Matthew 23:38
New International Version
Look, your house is left to you desolate.

New Living Translation
And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.

English Standard Version
See, your house is left to you desolate.

Berean Standard Bible
Look, your house is left to you desolate.

Berean Literal Bible
Behold, your house is left to you desolate!

King James Bible
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

New King James Version
See! Your house is left to you desolate;

New American Standard Bible
Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

NASB 1995
“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

NASB 1977
“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

Amplified Bible
Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]!

Christian Standard Bible
See, your house is left to you desolate.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
See, your house is left to you desolate.

American Standard Version
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Contemporary English Version
And now your temple will be deserted.

English Revised Version
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Your house will be abandoned, deserted.

Good News Translation
And so your Temple will be abandoned and empty.

International Standard Version
Look! Your house is left abandoned!

Majority Standard Bible
Look, your house is left to you desolate.

NET Bible
Look, your house is left to you desolate!

New Heart English Bible
Look, your house is abandoned to you.

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, your house is left to you desolate.

Weymouth New Testament
See, your house will now be left to you desolate!

World English Bible
Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Behold, your house is left to you desolate;

Berean Literal Bible
Behold, your house is left to you desolate!

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, left desolate to you is your house;

Smith's Literal Translation
Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Behold, you house shall be left to you, desolate.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Behold, your house shall be abandoned to you, having been deserted.

New American Bible
Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate.

New Revised Standard Version
See, your house is left to you, desolate.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Behold, your house will be left to you desolate.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Behold, your house is left to you desolate!
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Behold, your house is left to you deserted.

Godbey New Testament
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Haweis New Testament
Behold, your habitation is left unto you desolate.

Mace New Testament
know, that your habitation shall be soon turned into a desert.

Weymouth New Testament
See, your house will now be left to you desolate!

Worrell New Testament
Behold, your house is left to you desolate!

Worsley New Testament
Behold your house shall be left you desolate:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Lament over Jerusalem
37O 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! 38Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”…

Cross References
Luke 13:35
Look, 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.’”

Jeremiah 12:7
I have forsaken My house; I have abandoned My inheritance. I have given the beloved of My soul into the hands of her enemies.

1 Kings 9:7-8
then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples. / And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’

Lamentations 1:1
How lonely lies the city, once so full of people! She who was great among the nations has become a widow. The princess of the provinces has become a slave.

Isaiah 64:10-11
Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wasteland and Jerusalem a desolation. / Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.

Ezekiel 5:11
Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon you with pity, nor will I spare you.

Micah 3:12
Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.

Zechariah 11:6
For I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land, declares the LORD, but behold, I will cause each man to fall into the hands of his neighbor and his king, who will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from their hands.”

2 Chronicles 7:20-22
then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples. / And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ / And others will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—because of this, He has brought all this disaster upon them.’”

Hosea 9:12
Even if they raise their children, I will bereave them of each one. Yes, woe be to them when I turn away from them!

Jeremiah 7:29
Cut off your hair and throw it away. Raise up a lamentation on the barren heights, for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.’

Matthew 21:43
Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Luke 19:41-44
As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it / and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. / For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side. ...

Daniel 9:26-27
Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and will have nothing. Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war; desolations have been decreed. / And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”

Isaiah 27:10
For the fortified city lies deserted—a homestead abandoned, a wilderness forsaken. There the calves graze, and there they lie down; they strip its branches bare.


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, your house is left to you desolate.

Matthew 24:2
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.

2 Chronicles 7:20,21
Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations…

Psalm 69:24
Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

Jump to Previous
Desolate Forsaken House Waste
Jump to Next
Desolate Forsaken House Waste
Matthew 23
1. Jesus admonishes the people to follow good doctrine, not bad examples
5. His disciples must beware of their ambition.
13. He denounces eight woes against their hypocrisy and blindness,
34. and prophesies of the destruction of Jerusalem.














Look,
This word serves as an imperative, drawing attention to the significance of the statement that follows. It is a call to observe and understand the gravity of the situation. In biblical literature, such calls often precede important declarations or revelations.

your house
"Your house" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, which was central to Jewish worship and identity. The temple was considered the dwelling place of God among His people. Historically, the temple had been a symbol of God's presence and favor, but Jesus' use of "your" indicates a shift, suggesting a separation between God and the temple due to the people's actions.

is left
The phrase "is left" implies abandonment or a withdrawal of divine presence. This echoes the prophetic warnings found in the Old Testament, where God warns of leaving His people due to their disobedience (e.g., Ezekiel 10:18-19). It signifies a transition from divine favor to judgment.

to you
The phrase "to you" personalizes the message, indicating that the responsibility and consequences of this desolation fall upon the people. It underscores the accountability of the religious leaders and the nation for their rejection of Jesus and His teachings.

desolate.
"Desolate" conveys a sense of emptiness and ruin. In the context of the temple, it suggests the absence of God's presence and blessing. This prophecy was fulfilled historically in AD 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple, leaving it in ruins. The desolation also symbolizes the spiritual barrenness that results from rejecting Christ, drawing parallels to other scriptural warnings of desolation due to unfaithfulness (e.g., Jeremiah 12:7).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, Jesus is addressing the religious leaders and the people of Jerusalem. He is lamenting over the spiritual state of the city and its leaders.

2. Jerusalem
The city that Jesus is addressing. It is significant as the center of Jewish worship and the location of the Temple, which is implied in the term "your house."

3. The Temple
Referred to as "your house," the Temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. Jesus' statement foreshadows its destruction and the spiritual desolation of the people.

4. Pharisees and Scribes
The religious leaders whom Jesus has been addressing in the preceding verses, criticizing their hypocrisy and failure to recognize Him as the Messiah.

5. Desolation
The state of being abandoned or forsaken, which Jesus declares over the house of Israel due to their rejection of Him.
Teaching Points
Recognition of Spiritual Blindness
Jesus' lament over Jerusalem serves as a warning against spiritual blindness and the consequences of rejecting God's truth.

The Consequences of Rejection
The desolation of the "house" signifies the serious consequences of rejecting Jesus as the Messiah. It serves as a reminder to remain faithful and receptive to God's word.

The Importance of True Worship
The reference to the Temple being left desolate highlights the importance of sincere worship and the danger of empty religious rituals.

God's Patience and Judgment
While God is patient, there is a time when judgment comes for persistent unbelief and disobedience. This calls for repentance and turning back to God.

Hope in Restoration
Despite the declaration of desolation, there is always hope for restoration through repentance and faith in Christ.(38) Your house.--The word "desolate" is omitted in some of the best MSS. The words "your house" may refer either generally to the whole polity of Israel, or more specifically to the "house" in which they gloried, the Temple, which was the joy of their hearts. It had been the house of God, but He, as represented by His Son, was now leaving it for ever. It was their house now, not His. We must remember that the words were spoken as our Lord was "departing from the Temple" (Matthew 24:1), never to reappear there.

Verse 38. - Your house. The temple or Jerusalem, no longer God's habitation. This betokens not only Christ's solemn departure from the sacred precincts; but the withdrawal of God's Spirit from the Jewish Church and nation. Unto you. Henceforward ye shall have it all to yourselves; my Father and I forsake it; we give it up altogether to you. Desolate. The word is omitted by some few uncials, but retained by א, C, D, etc., most cursives, the Vulgate, etc. The protecting wing is withdrawn, the Divine presence removed, and the house is indeed deserted (ἔρημος); (comp. Psalm 59:25; Jeremiah 12:7).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Look,
ἰδοὺ (idou)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2400: See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo!

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

house
οἶκος (oikos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3624: A dwelling; by implication, a family.

is left
ἀφίεται (aphietai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 863: From apo and hiemi; to send forth, in various applications.

to you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

desolate.
ἔρημος (erēmos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2048: Lonesome, i.e. waste.


Links
Matthew 23:38 NIV
Matthew 23:38 NLT
Matthew 23:38 ESV
Matthew 23:38 NASB
Matthew 23:38 KJV

Matthew 23:38 BibleApps.com
Matthew 23:38 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 23:38 Chinese Bible
Matthew 23:38 French Bible
Matthew 23:38 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 23:38 Behold your house is left to you (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 23:37
Top of Page
Top of Page