Matthew 24:8 kjv
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew 24:8 nkjv
All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew 24:8 niv
All these are the beginning of birth pains.
Matthew 24:8 esv
All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
Matthew 24:8 nlt
But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
Matthew 24 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 24:6 | "You will hear of wars... but the end is not yet." | Reiterates that initial signs are not the consummation. |
| Mark 13:7-8 | "when you hear of wars... this is but the beginning of the birth pains." | Parallel passage, reinforcing the "birth pains" metaphor. |
| Luke 21:9-11 | "When you hear of wars... These things must take place first, but the end will not be at once." | Parallel passage, confirming the sequential nature. |
| 1 Thess 5:3 | "When people say, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains." | Paul uses the "labor pains" metaphor for sudden judgment. |
| Isa 13:8 | "they will be in anguish, like a woman in labor... Look, the day of the LORD is coming." | Old Testament uses birth pains for the Day of the LORD's judgment. |
| Jer 30:6-7 | "Ask now, and see, can a male bear a child?... It is the time of Jacob's trouble." | Describes extreme distress akin to labor for the time of trouble. |
| Hos 13:13 | "The pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for at the proper time he does not present himself at the opening of the womb." | A warning about Israel's failure to recognize a moment of crucial deliverance/change. |
| Mic 4:9-10 | "Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pangs have seized you like a woman in labor?... You shall go to Babylon; there you shall be rescued." | Pangs preceding a major historical event and deliverance. |
| Rom 8:22 | "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." | Broader suffering of creation anticipating renewal/redemption, conceptually related. |
| Dan 12:1 | "And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time." | Foreshadows unprecedented tribulation following these initial signs. |
| Zech 14:1-2 | "Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst... all the nations gathered for battle." | Depicts future global conflict leading to divine intervention. |
| Joel 2:1-2 | "A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness!... A great and powerful people are coming." | Portrays an era of impending judgment with severe characteristics. |
| Isa 19:2 | "And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they shall fight, every one against his brother and every one against his neighbor." | Wars as a sign of divine judgment or historical progression. |
| 2 Chron 15:6 | "Nation was shattered by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress." | Refers to times of widespread trouble and conflict among nations. |
| Lam 1:12 | "Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow." | Emphasizes deep and extensive suffering. |
| Psa 48:6 | "Terror seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor." | The metaphor of birth pangs describing acute distress. |
| John 16:21 | "When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." | Explains the temporary nature of sorrow that gives way to great joy, applicable to Messianic delivery. | Acts 2:19 | "And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below..." | References Joel's prophecy of signs preceding the great day of the Lord. |
| Rev 6:3-8 | "When he opened the second seal... a red horse came out... When he opened the third seal... a black horse... When he opened the fourth seal... a pale horse..." | The first four seals correspond to increasing war, famine, plague, and death, aligning with the "sorrows." |
| Rom 5:3-4 | "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." | The purpose of distress for believers, building resilience in anticipation. |
| Jas 1:2-4 | "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." | Connects trials with spiritual growth and endurance. |
Matthew 24 verses
Matthew 24 8 Meaning
Matthew 24:8 states that the global upheavals, wars, famines, and earthquakes mentioned just prior are merely the "beginning of sorrows." The Greek word for "sorrows," ōdinōn, specifically means "birth pains" or "labor pains." Thus, the verse signifies that these described troubles are not the end, but rather the initial, increasingly intense, and frequent signs preceding a major climactic event, akin to a woman's labor pains preceding childbirth. They indicate the approaching dawn of the Messianic Age and the return of Christ, not its immediate arrival.
Matthew 24 8 Context
Matthew 24 records Jesus' Olivet Discourse, a response to His disciples' questions about the destruction of the Temple and the sign of His coming and the end of the age (Mat 24:3). Jesus first warned them about deceptions and immediate disturbances like "wars and rumors of wars" (Mat 24:6), famines, and earthquakes (Mat 24:7). Verse 8 serves as a crucial interpretative key: it clarifies that these preliminary troubles are not the "end" (as stated in Mat 24:6), but rather indicators of the approaching "end" – akin to the escalating intensity and frequency of birth pangs. The context thus defines a specific sequence of escalating signs, separating initial disturbances from the final culmination of the age, preparing His listeners for prolonged endurance rather than immediate conclusion.
Matthew 24 8 Word analysis
- All these (ταῦτα πάντα - tauta panta): ταῦτα (tauta): "these things," referring directly to the false Christs, wars, famines, and earthquakes mentioned in the preceding verses (Matt 24:4-7). πάντα (panta): "all," emphasizing the comprehensive nature of these specified occurrences as a collective category of initial signs. It signifies that the entire cluster of these phenomena, not just one in isolation, constitutes the beginning.
- are (ἐστίν - estin): Simple present tense of the verb "to be." It indicates a definitive and present reality. These things are unequivocally the beginning, not merely a prediction of what might be.
- the beginning (ἀρχὴ - archē): ἀρχὴ (archē): This Greek word denotes "beginning," "origin," or "first cause." In this context, it marks the commencement or the starting point of the events leading to the end, distinct from the end itself. It implies a process that will unfold over time, increasing in intensity and frequency. It's a foundational phase, not the culmination.
- of sorrows (ὠδίνων - ōdinōn): ὠδίνων (ōdinōn): This is the genitive plural of ōdin, which literally translates to "birth pains," "labor pangs," or "throes of childbirth." It's a crucial term that imbues the concept of "sorrows" with significant meaning beyond mere troubles. The metaphor implies several characteristics: Intensity: The pains are severe and distressing. Increase: They become more frequent and more intense as the "delivery" approaches. Purposeful: They are not meaningless suffering but herald an upcoming "birth" – the advent of a new era or a major new event (in this case, the culmination of the age and Christ's return). Inevitable: Just as labor pains are an inevitable part of childbirth, these "sorrows" are unavoidable signs leading to the prophesied end.
- Words-group Analysis: "the beginning of sorrows" (ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων - archē ōdinōn): * This phrase captures the core message. It explicitly states that the preceding troubles are only the initial stages of a larger, escalating period of distress. The "birth pangs" metaphor signals not just hardship, but a progressive, intense process culminating in a significant "birth"—the full establishment of God's Kingdom at Christ's return. It cautions against immediate expectations of the end, instead prompting preparedness for increasing global travail that precedes His visible coming. This phrasing firmly positions the early signs within a divinely orchestrated timetable of escalating events.
Matthew 24 8 Bonus section
The concept of "birth pangs of the Messiah" was present in Jewish eschatology of the Second Temple period, referring to the intense suffering and tribulations that would precede the arrival of the Messiah and the Messianic Age. Jesus utilizes this familiar imagery to affirm a divine plan involving increasing global distress before His glorious return. This perspective calls for believers to develop spiritual resilience and not to lose hope in the face of escalating trials, understanding them as part of a purposeful progression towards God's ultimate triumph. It's a call to both watchfulness and perseverance, acknowledging that difficult times are part of the process, but ultimately lead to joy, much like the outcome of childbirth.
Matthew 24 8 Commentary
Matthew 24:8 serves as a pivotal interpretive statement within Jesus' eschatological discourse, providing critical insight into the nature of the end times. The designated events—wars, famines, and earthquakes—are presented not as the ultimate signs of the end, but specifically as archē ōdinōn, "the beginning of birth pains." This metaphor of labor pains is profoundly significant: it implies an increase in frequency and intensity of these global troubles as the "delivery" approaches. The "birth" signifies the Messianic Age's full establishment through Christ's return. Therefore, this verse urges believers not to be immediately alarmed or deceived into thinking the end is here upon seeing these initial disturbances, but rather to recognize them as indicators of the unfolding divine timetable, calling for vigilant endurance, readiness, and discernment as the final culmination draws nearer. It speaks to a gradual escalation rather than a sudden, immediate conclusion, preparing the disciples for an extended period of tribulation before Christ's final advent.