Luke 21:23Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people.
The setting
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel, ~30 AD. Jesus describes the horror of siege warfare where the most vulnerable suffer most...
The emotion here: anguished compassion for the vulnerable
The original word
thlipsis (θλῖψις) — crushing pressure, like grapes in a winepress, extreme distress
Why it matters
During the 70 AD siege, Josephus recorded that mothers ate their own children due to starvation
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 21:23
This isn't general apocalyptic language — it's specific siege warfare where pregnant women and mothers are most endangered
Common misconceptionThis seems like God being cruel, but it's actually Jesus warning people to flee Jerusalem to protect the most vulnerable — it's a rescue instruction, not a curse.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Luke 21:23
Bible Genome reading
Luke 21:23 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 21:23 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include suffering, compassion. Notable phrases: woe to pregnant; nurse infants; great distress. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Luke 21:23 mean to you, today?
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