Luke 23:29

For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed [are] the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

For {G3754}, behold {G2400}, the days {G2250} are coming {G2064}, in {G1722} the which {G3739} they shall say {G2046}, Blessed {G3107} are the barren {G4723}, and {G2532} the wombs {G2836} that {G3739} never {G3756} bare {G1080}, and {G2532} the paps {G3149} which {G3739} never {G3756} gave suck {G2337}.

For the time is coming when people will say, ‘The childless women are the lucky ones — those whose wombs have never borne a child, whose breasts have never nursed a baby!

Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’

For behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the breasts that never gave suck.

Commentary

Luke 23:29 captures a poignant moment during Jesus' arduous journey to the cross, as He addresses the women of Jerusalem who were weeping for Him. This verse reveals a profound and unsettling prophecy about the future suffering that would come upon the city.

Context

As Jesus was led to His crucifixion, a great company of people and women followed, lamenting and bewailing Him (Luke 23:27). Instead of receiving their pity for His own suffering, Jesus turned to them with a warning, urging them to weep not for Him, but for themselves and their children (Luke 23:28). Verse 29 then elaborates on the nature of the coming distress, specifically referencing a reversal of traditional Jewish blessings.

Key Themes

  • Impending Judgment and Distress: Jesus foretells a time of unprecedented suffering, primarily pointing to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This event brought immense hardship, famine, and violence, so severe that the normal joys of life would be inverted.
  • Reversal of Values: In ancient Jewish culture, having children, especially many, was considered a great blessing from God and a sign of divine favor (Psalm 127:3). Barrenness was often a source of shame or sorrow (Genesis 30:1). Jesus' prophecy radically reverses this, declaring that in the coming "days," those who are barren or have never given birth will be considered "blessed" or fortunate. This highlights the extreme nature of the impending calamity, where the very act of nurturing life would become a source of anguish.
  • Compassion Amidst Suffering: Even in His own agony and humiliation on the way to the cross, Jesus' focus was on the welfare of others. His warning to the women underscores His deep compassion and foresight, revealing the future consequences of rejecting God's ways.

Linguistic Insights

The word "blessed" here is from the Greek makarios (μακάριος), which implies a state of being truly fortunate, happy, or divinely favored. The profound irony in this verse is that Jesus applies this term to a state (barrenness) that was traditionally viewed as unfortunate. This paradoxical blessing underscores the severity of the coming tribulation, making a conventionally undesirable state preferable to the suffering of having children in such a time.

Prophetic Significance

While Jesus' words have immediate historical fulfillment in the horrific siege and destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70, where mothers and children suffered terribly (as also alluded to in Luke 21:23), they also resonate with broader prophetic themes of distress and judgment that can be found in discussions of the end times. The imagery of preferring barrenness in times of extreme tribulation reappears in other eschatological passages, emphasizing the severity of divine judgment when it falls.

Practical Application

This verse serves as a powerful reminder of several truths:

  • The Gravity of Judgment: It underscores that God's judgment, when it comes, is not to be taken lightly. The consequences of rejecting His grace can be devastating.
  • Spiritual Preparedness: Jesus' warning encourages spiritual vigilance and preparedness, urging believers to align their lives with God's will before times of severe distress.
  • Christ's Foresight and Love: Even in His darkest hour, Jesus demonstrated His unfailing love and concern for humanity, warning of future hardship so that people might repent and find refuge in Him.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Matthew 24:19

    And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

  • Mark 13:17

    But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

  • Mark 13:19

    For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

  • Luke 21:23

    But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

  • Luke 21:24

    And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

  • Hosea 13:16

    Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

  • Hosea 9:12

    Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, [that there shall] not [be] a man [left]: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
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