The Meaning of Luke 23:30 Explained

Luke 23:30

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

YLT: then they shall begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us; --

Darby: Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall upon us; and to the hills, Cover us:

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Luke 23:30 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Probably the people would call on the mountains and hills to hide them from God"s wrath (cf. Revelation 6:15-16). The Tribulation is in view in the Hosea passage. Probably the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D70 and the Tribulation judgments on Jerusalem are in view here. The destruction by the Romans would only be a foretaste of the worse judgment still future.

Context Summary

Luke 23:26-34 - "they Crucified The Lord Of Glory"
Simon's two sons are believed to have become Christians. See Mark 15:21, Romans 16:13. Perhaps this strange interruption in his ordinary experiences led to the whole household becoming Christian. Jesus and he bore the cross together. So later, Symeon of Cambridge, who was much reviled for his evangelical principles, loved to think that he and Christ were suffering together.
Ever more thoughtful for others than for Himself, the Lord seemed to forget His griefs that He might address warnings and entreaties to these poor women, Luke 23:28. He was the young green tree in the forest glade, consumed in the awful heat of divine burnings, while they and theirs were the dry wood, which would soon crackle in the overthrow of their city.
On the cross our Lord became immediately the high priest, pleading for the great world and for His own; and He has never ceased since. See Hebrews 7:25. Sins of ignorance are placed in a different category from those of presumption; See 1 Timothy 1:13, 1 John 5:16. The answer to that prayer, Luke 23:34, was given on the day of Pentecost. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 23

1  Jesus is accused before Pilate, and sent to Herod
8  Herod mocks him
12  Herod and Pilate become friends
13  Barabbas is desired of the people,
24  and is released by Pilate, and Jesus is given to be crucified
26  He tells the women, that lament him, the destruction of Jerusalem;
34  prays for his enemies
39  Two criminals are crucified with him
46  His death
50  His burial

Greek Commentary for Luke 23:30

Hills [βουνοῖς]
Only here and Luke 3:5. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 23:30

Revelation 6:16 Fall on us []
Compare Hosea 10:8; Luke 23:30. [source]
Revelation 6:16 Fall on us [Πεσατε επ ημας]
Second aorist (first aorist ending) imperative of πιπτω — piptō tense of urgency, do it now.And hide us (και κρυπσατε ημας — kai krupsate hēmās). Same tense of urgency again from κρυπτω — kruptō (verb in Revelation 6:15). Both imperatives come in inverted order from Hosea 10:8 with καλυπσατε — kalupsate (cover) in place of κρυπσατε — krupsate (hide), quoted by Jesus on the way to the Cross (Luke 23:30) in the order here, but with καλυπσατε — kalupsate not κρυπσατε — krupsate the face of him that (απο προσωπου του — apo prosōpou tou etc.). “What sinners dread most is not death, but the revealed Presence of God” (Swete). Cf. Genesis 3:8.And from the wrath of the Lamb Repetition of “the grave irony” (Swete) of Revelation 5:5. The Lamb is the Lion again in the terribleness of his wrath. Recall the mourning in Revelation 1:7. See Matthew 25:41. where Jesus pronounces the woes on the wicked. [source]
Revelation 6:16 And hide us [και κρυπσατε ημας]
Same tense of urgency again from κρυπτω — kruptō (verb in Revelation 6:15). Both imperatives come in inverted order from Hosea 10:8 with καλυπσατε — kalupsate (cover) in place of κρυπσατε — krupsate (hide), quoted by Jesus on the way to the Cross (Luke 23:30) in the order here, but with καλυπσατε — kalupsate not κρυπσατε — krupsate the face of him that “What sinners dread most is not death, but the revealed Presence of God” (Swete). Cf. Genesis 3:8. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 23:30 mean?

Then They will begin to say to the mountains Fall upon us and to the hills Cover
τότε Ἄρξονται λέγειν τοῖς ὄρεσιν Πέσετε ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς Καὶ τοῖς βουνοῖς Καλύψατε

Ἄρξονται  They  will  begin 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἄρχω  
Sense: to be the first to do (anything), to begin.
λέγειν  to  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
τοῖς  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ὄρεσιν  mountains 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Plural
Root: ὄρος  
Sense: a mountain.
Πέσετε  Fall 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: πίπτω 
Sense: to descend from a higher place to a lower.
ἐφ’  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
ἡμᾶς  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
τοῖς  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
βουνοῖς  hills 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: βουνός  
Sense: a hill, eminence, mound.
Καλύψατε  Cover 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: καλύπτω  
Sense: to hide, veil.

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