For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that the coming judgment isn't just a localized event, but it will be like a hidden trap, catching people unaware across the entire earth, not just in one specific region. The use of "snare" emphasizes its suddenness and inevitability for those who are not watchful.
For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just described signs and calamities that will precede His return, urging His disciples to be alert. This verse emphasizes that the unexpected and swift judgment will fall upon everyone living carelessly and engrossed in worldly affairs, not just those in Judea, likening its suddenness to a snare.
Ever felt blindsided by trouble? Jesus uses a vivid image to describe how certain events will catch people off guard.
Jesus compares the coming judgment to a hunter's snare.
What does it mean to 'dwell on the face of the whole earth' in a way that leads to judgment?
The phrase 'dwell on the face of the whole earth' carries more weight than just physical location.
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Understand the original words
katoikeō · Greek Verb (participle)
Those who reside or live upon the earth; often used in scripture to denote the entirety of the human population subject to divine judgment.
Jesus' words about the 'snare' highlight the sudden, unexpected, and devastating nature of the coming judgment on Jerusalem, catching people off guard even as they lived ordinary lives.
c. 70 AD— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Roman armies under Titus besieged and conquered Jerusalem, destroying the city and its sacred Temple. This event fulfilled Jesus' prophecy about the Temple's destruction.
c. 70 AD
Roman Victory and Brutality
The conquest of Jerusalem was marked by extreme violence and suffering, with many inhabitants killed, enslaved, or scattered.
c. 70 AD
Scattering of Jewish People
The destruction led to a widespread diaspora, forcing many Jews to leave their homeland and live under foreign rule across the Roman Empire and beyond.
This verse directly precedes Luke 21:35, providing the immediate context by urging disciples to 'take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare.'
Matthew 24:38-39Jesus uses the same analogy of a sudden, unexpected snare, comparing the coming judgment to the days of Noah when people were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3This passage echoes the suddenness of judgment described in Luke 21:35, stating that the 'day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night,' emphasizing its unexpected arrival for the unprepared.
Psalm 69:22This Old Testament psalm, which Jesus fulfills in many ways, describes judgment as a 'snare' or 'trap' for His enemies, aligning with the imagery of sudden calamity used in Luke 21:35.
Jeremiah 25:29The Septuagint (an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses similar phrasing to Luke 21:35 when describing God's judgment, stating that judgment will begin 'on the city that is called by my name,' showing a historical precedent for this type of sweeping condemnation.
vincentLuke 21:35: "For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth."
As a snareJoin with the previous sentence: "come suddenly as a snare." Compare entangle, Matthew 22:15.
clarkeLuke 21:35: "For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth."
The face of the whole earth - Or, of this whole land. The land of Judea, on which these heavy judgments were to fall. See Luke 21:25 ; see also Luke 2:1 .
This verse highlights that the coming judgment isn't just a localized event, but it will be like a hidden trap, catching people unaware across the entire earth, not just in one specific region. The use of "snare" emphasizes its suddenness and inevitability for those who are not watchful.
Jesus has just described signs and calamities that will precede His return, urging His disciples to be alert. This verse emphasizes that the unexpected and swift judgment will fall upon everyone living carelessly and engrossed in worldly affairs, not just those in Judea, likening its suddenness to a snare.
Jesus has just described signs and calamities that will precede His return, urging His disciples to be alert. This verse emphasizes that the unexpected and swift judgment will fall upon everyone living carelessly and engrossed in worldly affairs, not just those in Judea, likening its suddenness to a snare.
"For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth." — This verse highlights that the coming judgment isn't just a localized event, but it will be like a hidden trap, catching people unaware across the entire earth, not just in one specific region. The u…
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Last reviewed October 2026