Matthew 24:2
And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Original Language Analysis
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 23
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Ἰησοῦς
Jesus
G2424
Ἰησοῦς
Jesus
Strong's:
G2424
Word #:
3 of 23
jesus (i.e., jehoshua), the name of our lord and two (three) other israelites
αὐτοῖς
unto them
G846
αὐτοῖς
unto them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
5 of 23
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ἀμὴν
verily
G281
ἀμὴν
verily
Strong's:
G281
Word #:
10 of 23
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 #:
11 of 23
properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas g2036 and g5346 generally refer to an
μὴ
G3361
μὴ
Strong's:
G3361
Word #:
14 of 23
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether
ἀφεθῇ
There shall
G863
ἀφεθῇ
There shall
Strong's:
G863
Word #:
15 of 23
to send forth, in various applications (as follow)
ἐπὶ
upon
G1909
ἐπὶ
upon
Strong's:
G1909
Word #:
18 of 23
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e., over, upon, etc.; of re
ὃς
that
G3739
ὃς
that
Strong's:
G3739
Word #:
20 of 23
the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
Cross References
Luke 19:44And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.Jeremiah 26:18Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.Micah 3:12Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.2 Peter 3:11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Historical Context
The Romans besieged Jerusalem from April to September AD 70. Josephus reports that 1.1 million Jews died and 97,000 were taken captive. The temple was burned on the 9th of Av (Tisha B'Av), the same calendar date Babylon destroyed Solomon's temple in 586 BC. Only portions of the retaining walls remain today, including the Western Wall. Eusebius and later historians confirm no stone of the temple proper remained upon another.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the AD 70 fulfillment of this prophecy authenticate Jesus as a true prophet according to Deuteronomy 18:21-22?
- What does God's willingness to destroy his own temple teach about his priorities regarding heart worship versus ritual?
- How should the certainty of this fulfilled prophecy increase our confidence in Jesus's still-future prophecies?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down (οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον)—The emphatic double negative (οὐ μή) makes this prophecy absolute and unavoidable. Jesus predicts total destruction, fulfilled precisely when Titus's Roman legions sacked Jerusalem in AD 70. Josephus records that soldiers pried apart stones to extract gold that had melted between them when Romans set the temple aflame.
This echoes Micah 3:12 ("Zion shall be plowed as a field") and demonstrates Jesus's prophetic authority. The phrase katalyō (thrown down) is the same word used when Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19)—speaking of his body. The physical temple's destruction validated the spiritual temple's resurrection.