' prophetic lament over Jerusalem, uttered immediately after His triumphal entry into the city (Luke 19:28-40) and just before His cleansing of the Temple. As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it (Luke 19:41), mourning the impending doom that would befall its inhabitants. His sorrow was not only for the physical destruction but also for their spiritual blindness and their rejection of Him as the Messiah and the bearer of peace. This prophecy of total demolition was fulfilled by the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 under General Titus, a historical event directly attributed to the Jewish rebellion against Roman rule, but biblically interpreted as God's judgment for their persistent rejection of His covenant and especially of His Son.

Luke 19 44 Word analysis

• and will level you to the ground:
  • Greek: ἐδαφιοῦσίν (edaphiousin) - from edaphizō, meaning "to level to the ground, demolish, lay flat." This is a strong verb indicating complete destruction, utterly razing a city. It implies siege warfare where defenses are systematically dismantled.
  • Significance: This describes the comprehensive military demolition Jerusalem would face, removing all elevated structures and fortifications. It speaks of a violence that eradicates any existing stronghold.
• and your children within you:
  • Greek: τὰ τέκνα σου ἐν σοί (ta tekna sou en soi) - "your children within you." Tekna (children) refers to the inhabitants of the city, young and old.
  • Significance: This emphasizes the tragic human cost of the impending destruction, highlighting the loss of lives within the city walls during the siege, a devastating consequence of famine and warfare.
• and they will not leave in you one stone upon another:
  • Greek: οὐκ ἀφήσουσιν λίθον ἐπὶ λίθον (ouk aphēsousin lithon epi lithon) - "they will not leave stone upon stone." This is a proverbial expression for total demolition.
  • Significance: While not explicitly stating the Temple, in its historical context and parallel accounts (Matt 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6), this phrase became synonymous with the complete dismantling of Jerusalem's greatest structures, most notably the Second Temple. It signifies irreversible obliteration, leaving no foundation or memory of its previous glory.
• because:
  • Greek: ἀνθ' ὧν (anth' hōn) - a conjunction meaning "for which reason, because."
  • Significance: This explicitly links the devastating judgment to the specific cause – their failure to recognize Jesus. It is a direct cause-and-effect relationship established by divine justice.
• you did not recognize:
  • Greek: οὐκ ἔγνως (ouk egnōs) - "you did not know/perceive/recognize" (from ginōskō). The negative aorist stresses a missed opportunity or a failure to grasp a truth presented.
  • Significance: It implies more than a lack of information; it points to a culpable failure of discernment. Despite signs, miracles, and prophetic fulfillment, Jerusalem as a corporate entity failed to understand Jesus' true identity and mission, indicating a spiritual blindness or obstinacy.
• the time:
  • Greek: καιρόν (kairon) - "opportune time, appointed time." This is kairos, not chronos (chronological time).
  • Significance: This distinguishes the specific, God-appointed season of Jesus' advent as a unique and critical period for the people to respond. It was a strategic moment in salvation history, not just any moment in time. Their failure was specifically concerning this particular, vital time.
• of your visitation:
  • Greek: τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς σου (tēs episkopēs sou) - "your visitation." Episkopē can mean "visitation," "inspection," "oversight," or "divine intervention."
  • Significance: In this context, it refers to God's direct and personal presence through Jesus as Messiah, bringing the gospel of peace and salvation. It was a time when God personally visited His people, offering them reconciliation and a way to avert disaster. Because this divine "visitation" was rejected, it ironically turned into a "visitation" of judgment. The very presence meant to save became the catalyst for judgment due to their unbelief.

Luke 19 44 Bonus section

The "visitation" concept in Scripture (episkopē in Greek, pakad in Hebrew) carries a dual potential: it can refer to a divine intervention for blessing and salvation (as in Lk 1:68, "He has visited and redeemed His people"), or it can refer to an intervention for inspection and judgment (as seen in OT contexts like Isa 10:3, Jer 6:15). Luke 19:44 illustrates this stark duality. Jesus' presence was fundamentally a "visitation" of grace and salvation, but because Jerusalem chose not to "recognize" or respond to it positively, that same visitation, by consequence of their rejection, became one of judgment and destruction. This highlights the critical role of human response to God's overtures of grace. The tears of Jesus in Luke 19:41 precede this prophecy, underscoring that this judgment was not capricious or joyful, but deeply lamentable to the One pronouncing it, showing profound love even in judgment.

Luke 19 44 Commentary

Luke 19:44 is a profoundly tragic prophecy, delivered by Jesus with tears, marking the climax of His journey towards Jerusalem. It is not an outburst of anger but a sorrowful declaration of an inevitable judgment for a grave spiritual failure. The "levelling to the ground" and "no stone upon another" speak to the utter physical annihilation that the Roman army would bring upon the city and its Temple in 70 AD, a historical fact validating Jesus' prophetic foresight. The essence of the verse, however, lies in the reason for this desolation: "because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." This "visitation" (episkopē) was the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, the unique, opportune time (kairos) when God personally visited His people, bringing them a message of peace and an opportunity for redemption. Jerusalem's spiritual blindness and ultimate rejection of her Messiah, the very source of their promised peace, sealed their tragic fate. This verse serves as a powerful reminder of the solemn consequences of missing God's specific moments of grace and rejecting His offer of salvation. It underlines divine justice alongside divine sorrow, showcasing God's anguish even as His righteous judgment falls.