^19:28After Jesus⁷⁸ had said this, he continued on ahead,⁷⁹ going up to Jerusalem.⁸⁰^19:29Now⁸¹ when he approached Bethphage⁸² and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives,⁸³ he sent two of the disciples, ^19:30telling them,⁸⁴ “Go to the village ahead of you.⁸⁵ When⁸⁶ you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden.⁸⁷ Untie it and bring it here. ^19:31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs⁸⁸ it.’ ” ^19:32So those who were sent ahead found⁸⁹ it exactly⁹⁰ as he had told them. ^19:33As⁹¹ they were untying the colt, its owners asked them,⁹² “Why are you untying that colt?” ^19:34They replied, “The Lord needs it.” ^19:35Then⁹³ they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks⁹⁴ on the colt,⁹⁵ and had Jesus get on⁹⁶ it. ^19:36As⁹⁷ he rode along, they⁹⁸ spread their cloaks on the road. ^19:37As he approached the road leading down from⁹⁹ the Mount of Olives,¹⁰⁰ the whole crowd of his¹⁰¹ disciples began to rejoice¹⁰² and praise¹⁰³ God with a loud voice for all the mighty works¹⁰⁴ they had seen:¹⁰⁵^19:38“Blessed is the king¹⁰⁶ who comes in the name of the Lord!¹⁰⁷ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ^19:39But¹⁰⁸ some of the Pharisees¹⁰⁹ in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”¹¹⁰^19:40He answered,¹¹¹ “I tell you, if they¹¹² keep silent, the very stones¹¹³ will cry out!”

Jesus Weeps for Jerusalem under Judgment

^19:41Now¹¹⁴ when Jesus¹¹⁵ approached¹¹⁶ and saw the city, he wept over it, ^19:42saying, “If you had only known on this day,¹¹⁷ even you, the things that make for peace!¹¹⁸ But now they are hidden¹¹⁹ from your eyes. ^19:43For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build¹²⁰ an embankment¹²¹ against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. ^19:44They will demolish you¹²²—you and your children within your walls¹²³—and they will not leave within you one stone¹²⁴ on top of another,¹²⁵ because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”¹²⁶

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Footnotes

78 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
79 This could mean “before [his disciples],” but that is slightly more awkward, requiring an elided element (the disciples) to be supplied.
80 This is yet another travel note on the journey to Jerusalem. See also Luke 18:31; 19:11. Jesus does not actually enter Jerusalem until 19:45. For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
81 Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
82 The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most locate it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.
83 Grk “at the mountain called ‘of Olives.’ ” This form of reference is awkward in contemporary English, so the more familiar “Mount of Olives” has been used in the translation. “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 100 ft (30 m) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.
84 Grk “saying.”
85 Grk “the village lying before [you]” ( κατέναντι 2.a).
86 Grk “in which entering.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, but because of the length and complexity of the construction a new sentence was started here in the translation.
87 Grk “a colt tied there on which no one of men has ever sat.”
88 The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.
89 Grk “sent ahead and went and found.”
90 Exactly as he had told them. Nothing in Luke 19–23 catches Jesus by surprise. Often he directs the action.
91 Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
92 Grk “said to them.”
93 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
94 Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.
96 Although ἐπεβίβασαν (epebibasan) is frequently translated “set [Jesus] on it” or “put [Jesus] on it,” when used of a riding animal the verb can mean “to cause to mount” (L&N 15.98); thus here “had Jesus get on it.” The degree of assistance is not specified.
97 Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
98 The disciples initiated this action (since in 19:35 and 37 they are the subject) but the other gospels indicate the crowds also became involved. Thus it is difficult to specify the referent here as “the disciples” or “people.”
99 Grk “the descent of”; this could refer to either the slope of the hillside itself or the path leading down from it (the second option has been adopted for the translation, see L&N 15.109).
100 See the note on the name Mount of Olives in v. .
101 Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here as a possessive pronoun ( ).
102 Here the participle χαίροντες (chairontes) has been translated as a finite verb in English; it could also be translated adverbially as a participle of manner: “began to praise God joyfully.”
104 Or “works of power,” “miracles.” Jesus’ ministry of miracles is what has drawn attention. See Luke 7:22.
105 Grk “they had seen, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
106 Luke adds the title king to the citation from Ps 118:26 to make clear who was meant (see Luke 18:38). The psalm was used in looking for the deliverance of the end, thus leading to the Pharisees’ reaction.
107 A quotation from Ps 118:26.
108 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context. Not all present are willing to join in the acclamation.
109 See the note on Pharisees in .
110 Teacher, rebuke your disciples. The Pharisees were complaining that the claims were too great.
111 Grk “and answering, he said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “He answered.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
112 Grk “these.”
113 This statement amounts to a rebuke. The idiom of creation speaking means that even creation knows what is taking place, yet the Pharisees miss it. On this idiom, see Gen 4:10 and Hab 2:11.
114 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
115 Grk “he.”
116 When Jesus approached and saw the city. This is the last travel note in Luke’s account (the so-called Jerusalem journey), as Jesus approached and saw the city before entering it.
117 On this day. They had missed the time of Messiah’s coming; see v. 44.
118 Grk “the things toward peace.” This expression seems to mean “the things that would ‘lead to,’ ‘bring about,’ or ‘make for’ peace.”
119 But now they are hidden from your eyes. This becomes an oracle of doom in the classic OT sense; see Luke 13:31–35; 11:49–51; Jer 9:2; 13:7; 14:7. They are now blind and under judgment (Jer 15:5; Ps 122:6).
120 Jesus now predicted the events that would be fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. The details of the siege have led some to see Luke writing this after Jerusalem’s fall, but the language of the verse is like God’s exilic judgment for covenant unfaithfulness (Hab 2:8; Jer 6:6, 14; 8:13–22; 9:1; Ezek 4:2; 26:8; Isa 29:1–4). Specific details are lacking and the procedures described (build an embankment against you) were standard Roman military tactics.
121 An embankment refers to either wooden barricades or earthworks, or a combination of the two.
122 Grk “They will raze you to the ground.” The singular pronoun you refers to the city of Jerusalem personified.
123 Grk “your children within you.” The phrase “[your] walls” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the city of Jerusalem, metaphorically pictured as an individual, is spoken of here.
124 (Not) one stone on top of another is an idiom for total destruction.
125 Grk “leave stone on stone.”
126 Grk “the time of your visitation.” To clarify what this refers to, the words “from God” are supplied at the end of the verse, although they do not occur in the Greek text. You did not recognize the time of your visitation refers to the time God came to visit them. They had missed the Messiah; see Luke 1:68–79.

Cross references

95 See Zech 9:9.
103 See 2:13, 20; Acts 2:47; 3:8–9.