But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Even though Jesus speaks of widespread disasters, the word "before" here doesn't just mean prior in time, but also more significant. He's highlighting that facing persecution for His name is a more central and defining experience for His followers than even the surrounding chaos. This isn't just a heads-up about trouble; it's a redirection to what truly matters and what will test their faithfulness.
But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is speaking about future judgments and signs, including the destruction of Jerusalem, but he shifts to address the specific persecution his followers will face. He explains that before the larger calamities, believers will be arrested, handed over to religious authorities and imprisoned, and even brought before powerful leaders simply because they follow him.
Jesus warns his followers about upcoming hardships. But are these just random bad events, or do they have a deeper meaning?
Jesus is talking to his disciples about future events, including the destruction of the temple and the signs of his second coming. In Luke 21:12, he says, 'But before all these they will lay their hands on you and persecute you...' Some scholars suggest the word 'before' here doesn't just mean chronologically earlier than the other disasters. It might also mean 'more important than' or 'weightier than.'
This means the intense personal suffering and persecution the disciples would face were not just unfortunate side events. They were significant 'signs' in themselves, pointing towards God's deeper purposes and the coming judgment, even if they weren't the final sign. These trials were meant to be endured, not to cause panic or lead people to think the end was immediately at hand.
You'll be arrested, thrown in jail, and face powerful people. Sounds terrifying, right? But Jesus gives a crucial reason why.
The verse details specific forms of persecution: being handed over to synagogues (religious authorities), imprisoned, and brought before kings and governors (secular authorities). These were real, tangible threats to the disciples' lives and ministries.
However, Jesus anchors all of this suffering in one phrase: 'for my name’s sake.' This is the key.
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Understand the original words
diōkō · Greek Verb
To pursue with hostile intent, harass, or mistreat because of religious conviction; in the NT, it is the expected experience of those who faithfully follow Christ.
onoma · Greek Noun
The name of a person in biblical thought represents their entire nature, character, authority, and presence; to act 'for his name's sake' is to identify completely with his cause and lordship.
Jesus is warning his followers that even before the dramatic, world-altering events of Jerusalem's destruction, they would face intense personal hardship and persecution from their own people and from rulers for following Him.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Ministry and Crucifixion
Jesus teaches and performs miracles in Judea, culminating in his crucifixion. His followers begin to spread his message.
c. AD 33-35— this verse
Early Persecution of Apostles
Following Jesus' ascension, the apostles begin preaching in Jerusalem, facing immediate opposition from Jewish religious authorities and being arrested and persecuted.
c. AD 35-50
Spread of the Gospel and Growing Opposition
The early Christian movement expands beyond Jerusalem, reaching Samaria, Antioch, and other regions. This expansion leads to increased conflict with Jewish leaders and Roman authorities.
c. AD 44
Herod Agrippa Persecutes the Church
King Herod Agrippa I, ruler of Judea, executes the apostle James and imprisons Peter, showing the danger faced by Christian leaders from powerful political figures.
c. AD 50-60
Paul's Missionary Journeys
The Apostle Paul travels extensively, establishing churches throughout the Roman Empire. He and his companions frequently face beatings, imprisonment, and trials before Roman officials.
c. AD 64
Nero's Persecution of Christians
Emperor Nero blames Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, initiating a brutal persecution that sets a precedent for future Roman hostility towards the growing faith.
This passage directly shows the disciples being arrested and brought before authorities for speaking in Jesus' name, mirroring the persecution described in Luke.
Acts 16:22-24This shows Paul and Silas being beaten, imprisoned, and brought before officials, illustrating the severe persecution faced by early Christians for their faith.
Matthew 10:17-18Jesus here specifically warns His disciples about being handed over to councils and being brought before governors and kings, reinforcing the scope of the persecution mentioned in Luke.
2 Timothy 3:11-12Paul reflects on the persecutions he endured, stating that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, connecting the experience of the early church to a broader, ongoing reality for believers.
clarkeLuke 21:12: "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake."
Synagogues - Or, assemblies, etc. See these all explained on Mark 13:9 (note).
pulpitLuke 21:12: "But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake."
Verse 12. - But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you. The Master continues his prophetic picture. From speaking generally of wars, and disasters, and tumults, and awful natural phenomena, which would mark the sad age in which his hearers were living, he proceede…
Even though Jesus speaks of widespread disasters, the word "before" here doesn't just mean prior in time, but also more significant. He's highlighting that facing persecution for His name is a more central and defining experience for His followers than even the surrounding chaos. This isn't just a heads-up about trouble; it's a redirection to what truly matters and what will test their faithfulness.
Jesus is speaking about future judgments and signs, including the destruction of Jerusalem, but he shifts to address the specific persecution his followers will face. He explains that before the larger calamities, believers will be arrested, handed over to religious authorities and imprisoned, and even brought before powerful leaders simply because they follow him.
Jesus is speaking about future judgments and signs, including the destruction of Jerusalem, but he shifts to address the specific persecution his followers will face. He explains that before the larger calamities, believers will be arrested, handed over to religious authorities and imprisoned, and even brought before powerful leaders simply because they follow him.
"But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake." — Even though Jesus speaks of widespread disasters, the word "before" here doesn't just mean prior in time, but also more significant. He's highlighting that facing persecution for His name is a mo…
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Last reviewed October 2026