“And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
(Matthew 24:2, KJV)
“But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.””
(Matthew 24:2, ESV)
Table of Contents
- Matthew 24:2 Meaning – Summary
- Matthew 24:2 Meaning – And Jesus Said Unto Them
- Matthew 24:2 Meaning – See ye not all these things?
- Matthew 24:2 Meaning – There Shall Not Be Left One Stone Upon Another
Matthew 24:2 Meaning – Summary
Because our Lord was purposed by casting down the temple of Jerusalem to punish the people’s carnal confidence in it and their contempt of the gospel, and withal to remove the theatre of the Jewish ceremonies and the shadows of the Levitical law, therefore he renews the threatening.
Dickson, David – A Brief Exposition of the Evangel of Jesus Christ According to Matthew (1651)
Matthew 24:2 Meaning – And Jesus Said Unto Them
Our Lord’s language in v. 2 shows that he is referring to the entire structure.
And Jesus said, etc. But he answered and said, is the correct Greek text. The subsequent insertion of the name ‘Jesus’ is a thing of frequent occurrence in the manuscripts, compare on Matthew 14:14.
Broadus, John – Commentary on Matthew (1886)
Matthew 24:2 Meaning – See ye not all these things?
This called their attention to the vast and solid mass of buildings, by way of preparation for the statement that all would be overthrown, a thing which then seemed in the highest degree unlikely; indeed, we know that Titus fully meant to preserve it. (Josephus “War.,” 6, 4.)
Broadus, John – Commentary on Matthew (1886)
When this accident [of the wall falling down overnight] had unexpectedly happened, the minds of both parties [Jews and Romans] were variously affected. For though one would expect that the Jews would be discouraged, because this fall of their wall was unexpected by them; and they had made no provision in that case; yet did they pull up their courage, because the tower of Antonia itself was still standing: As was the unexpected joy of the Romans at this fall of the wall soon quenched by the sight they had of another wall, which John and his party had built within it. However, the attack of this second wall appeared to be easier than that of the former. Because it seemed a thing of greater facility to get up to it through the parts of the former wall that were now thrown down. This new wall appeared also to be much weaker than the tower of Antonia: and accordingly the Romans imagined that it had been erected so much on the sudden, that they should soon overthrow it. Yet did not any body venture now to go up to this wall. For that such as first ventured so to do must certainly be killed.
Josephus, Wars 6.4
Matthew 24:2 Meaning – There Shall Not Be Left One Stone Upon Another
The outward glory of buildings shall not save them from destruction when they are abused, as here is threatened, There shall not be left one stone upon another.
The outward glory of worldly things, which bear much bulk in men’s eyes, is little esteemed of by Christ, for the disciples show the glory of the temple to him, and here he shows it to them again, saying, See ye not all these things? and he tells them, That not a stone shall be left upon another.
Dickson, David – A Brief Exposition of the Evangel of Jesus Christ According to Matthew (1651)
So also in Mark and Luke. Some stickle at the fact that several stones of Herod’s outer wall now remain in situ, e.g., at the Jews’ place of wailing, and at the southeast and southwest corners; indeed, at the southeast corner the recent English excavations reached foundation-stones supposed to have been laid by Solomon. Our Lord’s language is of course popular, and such an objection is trifling. Compare Jerermiah 26:18. In fact, it is wonderful how literally the prediction was fulfilled, for very seldom was a great city so completely destroyed. Josephus says (“Wars,” 7, 1, 1) that Titus finally ordered the whole city and the sanctuary to be razed to its foundations, except three towers and part of the western wall, and that all the rest of the city wall “was so completely leveled with the ground that there was no longer any thing to lead those who visited the spot to believe that it had ever been inhabited.”
Broadus, John – Commentary on Matthew (1886)
Now as soon as the [Roman] army had no more people to slay, or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury: (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done:) Cæsar gave orders that they should now demolish the intire city, and temple: but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency, that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne: and so much of the wall as inclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison: as were the towers also spared in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valour had subdued. But for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground, by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to, by the madness of those that were for innovations. A city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind.
Josephus, Wars 7.1.1
The Talmudic Chronicles bear witness also to this saying, “On the ninth day of the month Ab the city of Jerusalem was ploughed up”; which Maimonides delivereth more at large: “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 about it, that that saying might be fulfilled, ‘Sion shall be ploughed as a field.’” This Turnus Rufus, of great fame and infamy among the Jewish writers, without doubt is the same with Terentius Rufus, of whom Josephus speaks, Rufus was left general of the army by Titus; with commission, as it is probable, and as the Jews suppose, to destroy the city and Temple. Concerning which matter, thus again Josephus in the place before quoted, The emperor commanded them to dig up the whole city and the Temple. And a little after, “Thus those that digged it up laid all level, that it should never be inhabited, to be a witness to such as should come thither.”
Lightfoot, J.B., From the Talmud and Hebraica
