Matthew 24:8

All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.

All {G1161}{G3956} these {G5023} are the beginning {G746} of sorrows {G5604}.

all this is but the beginning of the `birth pains.'

All these are the beginning of birth pains.

But all these things are the beginning of travail.

Commentary

Matthew 24:8 is a pivotal statement in Jesus' prophecy concerning the end times, often referred to as the Olivet Discourse. After listing various tumultuous events, Jesus summarizes their collective significance.

Context

This verse comes immediately after Jesus describes a series of global disturbances: false Christs, wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes (as detailed in Matthew 24:6 and Matthew 24:7). The disciples had asked Jesus about the sign of His coming and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). Jesus' response is not meant to pinpoint an exact date but to describe the nature of the period leading up to His return. These events are not the end itself but precursors, serving as indicators of what is to come.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Escalating Signs: The phrase "all these" refers to the preceding calamities. Jesus indicates that these widespread troubles are not isolated incidents but interconnected signs that will intensify over time, marking a progression towards the ultimate end.
  • Divine Purpose in Trouble: The verse communicates that even distressing global events serve a purpose within God's prophetic timeline. They are part of a larger, divinely orchestrated plan leading to the culmination of human history.
  • A Call to Discernment: Believers are called to observe these signs not with fear, but with spiritual understanding, recognizing them as indicators of the approaching culmination of history and the return of Christ.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "the beginning of sorrows" translates the Greek word ōdin (ὠδίν), which literally means "birth pangs" or "labor pains." This is a profound metaphor. Just as a woman experiences increasingly intense and frequent contractions leading up to childbirth, so too will these global disturbances grow in frequency and severity as the world approaches the return of Christ and the establishment of the new age. It signifies a painful but ultimately purposeful process leading to a new creation, much like the creation groaning in travail.

Practical Application

For believers today, Matthew 24:8 offers both a sobering warning and a profound source of hope. It reminds us that while the world may experience increasing turmoil, these events are not random but fulfill prophetic declarations. Instead of succumbing to despair or panic, followers of Christ are encouraged to remain vigilant, to pray, and to share the Gospel, knowing that these "birth pangs" precede the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:30). It serves as a call to spiritual preparedness and unwavering faith amidst global unrest, understanding that God remains sovereign over all circumstances.

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

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (14 votes)

    For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

  • 1 Peter 4:17 (9 votes)

    For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?

  • 1 Peter 4:18 (9 votes)

    And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

  • Deuteronomy 28:59 (6 votes)

    Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, [even] great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.

  • Isaiah 9:17 (3 votes)

    Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one [is] an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

  • Isaiah 10:4 (3 votes)

    Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand [is] stretched out still.

  • Leviticus 26:18 (2 votes)

    And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.