Matthew 24:21
19 How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!
20 Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.
For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
23 At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.
- KJV
- For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
- WEB
- for then there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be.
- ASV
- for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
- DARBY
- for then shall there be great tribulation, such as has not been from [the] beginning of [the] world until now, nor ever shall be;
- BLB
- For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be.
- ÅB
- For da skal det være større lidelser enn noen gang før - fra verdens begynnelse av helt til nå - eller noen gang etter.
- OTB
- For da skal det bli en stor trengsel, som det ikke har vært maken til fra verdens begynnelse til nå, og heller ikke skal bli.
- B1930
- for da skal det være så stor en trengsel som ikke har vært fra verdens begynnelse inntil nu, og heller ikke skal bli.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Daniel 12:1
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.
Read in contextJoel 2:2
a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like the dawn overspreading the mountains a great and strong army appears, such as never was of old, nor will ever be in ages to come.
Read in contextMalachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”
Read in contextZechariah 14:2–3
For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.
Read in contextLuke 19:43–44
For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.
Read in contextLuke 21:24
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Read in contextIsaiah 66:15–16
For behold, the LORD will come with fire— His chariots are like a whirlwind— to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.
Read in contextMatthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.’
Read in context