· Translation: KJV

Matthew 24:19But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!

The setting

Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, ~30 AD. Tuesday of Passion Week. Jesus sits overlooking the temple, speaking privately to Peter, James, John, and Andrew about Jerusalem's coming destruction...

The emotion here: heartbroken knowing what's coming for the innocent

The original word

ouai (οὐαί) — an onomatopoeia of pain, like 'alas!' expressing deep grief

Why it matters

This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 AD when pregnant women and mothers faced horrific conditions during Rome's siege of Jerusalem

Read with care

What most readers miss in Matthew 24:19

Jesus isn't being cruel — He's warning them with 40 years' notice to prepare and flee

Common misconceptionPeople think this is about the end times, but Jesus was specifically warning about Jerusalem's destruction in 70 AD — giving His followers 40 years to prepare and escape.

Bible Genome reading

Matthew 24:19 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerJesus
Eragospel
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typeprophecy
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power5%
Quotability60%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance85%
Standalone50%
Themes:compassionsuffering

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Matthew 24

Matthew 24:19 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 5% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include compassion, suffering. Notable phrases: woe to those; with child; nursing mothers. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

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