SEV Biblia, Chapter 24:34
De cierto os digo, que no pasar esta edad, que todas estas cosas no acontezcan.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 24:34
Verse 34. This generation shall not pass] h genea auth, this race; i.e. the Jews shall not cease from being a distinct people, till all the counsels of God relative to them and the Gentiles be fulfilled. Some translate h genea auth, this generation, meaning the persons who were then living, that they should not die before these signs, &c., took place: but though this was true, as to the calamities that fell upon the Jews, and the destruction of their government, temple, &c., yet as our Lord mentions Jerusalem's continuing to be under the power of the Gentiles till the fullness of the Gentiles should come in, i.e. till all the nations of the world should receive the Gospel of Christ, after which the Jews themselves should be converted unto God, Rom. xi. 25, &c., I think it more proper not to restrain its meaning to the few years which preceded the destruction of Jerusalem; but to understand it of the care taken by Divine providence to preserve them as a distinct people, and yet to keep them out of their own land, and from their temple service. See on Mark xiii. 30. But still it is literally true in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem. John probably lived to see these things come to pass; compare chap. xvi. 28, with John xxi. 22; and there were some rabbins alive at the time when Christ spoke these words who lived till the city was destroyed, viz. Rabban Simeon, who perished with the city; R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, who outlived it; R. Zadoch, R. Ismael, and others. See Lightfoot. The war began, as Josephus says, Ant. b. xx. c. 11. s. 1, in the second year of the government of Gessius Florus, who succeeded Albinus, successor of Porcius Festus, mentioned Acts xxiv. 27, in the month of May, in the twelfth year of Nero, and the seventeenth of Agrippa, mentioned Acts 25 and 26, that is, in May, A. D. 66.
The temple was burnt August 10, A. D. 70, the same day and month on which it had been burnt by the king of Babylon: Josephus, Ant. b. xx. c. 11. s. 8.
The city was taken September 8, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, or the year of Christ 70. Ant. b. vi. c. 10.
That was the end of the siege of Jerusalem, which began, as Josephus several times observes, about the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, or our April. See War, b. v. c. 3. s. 1, c. 13. s. 7; b. vi. c. 9. s. 3.
Dr. Lardner farther remarks, There is also an ancient inscription to the honour of Titus, "who, by his father's directions and counsels, had subdued the Jewish nation and destroyed Jerusalem, which had never been destroyed by any generals, kings, or people, before." The inscription may be seen in GRUTER, vol. i. p. 244. It is as follows:-
IMP. TITO. CAESARI. DIVI. VESPASIANI. F VESPASIANO. AUG. PONTIFICI. MAXIMO TRIB, POT. X. IMP. XVII. COS. VIII. P. P. PRINCIPI. SUO. S. P. Q. R QUOD. PRAECEPTIS. PATRIS. CONSILIISQUE. ET AUSPICIIS. GENTEM. JUDAEORom. DOMUIT. ET URBEM. HIEROSOLYMAM. OMNIBUS. ANTE. SE DUCIBUS. REGIBUS. GENTIBUSQUE. AUT. FRUSTRA. PETITAM. AUT. OMNINO. INTENTATAM. DELEVIT
For this complete conquest of Jerusalem, Titus had a triumphal arch erected to his honour, which still exists. It stand on the Via Sacra, leading from the forum to the amphitheatre. On it are represented the spoils of the temple of God, such as the golden table of the show-bread, the golden candlestick with its seven branches, the ark of the covenant, the two golden trumpets, &c., &c.; for a particular account see the note on Exod. xxv. 31. On this arch, a correct model of which, taken on the spot, now stands before me, is the following inscription:-SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS DIVO TITO. DIVI VESPASIANI. F VESPASIANO AUGUSTO "The Senate and People of Rome, to the Divine Titus, son of the Divine Vespasian; and to Vespasian the Emperor." On this occasion, a medal was struck with the following inscription round a laureated head of the emperor:-IMP.erator J.ulius CAES.ar VESP.asianus AUG.ustus. P.ontifex M.aximus, TR.ibunitia, P.otestate P.ater P.atrice CO.nS.ul VIII.-On the obverse are represented a palm tree, the emblem of the land of Judaea; the emperor with a trophy standing on the left; Judea, under the figure of a distressed woman, sitting at the foot of the tree weeping, with her head bowed down, supported by her left hand, with the legend JUDAEA CAPTA. S.enatus C.onsultus. at the bottom. This is not only an extraordinary fulfillment of our Lord's prediction, but a literal accomplishment of a prophecy delivered about 800 years before, Isa. iii. 26, And she, desolate, shall sit upon the ground.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 34. Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass , etc.] Not the generation of men in general; as if the sense was, that mankind should not cease, until the accomplishment of these things; nor the generation, or people of the Jews, who should continue to be a people, until all were fulfilled; nor the generation of Christians; as if the meaning was, that there should be always a set of Christians, or believers in Christ in the world, until all these events came to pass; but it respects that present age, or generation of men then living in it; and the sense is, that all the men of that age should not die, but some should live till all these things were fulfilled ; (see Matthew 16:28) as many did, and as there is reason to believe they might, and must, since all these things had their accomplishment, in and about forty years after this: and certain it is, that John, one of the disciples of Christ, outlived the time by many years; and, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, many of the Jewish doctors now living, when Christ spoke these words, lived until the city was destroyed; as Rabban Simeon, who perished with it, R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, who outlived it, R. Zadoch, R. Ishmael, and others: this is a full and clear proof, that not anything that is said before, relates to the second coming of Christ, the day of judgment, and end of the world; but that all belong to the coming of the son of man, in the destruction of Jerusalem, and to the end of the Jewish state.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 29-41 - Christ foretells his second coming. It is usual for prophets to spea of things as near and just at hand, to express the greatness an certainty of them. Concerning Christ's second coming, it is foretol that there shall be a great change, in order to the making all thing new. Then they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds. At his first coming, he was set for a sign that should be spoken against, but at his second coming, a sign that should be admired. Sooner or later all sinners will be mourners; but repenting sinners look to Christ, an mourn after a godly sort; and those who sow in those tears shal shortly reap in joy. Impenitent sinners shall see Him whom they have pierced, and, though they laugh now, shall mourn and weep in endles horror and despair. The elect of God are scattered abroad; there ar some in all places, and all nations; but when that great gathering da comes, there shall not one of them be missing. Distance of place shal keep none out of heaven. Our Lord declares that the Jews should neve cease to be a distinct people, until all things he had been predictin were fulfilled. His prophecy reaches to the day of final judgment therefore he here, ver. 34, foretells that Judah shall never cease to exist as a distinct people, so long as this world shall endure. Men of the world scheme and plan for generation upon generation here, but the plan not with reference to the overwhelming, approaching, and mos certain event of Christ's second coming, which shall do away ever human scheme, and set aside for ever all that God forbids. That will be as surprising a day, as the deluge to the old world. Apply this, first to temporal judgments, particularly that which was then hastening upo the nation and people of the Jews. Secondly, to the eternal judgment Christ here shows the state of the old world when the deluge came. The were secure and careless; they knew not, until the flood came; and the believed not. Did we know aright that all earthly things must shortl pass away, we should not set our eyes and hearts so much upon them a we do. The evil day is not the further off for men's putting it fa from them. What words can more strongly describe the suddenness of ou Saviour's coming! Men will be at their respective businesses, an suddenly the Lord of glory will appear. Women will be in their hous employments, but in that moment every other work will be laid aside and every heart will turn inward and say, It is the Lord! Am I prepare to meet him? Can I stand before him? And what, in fact, is the day of judgment to the whole world, but the day of death to every one?
Greek Textus Receptus
αμην 281 HEB λεγω 3004 5719 V-PAI-1S υμιν 5213 P-2DP ου 3756 PRT-N μη 3361 PRT-N παρελθη 3928 5632 V-2AAS-3S η 3588 T-NSF γενεα 1074 N-NSF αυτη 3778 D-NSF εως 2193 CONJ αν 302 PRT παντα 3956 A-NPN ταυτα 5023 D-NPN γενηται 1096 5638 V-2ADS-3S
Robertson's NT Word Studies
24:34 { this generation} (he genea haute). The problem is whether Jesus is here referring to the destruction of Jerusalem or to the second coming and end of the world. If to the destruction of Jerusalem, there was a literal fulfilment. In the Old Testament a generation was reckoned as forty years. this is the natural way to take verse #34 as of #33 (Bruce), "all things" meaning the same in both verses.
