Focused Passage

Matthew 24:15-28

The Olivet Discourse: Temple Desolation, Coming Judgment, the Son of Man, and Watchful Readiness

Matthew 24 moves from Jesus leaving the temple to predicting its destruction, from the disciples’ question to warnings against deception, from global upheaval to persecution and gospel mission, from the abomination of desolation to urgent flight and great distress, from false messianic claims to the visible coming of the Son of Man, from fig tree signs to the certainty of Jesus’ words, from unknown timing to Noah-like suddenness, and finally from watchfulness to faithful household stewardship.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),

16then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.

18And let no one in the field return for his cloak.

19How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers!

20Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.

21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unseen from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.

22If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.

24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

25See, I have told you in advance.

26So if they tell you, ‘There He is, in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Here He is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

27For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

SoοὖνG3767ConjunctionwhenὍτανG3752Conjunctionyou seeἴδητεG3708Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person PluralstandingἑστὸςG2476Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Neuter SingularinἐνG1722Preposition[the] holyἁγίῳG40Adjective - Dative Masculine SingularplaceτόπῳG5117Noun - Dative Masculine SingulartheΤὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularabominationβδέλυγμαG946Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularof desolationἐρημώσεωςG2050Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularspoken ofῥηθὲνG2046Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Accusative Neuter SingularbyδιὰG1223PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularprophetπροφήτουG4396Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularDanielΔανιὴλG1158Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular({let} theG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularreaderἀναγινώσκωνG314Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularunderstand)νοείτωG3539Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular

BSB notes

  • See Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31, and Daniel 12:11.
Verse 16

Original words

then {let}τότεG5119Adverbthose who areοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722Preposition-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularJudeaἸουδαίᾳG2449Noun - Dative Feminine SingularfleeφευγέτωσανG5343Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person PluraltoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralmountainsὄρηG3735Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 17

Original words

[Let no one]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularonἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularhousetopδώματοςG1430Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular-μὴG3361Adverbcome downκαταβάτωG2597Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singularto retrieveἆραιG142Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveanythingτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralfromἐκG1537PrepositionhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularhouseοἰκίαςG3614Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 18

Original words

AndκαὶG2532Conjunction[let no one]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularfieldἀγρῷG68Noun - Dative Masculine Singular-μὴG3361AdverbreturnἐπιστρεψάτωG1994Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .ὀπίσωG3694AdverbforἆραιG142Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivehisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularcloakἱμάτιονG2440Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Verse 19

Original words

HowδὲG1161ConjunctionmiserableΟὐαὶG3759Interjection-ἐνG1722PrepositionthoseἐκείναιςG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Plural-ταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine Pluraldays [will be]ἡμέραιςG2250Noun - Dative Feminine PluralforταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluralpregnantἐχούσαιςG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Feminine Plural. . .ἐνG1722Preposition. . .γαστρὶG1064Noun - Dative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-ταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine Pluralnursing [mothers]θηλαζούσαιςG2337Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Feminine Plural
Verse 20

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionPrayπροσεύχεσθεG4336Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person PluralthatἵναG2443ConjunctionyourὑμῶνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularflightφυγὴG5437Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularvvvμὴG3361Adverbwill not occurγένηταιG1096Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Singularin the winterχειμῶνοςG5494Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular[or]μηδὲG3366Conjunctionon the SabbathσαββάτῳG4521Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Verse 21

Original words

ForγὰρG1063Conjunctionat that timeτότεG5119Adverbthere will beἔσταιG1510Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingulargreatμεγάληG3173Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingulartribulationθλῖψιςG2347Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularunseenοἵαG3634Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular. . .οὐG3756Adverb. . .γέγονενG1096Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularfromἀπ’G575Preposition[the] beginningἀρχῆςG746Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof [the] worldκόσμουG2889Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularuntilἕωςG2193Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularnowνῦνG3568Adverb[and]οὐδ’G3761ConjunctionvvvμὴG3361AdverbneverοὐG3756Adverbto be [seen again]γένηταιG1096Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 22

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctionIfεἰG1487Conjunction. . .μὴG3361AdverbthoseἐκεῖναιG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Plural-αἱG3588Article - Nominative Feminine PluraldaysἡμέραιG2250Noun - Nominative Feminine Pluralhad not been cut shortἐκολοβώθησανG2856Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural. . .οὐκG3756AdverbnobodyπᾶσαG3956Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular. . .σάρξG4561Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularvvvἂνG302Particlewould be savedἐσώθηG4982Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularButδὲG1161Conjunctionfor the sake ofδιὰG1223PrepositiontheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralelectἐκλεκτοὺςG1588Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralthoseἐκεῖναιG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Plural-αἱG3588Article - Nominative Feminine PluraldaysἡμέραιG2250Noun - Nominative Feminine Pluralwill be cut shortκολοβωθήσονταιG2856Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Verse 23

Original words

At that timeΤότεG5119AdverbifἐάνG1437ConjunctionanyoneτιςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularsaysεἴπῃG2036Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singularto youὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluralLookἸδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singularhere [is]ὧδεG5602AdverbtheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularChristΧριστόςG5547Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularorG2228ConjunctionThere [He is]ὯδεG5602Adverb{do} notμὴG3361Adverbbelieve [it]πιστεύσητεG4100Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Verse 24

Original words

ForγὰρG1063Conjunctionfalse ChristsψευδόχριστοιG5580Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctionfalse prophetsψευδοπροφῆταιG5578Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralwill appearἐγερθήσονταιG1453Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionperformδώσουσινG1325Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralgreatμεγάλαG3173Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluralsignsσημεῖαG4592Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwondersτέραταG5059Noun - Accusative Neuter PluraltoὥστεG5620ConjunctiondeceiveπλανῆσαιG4105Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveevenκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralelectἐκλεκτούςG1588Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralifεἰG1487Conjunctionthat were possibleδυνατὸνG1415Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Verse 25

Original words

SeeἰδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularI have told you in advanceπροείρηκαG4302Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular. . .ὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Verse 26

Original words

SoοὖνG3767ConjunctionifἘὰνG1437Conjunctionthey tellεἴπωσινG2036Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person PluralyouὑμῖνG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person PluralThereἸδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularHe isἐστίνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularwildernessἐρήμῳG2048Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular{do} notμὴG3361Adverbgo outἐξέλθητεG1831Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural[or], ‘HereἸδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular[He is,] inἐνG1722PrepositiontheτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Neuter Pluralinner roomsταμείοιςG5009Noun - Dative Neuter Plural{do} notμὴG3361Adverbbelieve [it]πιστεύσητεG4100Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Verse 27

Original words

ForγὰρG1063Conjunctionjust asὥσπερG5618AdverbtheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularlightningἀστραπὴG796Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularcomesἐξέρχεταιG1831Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularfromἀπὸG575Preposition[the] eastἀνατολῶνG395Noun - Genitive Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionflashesφαίνεταιG5316Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singularas far asἕωςG2193Preposition[the] westδυσμῶνG1424Noun - Genitive Feminine PluralsoοὕτωςG3779Adverbwill beἔσταιG1510Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularcomingπαρουσίαG3952Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularSonΥἱοῦG5207Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof ManἀνθρώπουG444Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 28

Original words

WhereverὅπουG3699Adverb. . .ἐὰνG1437Conjunctionthere isG1510Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter Singulara carcassπτῶμαG4430Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularthereἐκεῖG1563AdverbtheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralvulturesἀετοίG105Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralwill gatherσυναχθήσονταιG4863Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.