For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

LUKE 23:29KJV
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Luke 23:29 (KJV)

What does Luke 23:29 mean?

Luke 23:29 describes a time of such great trouble that people will say those who never had children are fortunate, because they will not have to see their children suffer. Jesus is warning of coming days when the usual joys of family life will seem like burdens because of the hardship and sorrow ahead.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to a crowd of women as He is led to be crucified. The women are mourning for Him, but Jesus tells them to weep for themselves and their children, hinting at a future disaster. The verse uses strong language to show how severe the coming suffering will be, reversing the normal view that having children is a blessing.

The Greek behind Luke 23:29

  • "Blessed" (μακάριαι, makarioi): This word means "happy" or "fortunate," but here it is used in a shocking way—to describe those who are childless, which was usually seen as a misfortune.
  • "Barren" (στείραι, steirai): This word refers to women unable to have children. In Jesus' culture, being barren was often a source of shame, so calling them "blessed" highlights how dire the coming days will be.
  • "Wombs that never bare" (γαστέρες αἱ οὐκ ἐγέννησαν, gasteres hai ouk egennēsan): This phrase emphasizes the idea of never having given birth, underlining the reversal of what people normally valued.
  • "Paps which never gave suck" (μαστοὶ οἳ οὐκ ἐθήλασαν, mastoi hoi ouk ethēlasan): This refers to breasts that never nursed a child, again stressing the unusual blessing of not having children in the coming hardship.

Why Luke 23:29 matters

  • Luke 23:29 helps clear up the misunderstanding that Jesus’ words are about the value of motherhood itself; instead, He is describing an extreme situation where normal blessings become sources of pain.
  • The verse emphasizes the seriousness of the judgment or disaster Jesus is predicting, showing that it will overturn the deepest social values of the time.
  • This warning connects to the wider passage, where Jesus is not focused on His own suffering, but is concerned for the future of Jerusalem and its people, urging them to recognize the coming danger.

Where else these words appear

“paps” Greek G3149 · used in 3 verses

  • Luke 11:27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
  • Revelation 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

“barren” Greek G4723 · used in 4 verses

  • Luke 1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
  • Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
  • Galatians 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

“suck” Greek G2337 · used in 6 verses

  • Matthew 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
  • Matthew 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
  • Luke 11:27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

“wombs” Greek G2836 · used in 22 verses

  • Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
  • Luke 1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
  • Acts 14:8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: