Luke 23:30

Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

Then {G5119} shall they begin {G756} to say {G3004} to the mountains {G3735}, Fall {G4098} on {G1909} us {G2248}; and {G2532} to the hills {G1015}, Cover {G2572} us {G2248}.

Then

They will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’

At that time ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

Commentary

Luke 23:30 KJV is a solemn prophetic statement uttered by Jesus Christ during His journey to the crucifixion. As He is being led to Golgotha, a large crowd follows Him, including women who are weeping and lamenting. Jesus turns to them, not to receive their pity for His immediate suffering, but to issue a grave warning about future judgment.

Context

This verse is part of Jesus' address to the "daughters of Jerusalem" (Luke 23:28). Instead of weeping for Him, He instructs them to weep for themselves and for their children. This prophecy primarily points to the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Romans in 70 AD, a period of immense suffering for the Jewish people. It also has an ultimate eschatological fulfillment, referring to the final great day of judgment when humanity will seek refuge from the wrath of God.

Key Themes

  • Impending Judgment: The core message is a dire warning of a coming time of unparalleled distress and divine judgment. The desire for mountains to fall and hills to cover them signifies an overwhelming terror and a desperate plea for annihilation rather than facing the full force of God's wrath.
  • Futility of Escape: The imagery emphasizes that no physical refuge, however imposing, can shield individuals from the consequences of rejecting God's Son. The ultimate judgment is inescapable.
  • Prophetic Warning: Jesus, even in His suffering, acts as a prophet, foretelling future calamities. This serves as a call to repentance and preparation before the day of reckoning arrives.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us" is an ancient idiom expressing extreme terror and a wish for death or oblivion as an escape from an unbearable situation. It echoes similar prophetic language found in the Old Testament, specifically Hosea 10:8, which speaks of the judgment upon Samaria. This same vivid imagery reappears in the New Testament in Revelation 6:16, describing the reaction of kings and great men during the final great tribulation, desperately seeking to hide from the "face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb." This intertextual connection highlights the consistent biblical theme of divine judgment.

Practical Application

Luke 23:30 serves as a powerful reminder of the seriousness of God's justice and the consequences of rejecting His grace. It calls believers to:

  • Heed Warnings: Just as Jesus warned Jerusalem, God provides warnings through His Word and Spirit today, urging repentance and faith in Christ.
  • Seek True Refuge: Rather than seeking physical escape from future judgment, the wise person finds true refuge in Christ, who bore the wrath of God for us (Romans 5:9).
  • Live Righteously: Understanding the gravity of judgment should motivate believers to live lives that honor God and share the message of salvation with others, so they too can escape the coming wrath.
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

  • Revelation 6:16

    And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

  • Hosea 10:8

    The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

  • Isaiah 2:19

    And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

  • Revelation 9:6

    And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
← Back