KJV: And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
YLT: 'And when ye may see Jerusalem surrounded by encampments, then know that come nigh did her desolation;
Darby: But when ye see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, then know that its desolation is drawn nigh.
ASV: But when ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand.
ἴδητε | you see |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: εἶδον Sense: to see with the eyes. |
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κυκλουμένην | being encircled |
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: κυκλεύω Sense: to go around, lead around. |
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στρατοπέδων | encampments |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural Root: στρατόπεδον Sense: a military camp. |
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Ἰερουσαλήμ | Jerusalem |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: Ἰερουσαλήμ Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants. |
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γνῶτε | know |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: γινώσκω Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel. |
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ὅτι | that |
Parse: Conjunction Root: ὅτι Sense: that, because, since. |
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ἤγγικεν | has drawn near |
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἐγγίζω Sense: to bring near, to join one thing to another. |
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ἐρήμωσις | desolation |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: ἐρήμωσις Sense: a making desolate, desolation. |
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αὐτῆς | of her |
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
Greek Commentary for Luke 21:20
Present passive participle of κυκλοω kukloō to circle, encircle, from κυκλος kuklos circle. Old verb, but only four times in N.T. The point of this warning is the present tense, being encircled. It will be too late after the city is surrounded. It is objected by some that Jesus, not to say Luke, could not have spoken (or written) these words before the Roman armies came. One may ask why not, if such a thing as predictive prophecy can exist and especially in the case of the Lord Jesus. The word στρατοπεδων stratopedōn (στρατος stratos army, πεδον pedon plain) is a military camp and then an army in camp. Old word, but only here in the N.T. [source]
Second aorist active imperative of γινωσκω ginōskō Christians did flee from Jerusalem to Pella before it was too late as directed in Luke 21:21; Mark 13:14.; Matthew 24:16. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 21:20
An allusion to Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11. Antiochus Epiphanes erected an altar to Zeus on the altar of Jehovah (1 Maccabees 1:54, 59; 6:7; 2 Maccabees 6:1-5). The desolation in the mind of Jesus is apparently the Roman army (Luke 21:20) in the temple, an application of the words of Daniel to this dread event. The verb βδελυσσομαι bdelussomai is to feel nausea because of stench, to abhor, to detest. Idolatry was a stench to God (Luke 16:15; Revelation 17:4). Josephus tells us that the Romans burned the temple and offered sacrifices to their ensigns placed by the eastern gate when they proclaimed Titus as Emperor. [source]
Comp. Luke 21:20; John 10:24. oP. [source]