Luke 23:30
What does Luke 23:30 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 23:30 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 23:30 means
He says people will begin to cry to the mountains, “Fall on us,” and to the hills, “Cover us.” This imagery conveys overwhelming fear and a desperate desire to escape judgment. It echoes the language of prophetic warnings, capturing the scale of coming disaster. Such cries will not bring rescue; they signal a people faced with consequences long ignored. Jesus’ words show He is not merely a victim of injustice; He is the Judge’s faithful messenger, announcing what refusal of God’s King will mean. Those present weep for Him, but He calls them to weep for themselves.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And they will say to the mountains, Come down on us, and to the hills, Be a cover over us.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862then they shall begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Cover us; --
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Then shall they begin to say to the mountains: Fall upon us. And to the hills: Cover us.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall upon us; and to the hills, Cover us:
Context
This verse completes the intense description of impending judgment that Jesus gives to the lamenting women. The next verse will offer a proverbial comparison about green and dry wood, underscoring the logic of judgment. With His warning finished, the narrative immediately returns to the main line: two criminals are led with Jesus to be executed. The prophecy thus frames the crucifixion within divine justice, even as Jesus endures injustice from human authorities.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Isaiah 2:19
And men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.
- Revelation 9:6
And in those days men shall seek death, and shall in no wise find it; and they shall desire to die, and death fleeth from them.
- Hosea 10:8
The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
- Revelation 6:16
and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
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