Matthew 24:28

For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

For {G1063} wheresoever {G1437}{G3699} the carcase {G4430} is {G5600}, there {G1563} will {G4863} the eagles {G105} be gathered together {G4863}.

Wherever there's a dead body, that's where you find the vultures.

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

Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Matthew 24:28 (KJV)

"For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together."

Context

This verse is part of Jesus' Olivet Discourse, found in Matthew chapter 24, where he is answering his disciples' questions about the signs of his coming and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). Jesus has just warned them against false Christs and false prophets and stated that his coming will be sudden and undeniable, like lightning (Matthew 24:27). This saying about the carcase and eagles serves as a further illustration or principle regarding the nature of this significant event.

Key Themes

  • Certainty and Inevitability: Just as vultures naturally congregate where there is a dead body, the events Jesus describes will inevitably draw those connected to them or those who are watching for the signs. It's a natural consequence, not a hidden or obscure occurrence.
  • Visibility and Gathering: The "carcase" represents a focal point – likely a place of decay, judgment, or significant spiritual/historical 'death'. The "eagles" (or vultures) represent those drawn to it, indicating that the event will not happen in secret but will be evident and cause a 'gathering'.
  • A Sign of the Event: The presence of the eagles/vultures is a clear indicator that the carcase is there. Similarly, the signs Jesus describes will be clear indicators of the approaching event, whether interpreted as the destruction of Jerusalem or the final return of Christ.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word translated "eagles" is aetos (ἀετός). While it can mean 'eagle', it is also used for large birds of prey, including vultures. Given the context of gathering around a 'carcase' (ptoma - πτῶμα, meaning 'dead body' or 'corpse'), 'vultures' is often considered a more fitting translation, as these birds are known to circle and gather around carrion. This imagery strongly suggests a scene of decay, death, or judgment, which attracts attention.

Reflection

This verse provides a principle: where significant spiritual or historical 'decay' or 'judgment' is occurring, there will be clear, undeniable signs that draw attention. It encourages believers to be discerning and watchful, understanding that God's actions, whether in judgment or in sending his Son, will have visible indicators, much like the parallel saying in Luke 17:37. It contrasts the clear reality of these signs with the deceptive claims of false prophets mentioned earlier in the chapter.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Luke 17:37

    And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body [is], thither will the eagles be gathered together.

  • Job 39:27

    Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

  • Job 39:30

    Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain [are], there [is] she.

  • Amos 9:1

    ¶ I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.

  • Amos 9:4

    And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.

  • Deuteronomy 28:49

    The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, [as swift] as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

  • Jeremiah 16:16

    Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

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