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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Luke 21:29–38. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here, in the close of this discourse,
I.Christ appoints his disciples to observe the signs of the times, which they might judge by, if they had an eye to the foregoing directions, with as much certainty and assurance as they could judge of the approach of summer by the budding forth of the trees, Luk 21:29-31. As in the kingdom of nature there is a chain of causes, so in the kingdom of providence there is a consequence of one event upon another. When we see a nation filling up the measure of their iniquity, we may conclude that their ruin is nigh; when we see the ruin of persecuting powers hastening on, we may thence infer that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand, that when the opposition given to it is removed it shall gain ground. As we may lawfully prognosticate the change of the seasons when second causes have begun to work, so we may, in the disposal of events, expect something uncommon when God is already raised up out of his holy habitation (Zac 2:13); then stand still and see his salvation.
II.He charges them to look upon those things as neither doubtful nor distant (for then they would not make a due impression on them), but as sure and very near. The destruction of the Jewish nation,
1.Was near (Luk 21:32): This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled. There were some now alive that should see it; some that now heard the prediction of it.
2.It was sure; the sentence was irreversible; it was a consumption determined; the decree was gone forth (Luk 21:33): "Heaven and earth shall pass away sooner than any word of mine: nay, they certainly shall pass away, but my words shall not; whether they take hold or no, they will take effect, and not one of them fall to the ground," Sa1 3:19.
III.He cautions them against security and sensuality, by which they would unfit themselves for the trying times that were coming on, and make them to be a great surprise and terror to them (Luk 21:34, Luk 21:35): Take heed to yourselves. This is the word of command given to all Christ's disciples: "Take heed to yourselves, that you be not overpowered by temptations, nor betrayed by your own corruptions." Note, We cannot be safe if we be secure. It concerns us at all times, but especially at some times, to be very cautious. See here,
1.What our danger is: that the day of death and judgment should come upon us unawares, when we do not expect it, and are not prepared for it, - lest, when we are called to meet our Lord, that be found the furthest thing from our thoughts which ought always to be laid nearest our hearts, lest it come upon us as a snare; for so it will come upon the most of men, who dwell upon the earth, and mind earthly things only, and have no converse with heaven; to them it will be as a snare. See Ecc 9:12. It will be a terror and a destruction to them; it will put them into an inexpressible fright, and hold them fast for a doom yet more frightful.
2.What our duty is, in consideration of this danger: we must take heed lest our hearts be overcharged, lest they be burdened and overloaded, and so unfitted and disabled to do what must be done in preparation for death and judgment. Two things we must watch against, lest our hearts be overcharged with them: - (1.) The indulging of the appetites of the body, and allowing of ourselves in the gratifications of sense to an excess: Take heed lest you be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, the immoderate use of meat and drink, which burden the heart, not only with the guilt thereby contracted, but by the ill influence which such disorders of the body have upon the mind; they make men dull and lifeless to their duty, dead and listless in their duty; they stupify the conscience, and cause the mind to be unaffected with those things that are most affecting. (2.) The inordinate pursuit of the good things of this world. The heart is overcharged with the cares of this life. The former is the snare of those that are given to their pleasures: this is the snare of the men of business, that will be rich. We have need to guard on both hands, not only lest at the time when death comes, but lest at any time our hearts should be thus overcharged. Our caution against sin, and our care of our own souls, must be constant.
IV.He counsels them to prepare and get ready for this great day, Luk 21:36. Here see,
1.What should be our aim: that we may be accounted worthy to escape all these things; that, when the judgments of God are abroad, we may be preserved from the malignity of them; that either we may not be involved in the common calamity or it may not be that to us which it is to others; that in the day of death we may escape the sting of it, which is the wrath of God, and the damnation of hell. Yet we must aim not only to escape that, but to stand before the Son of man; not only to stand acquitted before him as our Judge (Psa 1:5), to have boldness in the day of Christ (that is supposed in our escaping all those things), but to stand before him, to attend on him as our Master, to stand continually before his throne, and serve him day and night in his temple (Rev 7:15), always to behold his face, as the angels, Mat 18:10. The saints are here said to be accounted worthy, as before, Luk 20:35. God, by the good work of his grace in them, makes them meet for this happiness, and, by the good will of his grace towards them, accounts them worthy of it: but, as Grotius here says, a great part of our worthiness lies in an acknowledgment of our own unworthiness.
2.What should be our actings in these aims: Watch therefore, and pray always. Watching and praying must go together, Neh 4:9. Those that would escape the wrath to come, and make sure of the joys to come, must watch and pray, and must do so always, must make it the constant business of their lives, (1.) To keep a guard upon themselves. "Watch against sin, watch to every duty, and to the improvement of every opportunity of doing good. Be awake, and keep awake, in expectation of your Lord's coming, that you may be in a right frame to receive him, and bid him welcome." (2.) To keep up their communion with God: "Pray always; be always in an habitual disposition to that duty; keep up stated times for it; abound in it; pray upon all occasions." Those shall be accounted worthy to live a life of praise in the other world that live a life of prayer in this world.
V.In the last two verses we have an account how Christ disposed of himself during those three or four days between his riding in triumph into Jerusalem and the night in which he was betrayed.
1.He was all day teaching in the temple. Christ preached on week-days as well as sabbath days. He was an indefatigable preacher; he preached in the face of opposition, and in the midst of those that he knew sought occasion against him.
2.At night he went out to lodge at a friend's house, in the mount of Olives, about a mile out of town. It is probable that he had some friends in the city that would gladly have lodged him, but he was willing to retire in the evening out of the noise of the town, that he might have more time for secret devotion, now that his hour was at hand.
3.Early in the morning he was in the temple again, where he had a morning lecture for those that were willing to attend it; and the people were forward to hear one that they saw forward to preach (Luk 21:38): They all came early in the morning, flocking to the temple, like doves to their windows, to hear him, though the chief priests and scribes did all they could to prejudice them against him. Sometimes the taste and relish which serious, honest, plain people have of good preaching are more to be valued and judged by than the opinion of the witty and learned, and those in authority.
Historical interpretation
Nine Centuries of Reception
5 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Fit hours for an audience there also were. "Early in the morning" must they resort to Him, who (having said by Isaiah, "The Lord giveth me the tongue of the learned") added, "He hath appointed me the morning, and hath also given me an ear to hear.
The crowd of the Jews and their ruler stood up against the glory of Christ and argued with the Lord of all. Anyone may perceive that those Jews prepared their snare against their own souls, because they dug for themselves pitfalls of destruction.…It then says that by day he taught in the temple but lodged during the nights on the mountain called the Mount of Olives. Clearly what he taught were things that surpass the legal service. The time had come when the shadow must be changed into the reality. They also gladly heard him, for they often wondered about him, because Christ’s word was with power.…
He stayed during the nights on the Mount of Olives, avoiding the uproars that were in the city, that in this he might also be an example to us. It is the duty of those who would lead a life quiet and calm, full of rest, to avoid as far as possible the crowd and hubbub.
But what were the things He taught, unless such as transcended the worship of the law?
But because His speech was with power, and with authority He applied to spiritual worship the things which had been delivered in figures by Moses and the Prophets, the people heard Him gladly. As it follows, And the whole people made haste to come early to hear him in the temple. But the people who came to Him before light might with fitness say, O God my God, early do I wait upon thee.
What our Lord commanded in word, He confirms by His example. For He who bid us watch and pray before the coming of the Judge, and the uncertain end of each of us, as the time of His Passion drew near, is Himself instant in teaching, watching, and prayer. As it is said, And in the day time he was teaching in the temple, whereby He conveys by His own example, that it is a thing worthy of God, to watch, or by word and deed to point out the way of truth to our neighbour.
Now mystically, we also when amid our prosperity we behave ourselves soberly, piously, and honestly, teach by day time in the temple, for we hold up to the faithful the model of a good work; but at night we abide on mount Olivet, when in the darkness of anguish we are refreshed with spiritual consolation; and to us also the people come early in the morning, when either having shaken off the works of darkness, or scattered all the clouds of sorrow, they follow our example.
Now the Evangelists are silent as to the greater part of Christ's teaching; for whereas He preached for the space nearly of three years, all the teaching which they have written down would scarcely, one might say, suffice for the discourse of a single day. For out of a great many things extracting a few, they have given only a taste as it were of the sweetness of His teaching. But our Lord here instructs us, that we ought to address God at night and in silence, but in day time to be doing good to men; and to gather indeed at night, but in the day distribute what we have gathered. As it is added, And at night he went out and abode in the mount that is called Olivet. Not that He had need of prayer, but He did this for our example.
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Summary
Luke 21:38 vividly portrays the unwavering dedication of the common people to Jesus during his final days of public ministry in Jerusalem. Despite the escalating tension with religious authorities and the profound prophecies Jesus had just delivered, the crowds consistently sought him out at dawn in the temple courts, demonstrating an intense hunger for his teaching and a profound commitment to hearing his words.
Context
Literary Context
This verse serves as the concluding summary of Jesus' daily routine in Jerusalem during the Passion Week, immediately following the profound and challenging "Olivet Discourse" (found in Luke 21:5-36). Luke 21:37 establishes that Jesus spent his days teaching in the temple and his nights on the Mount of Olives. Verse 38 elaborates on the people's consistent and eager response to his teaching, highlighting their sustained engagement with his message even as the forces plotting against him intensified. It underscores the contrast between the popular devotion to Jesus and the growing hostility of the religious leaders.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Second Temple in Jerusalem was not merely a place of worship but also a central hub for public life, commerce, and religious instruction. Its outer courts, particularly the Court of the Gentiles, were common venues for rabbis and teachers to instruct the populace. During major festivals like Passover, Jerusalem's population swelled, making the temple a prime location for reaching large audiences. The "early in the morning" detail reflects the daily rhythm of life, where people would begin their activities at dawn, and also suggests a deliberate effort on the part of the crowds to secure a good position to hear Jesus, perhaps before the temple became too crowded or before their daily labors began. This eagerness stands in stark contrast to the religious elite, who often sought to entrap or silence Jesus rather than listen to his teachings.
Key Themes
Luke 21:38 encapsulates several powerful themes prevalent in Luke's Gospel. Firstly, it emphasizes the authority and appeal of Jesus' teaching, demonstrating why "all the people" were drawn to him, contrasting with the often-skeptical religious leaders (e.g., Luke 20:1-8). Secondly, it highlights Jesus' unwavering commitment to his mission to proclaim God's truth, even as his crucifixion loomed. His daily presence in the temple, despite the danger, showcases his dedication to fulfilling his divine purpose. Thirdly, the verse underscores the spiritual hunger of the common people, who actively sought out divine wisdom, prioritizing it over other daily concerns. This aligns with Luke's broader emphasis on the marginalized and the receptive heart (e.g., Luke 8:15). Finally, it subtly points to the temple as a place of encounter and instruction, a space where divine revelation was accessible to the masses, even as its physical destruction was prophesied by Jesus himself in Luke 21:6.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word refers to "a people in general," distinguishing it from dēmos which denotes one's own populace. Here, it signifies the broad, general populace of Jerusalem and its visitors, indicating that Jesus' appeal extended beyond a specific group or faction to the common folk from various backgrounds, underscoring his widespread popularity and the universal nature of his message.
This verb literally means "to use the dawn" or "to repair betimes." It conveys the idea of rising and going somewhere at very early dawn, emphasizing the extraordinary zeal, diligence, and intentionality of the crowds. They were not merely passing by; they were making a concerted, early effort to be present and attentive.
This primary verb means "to hear" in various senses, implying not just the physical perception of sound but also listening attentively with the intent to understand, comprehend, and receive. The people came not out of mere curiosity, but with a desire to truly grasp and internalize Jesus' teachings.
Verse Breakdown
"And all the people"
This phrase emphasizes the widespread nature of Jesus' appeal. "All" (G3956, pâs) suggests a significant, if not exhaustive, representation of the populace present in Jerusalem, indicating the immense impact Jesus had on the common folk, contrasting sharply with the religious elite who sought to discredit him.
"came early in the morning to him"
This highlights the extraordinary dedication and eagerness of the crowds. The act of coming "early in the morning" (G3719, orthrízō) signifies a deliberate prioritization and commitment. They were willing to sacrifice comfort and time to be present at the earliest opportunity to engage with Jesus, demonstrating a profound hunger for his words.
"in the temple"
The temple (G2411, hierón) served as the central public forum in Jerusalem, providing a readily accessible and prominent location for Jesus' public ministry. This setting underscores the public and open nature of his teaching, making his message available to a broad audience, and also highlights his courage in teaching in the very heart of the religious establishment that opposed him.
"for to hear him."
This final clause states the explicit purpose of their early arrival. The people came with a specific intention: to "hear" (G191, akoúō) Jesus. This implies a desire not just for entertainment or spectacle, but for instruction, wisdom, and spiritual nourishment from the one they recognized as a unique teacher.
Literary Devices
Luke's concise summary in this verse employs several literary devices. The phrase "all the people" functions as a form of Hyperbole, emphasizing the vast numbers and widespread popularity of Jesus among the populace, even if it wasn't every single person in Jerusalem. This hyperbole serves to underscore the profound impact Jesus had on the masses, contrasting with the growing opposition from the authorities. The detail of coming "early in the morning" provides Emphasis on the people's extraordinary zeal and dedication, highlighting their commitment to prioritize hearing Jesus' words above other daily activities. Furthermore, the Symbolism of the temple as the setting is significant; it is the traditional locus of God's presence and instruction, and Jesus, the living Word, now teaches within its very courts, fulfilling and reinterpreting its purpose. This sets the stage for the dramatic events of the Passion, where the true "temple" of God's presence would be redefined through Jesus' body.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Luke 21:38 speaks profoundly to the enduring human hunger for divine truth and the accessibility of God's word through His chosen messenger. It underscores that genuine spiritual engagement often requires intentional effort and prioritizing the pursuit of wisdom. The people's eagerness to hear Jesus daily in the temple foreshadows the ongoing need for believers to consistently immerse themselves in God's revelation. This verse also implicitly highlights Jesus' role as the ultimate Teacher, whose words held unparalleled authority and life-giving power, drawing people from all walks of life.
Reflection and Application
The scene in Luke 21:38 offers a powerful mirror for contemporary believers. The crowds' willingness to rise "early in the morning" and consistently seek out Jesus in the temple challenges us to examine our own priorities and the depth of our desire for God's Word. In a world filled with distractions and competing demands, do we cultivate a similar eagerness to engage with spiritual truth? This verse calls us to intentionality in our spiritual disciplines, reminding us that true spiritual growth often requires deliberate effort, perhaps even sacrificing comfort or convenience. It invites us to consider how we can create space in our daily lives for consistent, focused listening to God, whether through scripture, prayer, or communal worship. Just as Jesus faithfully taught until the very end, we are called to be faithful hearers and doers of His word, allowing it to transform our lives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "early in the morning" signify in this verse?
The phrase "early in the morning" (Greek: orthrízō) signifies a deep level of dedication and eagerness on the part of the people. It suggests that they were not merely casual listeners but were intentionally making an effort to be present at dawn, perhaps before the day's work began or to secure a good spot to hear Jesus. This detail emphasizes their profound hunger for Jesus' teaching and their willingness to prioritize spiritual nourishment above personal comfort or other daily activities. It highlights their commitment to consistently engage with his message.
Who are "all the people" mentioned in Luke 21:38?
"All the people" (Greek: pâs ho laós) refers to the general populace, the common folk of Jerusalem and the many pilgrims who had gathered for the Passover festival. This phrase emphasizes the widespread popularity and appeal of Jesus among the masses, distinguishing them from the religious and political elite who often opposed him. It signifies that Jesus' message resonated broadly across different segments of society, drawing large crowds who were eager to hear his words and witness his ministry in the temple courts (see Luke 19:48).
What was Jesus teaching in the temple at this time?
Leading up to Luke 21:38, Jesus had been engaged in various teachings and confrontations in the temple. Chapter 21 itself records the "Olivet Discourse," where Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple, spoke about the signs of the end times, and exhorted his disciples to be vigilant and ready for his return (e.g., Luke 21:5-36). Prior to this, he had been challenged by religious leaders regarding his authority, debated with them on various theological points, and delivered parables and warnings, such as the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Luke 20:9-19). Therefore, his teaching encompassed prophecies, ethical instructions, warnings, and defenses of his divine authority.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Luke 21:38, depicting the crowds' eager pursuit of Jesus' teaching in the temple, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in Jesus himself as the ultimate Word of God and the new, living Temple. The people sought to "hear him" because in Jesus, they encountered the very voice of God, the one through whom God was speaking most clearly and definitively (John 1:14). His daily presence in the physical temple foreshadowed the reality that He is the true dwelling place of God among humanity, the fulfillment of all that the temple symbolized (John 2:19-21). The crowds' early morning devotion to hear His words points to the new covenant reality where access to God's presence and truth is no longer confined to a physical structure or a specific time, but is made eternally available through Christ. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus tore the veil, opening a "new and living way" into the holiest presence of God (Hebrews 10:19-22), becoming the ultimate High Priest and the very object of our spiritual hunger. Thus, the desire to "hear him" culminates in a life lived in communion with the resurrected Christ, the source of all wisdom and eternal life (John 6:35).