Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 24:2
Verse 2. See ye not all these things?] The common text, and many manuscripts, have ou blepete, Do ye not see, or consider? But the negative particle is omitted by several excellent manuscripts, by the Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Slavonic, Vulgate, and Itala versions, and by some of the primitive fathers, who all read it thus, see, or consider all these things. There shall not be left here one stone] These seem to have been the last words he spoke as he left the temple, into which he never afterwards entered; and, when he got to the mount of Olives, he renewed the discourse. From this mount, on which our Lord and his disciples now sat, the whole of the city, and particularly the temple, were clearly seen. This part of our Lord's prediction was fulfilled in the most literal manner.
Josephus says, War, book vii. c. 1: "Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the whole city and temple, te polin apasan kai ton newn kataskeptein, except the three towers, Phaselus, Hippicus, and Mariamne, and a part of the western wall, and these were spared; but, for all the rest of the wall, it was laid so completely even with the ground, by those who dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited." Maimonides, a Jewish rabbin, in Tract. Taanith, c. 4, says, "That the very foundations of the temple were digged up, according to the Roman custom." His words are these: "On that ninth day of the month Ab, fatal for vengeance, the wicked Turnus Rufus, of the children of Edom, ploughed up the temple, and the places round about it, that the saying might be fulfilled, Zion shall be ploughed as a field." This Turnus, or rather Terentius Rufus, was left general of the army by Titus, with commission, as the Jews suppose, to destroy the city and the temple, as Josephus observes.
The temple was destroyed 1st. Justly; because of the sins of the Jews.
2dly. Mercifully; to take away from them the occasion of continuing in Judaism: and 3dly. Mysteriously; to show that the ancient sacrifices were abolished, and that the whole Jewish economy was brought to an end, and the Christian dispensation introduced.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. And Jesus said unto them, see ye not all these things ? etc.] “These great buildings”, as in Mark; all these goodly stones, so beautiful and large, and so firmly put together: verily, I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down ; or broken, as Munster’s Hebrew Gospel reads it: which prediction had a full and remarkable accomplishment; and which is not only attested by Josephus f1353 , who relates, that both the city and temple were dug up, and laid level with the ground; but also by other Jewish writers; who tell us that “on the ninth of Ab, a day prepared for punishments, Turnus Rufus the wicked, lkyhh ta çrj , “ploughed up the temple”, and all round about it, to fulfil what is said, “Zion shall be ploughed as a field”.”
Yes, and to fulfil what Christ here says too, that not one stone should be left upon another, which a plough would not admit of.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-3 - Christ foretells the utter ruin and destruction coming upon the temple A believing foresight of the defacing of all worldly glory, will hel to keep us from admiring it, and overvaluing it. The most beautifu body soon will be food for worms, and the most magnificent building ruinous heap. See ye not all these things? It will do us good so to se them as to see through them, and see to the end of them. Our Lor having gone with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, he set befor them the order of the times concerning the Jews, till the destructio of Jerusalem; and as to men in general till the end of the world.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM δε 1161 CONJ ιησους 2424 N-NSM ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S αυτοις 846 P-DPM ου 3756 PRT-N βλεπετε 991 5719 V-PAI-2P παντα 3956 A-APN ταυτα 5023 D-APN αμην 281 HEB λεγω 3004 5719 V-PAI-1S υμιν 5213 P-2DP ου 3756 PRT-N μη 3361 PRT-N αφεθη 863 5686 V-APS-3S ωδε 5602 ADV λιθος 3037 N-NSM επι 1909 PREP λιθον 3037 N-ASM ος 3739 R-NSM ου 3756 PRT-N μη 3361 PRT-N καταλυθησεται 2647 5701 V-FPI-3S
Robertson's NT Word Studies
24:2 {One stone upon another} (liqos epi liqon). Stone upon stone. A startling prediction showing that the gloomy current of the thoughts of Jesus were not changed by their words of admiration for the temple.
