Matthew 23:36
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Original Language Analysis
ἀμὴν
Verily
G281
ἀμὴν
Verily
Strong's:
G281
Word #:
1 of 10
properly, firm, i.e., (figuratively) trustworthy; adverbially, surely (often as interjection, so be it)
λέγω
I say
G3004
λέγω
I say
Strong's:
G3004
Word #:
2 of 10
properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas g2036 and g5346 generally refer to an
ἥξει
shall come
G2240
ἥξει
shall come
Strong's:
G2240
Word #:
4 of 10
to arrive, i.e., be present (literally or figuratively)
ἐπὶ
upon
G1909
ἐπὶ
upon
Strong's:
G1909
Word #:
7 of 10
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e., over, upon, etc.; of re
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
8 of 10
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
Historical Context
Jesus spoke c. AD 30; Jerusalem fell AD 70—exactly forty years later, matching Israel's wilderness wandering. That generation saw: apostolic ministry and persecution (Acts), growing Roman-Jewish tensions, Jewish revolt (AD 66), Roman siege of Jerusalem (AD 68-70), temple destruction (AD 70), and national dispersion. Josephus (eyewitness) describes horrors fulfilling Jesus's predictions: famine, infighting, crucifixions, temple desecration, total destruction. No stone left upon another (Matthew 24:2).
Questions for Reflection
- How does the precise fulfillment of Jesus's prophecy forty years later validate His divine authority and prophetic reliability?
- What does "this generation" teach about the reality of temporal judgment, not just eternal consequences?
- How should certainty of God's judgment affect how we respond to prophetic warning in our own generation?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation (ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἥξει ταῦτα πάντα ἐπὶ τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην)—amēn (verily) introduces solemn prophetic declaration. Genean tautēn (this generation) clearly refers to Jesus's contemporaries, not a distant future generation. "All these things" references the accumulated judgment of verse 35.
Jesus prophesied this on Tuesday of Passion Week. Forty years later (AD 70), the prophecy fulfilled with devastating precision. Matthew 24:34 repeats this formula regarding Jerusalem's destruction: "this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Many who heard Jesus's words lived to see Jerusalem's fall. God's "measure" (v. 32) was full; judgment was imminent and inescapable. The generation that crucified Messiah experienced Messiah's judgment.