Behold, 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.

LUKE 13:35KJV
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Luke 13:35 (KJV)

What does Luke 13:35 mean?

In Luke 13:35, Jesus tells Jerusalem that its house will be left desolate. He also says that the people will not see him again until they welcome the one who comes in the Lord’s name. His words join a warning of loss with a future greeting.

Jesus addresses Jerusalem after saying that he wanted to gather its people as a hen gathers her chicks, but they were unwilling. The “house” may refer to the temple, the city, or the people’s dwelling place more broadly. “Desolate” pictures a place abandoned and exposed.

The Greek behind Luke 13:35

  • “left” — ἀφίημι (aphiēmi): This word can mean to leave or abandon. Here it gives the picture of a house being left behind, with no one to care for it.
  • “desolate” — ἔρημος (erēmos): This word can describe a deserted or uninhabited place. It makes the warning more vivid by picturing emptiness rather than merely a change of ownership.
  • “Blessed” — εὐλογέω (eulogeō): This word can mean to speak well of or pronounce a blessing on someone. In the greeting, the people honor the person arriving in the Lord’s name.

Why Luke 13:35 matters

  • Jesus’ words follow an expression of sorrow, not a casual rejection of the city. In verse 34, he speaks of his desire to gather Jerusalem’s children and their unwillingness to come.
  • The final greeting comes from Psalm 118:26, a song used in worship: “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD.” Jesus applies those familiar words to the time when the people will see him again.
  • Luke later records a crowd using similar words as Jesus approaches Jerusalem: “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38). That later scene echoes the welcome named here.

Where else these words appear

“come” Greek G2240 · used in 26 verses

  • Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
  • Luke 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
  • Hebrews 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

“Blessed” Greek G2127 · used in 41 verses

  • Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
  • Luke 1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
  • Romans 12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

“desolate” Greek G2048 · used in 50 verses

  • Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
  • Mark 6:35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
  • John 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

“not” Greek G3364 · used in 84 verses

  • Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
  • Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
  • John 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.