Luke 13:31-35 · Bible study
Luke 13:31-35 Commentary: Herod's Threat, Jerusalem's Lament
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus replies to Herod's threat, declares his divine timetable, and laments Jerusalem's rejection in this poignant passage.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus rejects Herod’s threat, continues his ministry on God’s schedule, laments Jerusalem’s persistent rejection, and warns of judgment with a note of future hope.
- Key words: Fox (ἀλώπηξ, cunning/cowardice); Perfected (τελειοῦμαι, completing his work); Desolate (ἔρημος, abandoned); Hen (ὄρνις, protective mother).
- Main debate: Did the Pharisees warn Jesus out of genuine concern or as a scheme to drive him toward Jerusalem’s authorities? Commentators are divided (Barnes, Calvin, Gill vs. Wesley, Matthew Henry).
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty over human plots; the cost of prophetic ministry; God’s longing for his people; judgment and hope intertwined.
- Best use: Preaching on courage in the face of threats, the tension between divine timing and human pressure, and the heart of God for the rebellious.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
31At that very hour, some Pharisees came to Jesus and told Him, “Leave this place and get away, because Herod wants to kill You.”
32But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’
33Nevertheless, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day, for it is not admissible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.
34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
35Look, your house is left to you desolate. And I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
WEB World English Bible 2000
31On that same day, some Pharisees came, saying to him, “Get out of here and go away, for Herod wants to kill you.”
32He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I complete my mission.
33Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, for it can’t be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.’
34“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused!
35Behold, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
KJV King James Version 1769
31The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
32And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
33Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
35Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
31In that very hour there came certain Pharisees, saying to him, Get thee out, and go hence: for Herod would fain kill thee.
32And he said unto them, Go and say to that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am perfected.
33Nevertheless I must go on my way to-day and to-morrow and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her own brood under her wings, and ye would not!
35Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
31On that day there came near certain Pharisees, saying to him, `Go forth, and be going on hence, for Herod doth wish to kill thee;'
32and he said to them, `Having gone, say to this fox, Lo, I cast forth demons, and perfect cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am being perfected;
33but it behoveth me to-day, and to-morrow, and the day following, to go on, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish out of Jerusalem.
34`Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that is killing the prophets, and stoning those sent unto her, how often did I will to gather together thy children, as a hen her brood under the wings, and ye did not will.
35`Lo, your house is being left to you desolate, and verily I say to you--ye may not see me, till it may come, when ye may say, Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
31The same hour certain Pharisees came up, saying to him, Get out, and go hence, for Herod is desirous to kill thee.
32And he said to them, Go, tell that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and accomplish cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third [day] I am perfected;
33but I must needs walk to-day and to-morrow and the [day] following, for it must not be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the [city] that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen her brood under her wings, and ye would not.
35Behold, your house is left unto you; and I say unto you, that ye shall not see me until it come that ye say, Blessed [is] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
31The same day, there came some of the Pharisees, saying to him: Depart, and get thee hence, for Herod hath a mind to kill thee.
32And he said to them: Go and tell that fox: Behold, I cast out devils and do cures, to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am consummated.
33Nevertheless, I must walk to-day and to-morrow and the day following, because it cannot be that a prophet perish, out of Jerusalem.
34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets; and stonest them that are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children as the bird doth her brood under her wings, and thou wouldest not?
35Behold your house shall be left to you desolate. And I say to you that you shall not see me till the time come when you shall say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 13:31
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jesus sees through the Pharisees' warning and responds with fearless authority. The warning itself, “Herod wants to kill you”, may have been either a genuine concern (Wesley allows this) or a strategy to drive Jesus into Judea where the Sanhedrin could act (Barnes, Calvin). But Jesus' reply dismisses the threat entirely. He calls Herod “that fox” (ἀλώπεκι), a term for cunning and cowardice, not open violence (Barnes, Calvin). The present tense “I am perfected” (τελειοῦμαι) shows he is completing his mission on a fixed schedule (Vincent). The lament over Jerusalem (vv.34-35) shifts from defiance to deep grief: Jesus longs to gather but meets refusal. The “house left desolate” likely means the temple, now abandoned by God's presence (Clarke, Cambridge). Those who persisted in unbelief would see him again only when they cry “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”, words that point to either the triumphal entry or the final judgment (Calvin, Gill).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Pharisees as friendly warners: Wesley and Matthew Henry allow that some Pharisees may have warned Jesus out of good will; the text does not state their motives negatively.
- Pharisees as collaborators with Herod: Barnes, Calvin, and Gill argue the Pharisees colluded with Herod to drive Jesus out of Galilee into the hands of the Jerusalem authorities.
- Jesus’ 'third day' as reference to resurrection: Wesley and others see in 'the third day I am perfected' an anticipation of Jesus’ resurrection; the present tense (τελειοῦμαι) may imply a divinely appointed outcome.
- Final blessing as conditional or eschatological: Some interpret 'until you say, Blessed is he who comes' as a condition for seeing Jesus (fulfilled partially at the triumphal entry); others see an eschatological future national repentance (Gill).
What is clear: Jesus refuses to be intimidated by Herod's threat, continues his ministry on his own divine schedule, and laments Jerusalem's persistent rejection of God's messengers, with a final warning of judgment that leaves room for future blessing.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Motive of the Pharisees | The Pharisees delivered a warning that Herod intended to kill Jesus. | Some hold the warning was sincere (Wesley, Matthew Henry); others see it as a plot to drive Jesus into Judea where the Sanhedrin could act (Barnes, Calvin, Gill). Both are possible from the text. |
| Meaning of 'fox' | 'Fox' designates Herod Antipas and denotes cunning or craftiness. | A few suggest Jesus may have aimed the term at the Pharisees themselves (Poole, citing the demonstrative 'this' rather than personal pronoun). Most see it as referring to Herod. |
| Jesus' timeline ('today, tomorrow, third day') | Jesus announces he will continue his work for a brief, divinely appointed period before completion. | Some take the three days literally; others interpret them as a general expression for 'a short time' (Barnes). The 'third day' may also allude to the resurrection (Wesley). |
| Identity of 'your house' in v.35 | 'House' refers to Jerusalem and/or the temple, now abandoned by God's presence. | Clarke specifies the temple; others see the whole city or the nation. There is disagreement over whether the word 'desolate' belongs to the original text (Cambridge notes its omission in strong manuscripts). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to AD 39 (Luke 3:1). He had already executed John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1) and now saw Jesus as a potential threat. The warning came while Jesus was traveling through Perea toward Jerusalem (Luke 13:22). The Pharisees who delivered the message may have been acting either out of genuine fear or as pawns of Herod (possibly colluding to drive Jesus to Judea, where the high priests could arrest him). Jesus’ reply (“Go tell that fox”) shows he regarded Herod’s threat as hollow rather than deadly, Herod was not a lion but a fox, more crafty than powerful.
The lament over Jerusalem echoes the Old Testament prophets who were rejected and killed in the city (Nehemiah 9:26; 2 Chronicles 24:21). The image of a hen gathering chicks under her wings is drawn from the language of divine protection used in the Psalms (Psalm 17:8; 91:4). “Your house is left to you desolate” alludes to the temple (Jeremiah 12:7; Ezekiel 10:18-19). After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, these words found a grim fulfillment. The final words, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”, are from Psalm 118:26 and were shouted at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:38), but also carry an eschatological hope that Israel will one day accept its Messiah (Romans 11:25-27).
Textual Notes
The manuscript tradition for Luke 13:35 includes a significant variant: the word “desolate” (ἔρημος) is absent from early and important witnesses (א, A, B, K, L). If the shorter reading is original, the text reads “Behold, your house is left to you” without the added adjective. The word “desolate” may have been inserted later from Matthew 23:38, where it appears in most manuscripts. The meaning is not substantially altered, either way the house is forsaken, but the omission sharpens the focus on the act of abandonment itself. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes this textual issue, as do modern critical editions.
Reception History
This passage has been read across Christian traditions for its vivid contrasts: Jesus’ sharpness toward Herod and his tenderness toward Jerusalem. The image of the hen gathering her brood has been cherished as a feminine metaphor for God’s protective love, especially in Eastern Christianity. Medieval commentators often saw in the fox a type of the devil or of Herod as a forerunner of Antichrist. The lament over Jerusalem was cited by early church fathers (e.g., Chrysostom, Augustine) to show both the just judgment on Israel and the mercy of God that still held out hope. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin stressed the sovereignty of God over human schemes: Jesus’ timetable is not dictated by threats. The phrase “your house is left to you desolate” has been applied to any nation that rejects God’s messengers, and the final blessing has been sung in hymns of Advent and Palm Sunday.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The cunning threat (vv.31-32): The Pharisees’ warning from Herod exposes the conflict between earthly power and divine mission. Jesus sees through the pretence and names the threat for what it is, a fox, not a lion. His reply shows he knows both the enemy and his own timeline.
- The divine schedule (vv.32-33): “Today and tomorrow and the third day” is not a literal three days but a way of saying “in the time appointed by the Father.” Jesus walks at God’s pace, not Herod’s. His “perfection” (τελειοῦμαι) points to the completion of his redemptive work at the cross.
- The lament and the waiting (vv.34-35): Jerusalem kills the prophets but also receives the deepest longing of God. Jesus would gather, but the people refused. The “house left desolate” is both judgment and invitation, a door still open when Israel finally says, “Blessed is he who comes.”
Five-point outline
- Threats from earthly powers (v.31)
- Jesus names the adversary (v.32a)
- Mission continues on God’s schedule (vv.32b-33)
- Lament over refusal (v.34)
- Judgment with hope (v.35)
Illustration hooks
- A manager receives a letter from a competitor threatening legal action. Instead of panicking, she calmly reviews her deadlines and says, “I’ll respond when I’ve finished the project.” That quiet confidence mirrors Jesus’ response: he knows his assignment and his timeline.
- A mother hen spreading her wings over a coming storm, an image of protection that costs the hen everything. Jesus uses this vulnerable, sacrificial picture to describe his love for Jerusalem.
- An empty house after a family moves out. It’s still “theirs” but it feels abandoned. That is what judgment looks like: God does not remove his presence violently; he simply leaves the place to those who no longer want him.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know when a warning is from God or from an enemy trying to distract me from my calling?
- What does it mean that Jesus “wanted to gather” Jerusalem but was refused? Does God’s will ever fail?
- Is there hope for a people or a person who has rejected God for a long time?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows Jesus navigating both human threats and divine destiny. As you read Luke 13:31-35 together, notice the shift in tone: from a sharp retort to Herod to a weeping lament over Jerusalem. The same Jesus who calls a ruler “fox” also grieves over the city that will kill him.
Discussion questions
- What different motives might have prompted the Pharisees to warn Jesus? Does their identity as “Pharisees” colour your reading of their intentions?
- Why does Jesus call Herod “that fox”? What does this name reveal about both Herod’s character and Jesus’ sense of his own mission?
- Jesus speaks of casting out demons and healing “today, tomorrow, and the third day.” What does this rhythmic phrasing tell you about his sense of timing and purpose?
- How does Jesus’ statement “I am perfected” (or “I complete my mission”) prepare the reader for his journey to the cross?
- Jerusalem is addressed as if it were a person. What effect does this personification have? How does it help you feel the weight of Jesus’ grief in verse 34?
- “Your house is left to you desolate.” In what sense is the temple now “your house” rather than God’s house? What does that transfer signify?
- Look at the final quotation from Psalm 118:26. When do we see this being fulfilled in Luke’s Gospel? And does Jesus imply a future day of acceptance beyond the present rejection?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Nehemiah 6:9 | For they all would have made us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands. |
| Nehemiah 6:11 | I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” |
| Psalms 11:1 | For the Chief Musician. By David. In Yahweh, I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? |
| Psalms 11:2 | For, behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. |
| Amos 7:12 | Amaziah also said to Amos, “You seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there, |
| Amos 7:13 | but don’t prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house!” |
| Matthew 14:1 | At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, |
| Luke 3:1 | Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees the Pharisees' warning as a scheme by Herod, who was too afraid of Jesus' popularity to kill him openly and instead sent them pretending friendship to make Jesus leave. Calling Herod a fox, Jesus exposes not his general wickedness but his specific cunning in this plot. Jesus then declares he will continue his work fearlessly until his appointed time in Jerusalem.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that calling Herod a fox points to his sly, indirect attempts to undermine the gospel rather than open opposition. He sees the Pharisees' warning as a scheme to drive Christ away, fearing his growing influence. Jerusalem alone is notorious for killing prophets because its status as the center of worship made the light of truth there provoke the fiercest rebellion.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights Jesus calling Herod "this she-fox" as the only recorded instance of unmitigated contempt in His speech, justified by Herod's base character. It interprets "the third day I am perfected" as pointing to Jesus' death, linking it to the cry "It is finished." The warning that Jerusalem's house is left desolate signifies the Shechinah's departure, with the final line opening hope for Israel's future repentance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on Jesus' fearless reply to the threat of Herod. He sees Jesus' words as demonstrating his sovereign control over the timing of his own death. The threat cannot succeed because Jesus knows his appointed work must be completed, and not even Herod or the Pharisees can hasten that moment until it arrives.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jfb highlights the dignified irony in Jesus calling Herod a crafty, cruel fox. He notes that Jesus affirms His own deliberate timeline for completing His works, showing He is unmoved by the threat. The journey toward Jerusalem is framed as the inevitable path where prophets meet their end.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry considers whether the Pharisees genuinely warned Christ or lied to drive him into Judea. He reasons that because Christ's response directly addresses Herod, the Pharisees likely had real evidence of Herod's murderous intent, fueled by Christ's honorable testimony to John the Baptist.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights a translation error in the King James Version, where "will kill" actually involves two separate Greek verbs: Herod wills or determines to kill. He explains that Jesus' statement "I am perfected" uses the present tense to express a certain future completion. The ironic
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that Jesus called Herod a fox rightly for his cunning and cowardice, but this severe language belonged to Christ's unique office and is not a pattern for us to copy. He also clarifies that Jesus' words about not being seen again refer to the Jews' desperate longing for any messiah during their coming calamities, not a future sight of Christ himself.