Matthew 24:8

24:8 first of the birth pains: Intense anguish is expected just prior to Jesus’ second coming (see also 24:29-31; Isa 13:8; 26:17; Jer 4:31; 6:24; Mic 4:9-10).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 24:8. Ἀρχὴ, the beginning) sc. with regard to the Jews; contrasted with the end spoken of in Mat 24:6; Mat 24:14.—ὠδίνων, of pangs) which precede the regeneration [or new birth of the world]: see ch. Mat 19:28, and Rom 8:22. A metaphor taken from childbirth.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_24:8. But all this will be the beginning of woes (Euthymius Zigabenus: προοίμια τῶν συμφορῶν), will stand in the same relation to what is about to follow, as the beginning of the birth-pangs does to the much severer pains which come after. It is apparent from Mat_24:7 that ἔσται is understood. The figure contained in ὠδίνων is to be traced to the popular way of conceiving of the troubles that were to precede the advent of the Messiah as חבלי המשיח. Comp. on Mat_24:3.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 24:8 . πάντα δὲ : yet all these but a beginning of pains. It is not necessary to find here an allusion to the Rabbinical idea of the birth pangs of Messiah, but simply the use of a natural and frequent Biblical emblem for distress of any sort. As to the date of the Rabbinical idea vide Keil. The beginning : such an accumulation of horrors might well appear to the inexperienced the end, hence the remark to prevent panic.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Word for word, of great torments, like unto women in travail.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 8. All these are the beginning of sorrows.] ωδινων, travailing pains. The whole land of Judea is represented under the notion of a woman in grievous travail; but our Lord intimates, that all that had already been mentioned were only the first pangs and throes, and nothing in comparison of that hard and death-bringing labour, which should afterwards take place.

From the calamities of the nation in general, our Lord passes to those of the Christians; and, indeed, the sufferings of his followers were often occasioned by the judgments sent upon the land, as the poor Christians were charged with being the cause of these national calamities, and were cruelly persecuted on that account.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(8) The beginning of sorrows.—The words mean strictly, the beginning of travail pangs. The troubles through which the world passes are thought of as issuing in a “new birth”—the “regeneration” of Mat_19:28. So St. Paul speaks of the whole creation as “travailing in pain together” (Rom_8:22). So a time of national suffering and perplexity is one in which “the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth” (Isa_37:3).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. sorrows] Literally, pains of travail, that preceded the birth of a new order of things, a fresh æon.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All these are the beginning of sorrows,.... They were only a prelude unto them, and forerunners of them; they were only some foretastes of what would be, and were far from being the worst that should be endured. These were but light, in comparison of what befell the Jews, in their dreadful destruction. The word here used, signifies the sorrows and pains of a woman in travail. The Jews expect great sorrows and distresses in the times of the Messiah, and use a word to express them by, which answers to this, and call them, , "the sorrows of the Messiah"; they say (r), signifies the sorrows of a woman in travail; and the Syriac version uses the same word here. These they represent to be very great, and express much concern to be delivered from them. They (s) ask,

"what shall a man do, to be delivered from "the sorrows of the Messiah?" He must employ himself in the law, and in liberality.''

And again (t),

"he that observes the three meals on the sabbath day, shall be delivered from three punishments; from "the sorrows of the Messiah", from the judgment of hell, and from Gog and Magog.''

But alas there was no other way of escaping them, but by faith in the true Messiah, Jesus; and it was for their disbelief and rejection of him, that these came upon them.

(r) Gloss. in T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 118. 2. (s) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 98. 2. (t) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 118. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Ver. 8. All these are the beginning, &c.] q.d. There yet remain far worse matters than war, -famine, pestilence, earthquakes. Adhuc restant gravissimi partus cruciatus. And yet war is as a fire that feeds upon the people, Isa 9:19-20. Famine is far worse than that, Lam 4:9. Pestilence is God’s evil angel, Psa 78:49-50. Earthquakes are wondrous terrible, and destructive to whole cities, as to Antioch of old, and to Pleurs in Italy of late, where fifteen hundred men perished together. A conflux of all these abides the condemners of Christ’s gospel. The holy martyrs, as Saunders, Bradford, Philpot, &c.; the confessors also that fled for religion in Queen Mary’s days acknowledged (as Ursinus relates) that that great inundation of misery came justly upon them, for their unprofitableness under the means of grace which they had enjoyed in King Edward’s days. "When I first came to be pastor at Clavenne," saith Zanchy, "there happened a grievous pestilence, that in seven months’ time consumed 1200 persons." Their former pastor, Mainardus, that man of God, had often foretold such a calamity for their popery and profaneness: but he could never be believed, till the plague had proven him a true prophet; and then they remembered his words, and wished they had been warned by him. When the Protestants of France began to grow wanton of their peace and prosperity, to jangle among themselves about discipline, and to affect a vain frothy way of preaching, then came the cruel massacre upon them. (Melch. Adam. in Vita Bulling.)

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The beginning of sorrows - Far heavier calamities are yet to come before the end.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. Beginning of sorrows — Those more distant troubles and tribulations, while they have no connection with the END of the world, are but the omens of the nearer catastrophe to the state and temple about which you have inquired.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Beginning of sorrows; wdinwn : labour pangs, travailings. The metaphor often occurs. (see Isa_26:17 Jer_13:21 Hos_13:13, etc) These great events are called "labour pangs" because they usher in the new creation, "the regeneration" spoken of in Mat_19:28 (see note there). St. Paul writes, (Rom_8:22) "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." The tribulations and calamities which preceded and accompanied the overthrow of the Jewish polity are a sign and warning of the great and universal woes Which shall herald the day of judgment. Jewish writings speak of "the sorrows of Messiah," distresses, wars, famine, dissension, etc., which should herald his advent, and Christ may have used the popular opinion, true as far as it went, as a vehicle for conveying the further truth, that the coming age would be produced amid terrible agonies of men, peoples, and nature.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8, 9. Shall deliver you up to tribulation. To persecution. Soon literally fulfilled in the Jewish persecutions. The awful persecution of Nero also soon followed. Ye shall be hated. Tacitus, describing Nero's persecution begun in a.d. 64, says “the Christians were haters of mankind.”

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

8. ὠδίνων. Literally, pains of travail, that preceded the birth of a new order of things, a fresh æon, the παλινγενεσία.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(M) 8. And all these things are a beginning of sufferings.] Mk. has “A beginning of sufferings are these things.—ὠδίων] The Jews spoke of “the sufferings of the Messiah.” By the phrase they signified the time of unprecedented trouble which was to precede the Messianic salvation; see Volz, Jüd. Eschat. p. 173 ff.; Schürer, 11. ii. 154-156. Cf. B. Sanhed 98a “The disciple of Rabbi Eleasar asked him, What can one do to be preserved from the sufferings of the Messiah?”; Shabb 118a “three visitations, the sufferings of the Messiah, the judgement of Gehinnom, and the war of Gog and Magog.” For descriptions of the evils of the last days, cf. 2 Es 15. 16, Apoc. Bar 27. 48:31-37, 70:2-10, Jubilees 23:16-25, 2 Est 5:1-12, 6:18-25, Enoch 99:4-7, 100:1-6.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.