Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Luke 19:44

ἐδαφιοῦσίν σε. Titus, if we may trust Josephus, accomplished this prophecy wholly against his will, being driven to the utter subversion and destruction of the city, by the desperate obstinacy of the Jews. Sulpicius Severus (Hist. II.), who is supposed to be here incorporating a fragment of Tacitus, says, “alii et Titus ipse ever tendum templum in primis censebant quo plenius Judaeorum et Christianorum religio tolleretur.” Josephus says that it was so frightfully desolated by the siege, that any Jew coming suddenly upon it would have asked what place it was (Jos. B. J. VI. 1, § 1). It was again laid waste in the rebellion under Barcochba.

καὶ τὰ τέκνα σου. This is joined with ἐδαφιοῦσιν by syllepsis (not as Meyer says by zeugma), ‘They shall level thee to the ground, and extirpate thy children.’ The word ‘children’ here merely means inhabitants (Luke 13:34; Matthew 23:37). The verb which is applied to children in Psalms 137:9 does not occur again in the N.T. The siege began at the Passover, and hence it is said that nearly 3,000,000 Jews were crowded into the city.

οὐκ�.τ.λ. The subsequent attempt of the Jews to rebuild the Temple was frustrated by the outburst of subterranean fires. See Gibbon, ch. 23. II. 309 (ed. Milman). Comp. Micah 3:12.

τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς σου. See Isaiah 29:2-4; Hosea 10:14-15. For the word ‘visitation’ see 1 Peter 2:12; Sir 18:20. The ‘visitation’ which they had neglected was one of mercy, Luke 1:68; Acts 1:20; 1 Timothy 3:1. The word is used for ‘oversight,’ ‘bishopric.’

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Luke 19:44

Old Testament

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