Luke 23:31
For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The common image of a "green tree" is something alive and vibrant, but here, in the original Greek, the word used can also mean "wood" or "timber" – something that has already been cut down. So, Jesus might be highlighting the tragic irony: if this cut "wood" (himself, detached from his original divine life) is treated this way, how much worse will the fate be for the "dry wood" of a guilty and rebellious people?
As Jesus is led away to be crucified, a crowd follows, including women who are weeping for him. Jesus turns to them and tells them not to weep for him, but for themselves and their children, warning of impending judgment on Jerusalem. He then speaks a proverb, comparing his own fate as the "green wood" being punished to what will happen to the "dry wood"—the wicked and rebellious people—when judgment truly falls.
Jesus is facing the ultimate injustice – being condemned when He is perfectly innocent. But His words here point to an even greater judgment to come.
Jesus uses a proverb, comparing Himself to a 'green tree' and the nation of Israel (or sinners in general) to a 'dry tree.'
The crucifixion wasn't just a historical event; it was God's designed method of dealing with sin. Jesus's suffering was the ultimate act of judgment.
The imagery of the 'green tree' being cut down and burned speaks to the profound, divine judgment that Jesus was voluntarily submitting Himself to on the cross.
Understand the original words
xylon chlōron · Greek Noun phrase
A metaphor for the state of a person or nation; 'green wood' implies vitality and life, while 'dry wood' implies deadness and ripeness for judgment or burning.
Jesus uses a common proverb to foreshadow the immense devastation that would soon fall upon a guilty nation, contrasting the 'green' (innocent) tree of His own suffering with the 'dry' (guilty) state of Jerusalem, which would face far greater destruction.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus is Crucified
Jesus is condemned by Pontius Pilate, despite Pilate finding no fault in Him, and is crucified along with two criminals.
c. AD 30 - AD 62
Period of Jewish Unrest
Following Jesus' crucifixion, a period of growing tension and unrest simmered within Judea, fueled by Roman occupation and messianic expectations.
c. AD 62
Josephus Records Brutality
Historian Josephus describes brutal Roman actions against Jewish rebels, noting instances where soldiers exceeded orders in their cruelty towards even the weak and aged.
AD 66 - AD 73
First Jewish-Roman War
This brutal war saw widespread destruction and immense loss of life as the Jewish people revolted against Roman rule, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem.
This passage directly parallels Jesus' proverb, stating that judgment begins with God's own household, implying that if such severe judgment falls on the righteous, the fate of the unrighteous will be far worse.
Matthew 3:10John the Baptist uses a similar metaphor of trees, warning that fruitless trees will be cut down and thrown into the fire, highlighting the consequence of spiritual barrenness, which resonates with the 'dry tree' imagery.
Ezekiel 20:47This Old Testament prophecy speaks of God setting a fire that will consume both green and dry trees, illustrating a coming judgment that spares no one, much like Jesus' warning about the impending destruction.
Proverbs 11:31This proverb suggests that if the righteous are repaid on earth, the wickedness of the ungodly will surely be punished, echoing the logic that if even the innocent suffer such severity, the guilty will face even greater consequences.
pooleLuke 23:31: "For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"
See Poole on "Luke 23:27"
vincentLuke 23:31: "For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"
Tree (ξύλῳ)Originally wood, timber. In later Greek, a tree. Used of the cross by Peter, Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39; and 1 Peter 2:24. Compare Galatians 3:13.
The common image of a "green tree" is something alive and vibrant, but here, in the original Greek, the word used can also mean "wood" or "timber" – something that has already been cut down. So, Jesus might be highlighting the tragic irony: if this cut "wood" (himself, detached from his original divine life) is treated this way, how much worse will the fate be for the "dry wood" of a guilty and rebellious people?
As Jesus is led away to be crucified, a crowd follows, including women who are weeping for him. Jesus turns to them and tells them not to weep for him, but for themselves and their children, warning of impending judgment on Jerusalem. He then speaks a proverb, comparing his own fate as the "green wood" being punished to what will happen to the "dry wood"—the wicked and rebellious people—when judgment truly falls.
As Jesus is led away to be crucified, a crowd follows, including women who are weeping for him. Jesus turns to them and tells them not to weep for him, but for themselves and their children, warning of impending judgment on Jerusalem. He then speaks a proverb, comparing his own fate as the "green wood" being punished to what will happen to the "dry wood"—the wicked and rebellious people—when judgment truly falls.
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AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman army under Titus besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, including its magnificent Temple, a devastating event for the Jewish people.
"For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”" — The common image of a "green tree" is something alive and vibrant, but here, in the original Greek, the word used can also mean "wood" or "timber" – something that has already been cut down. So, Jesu…
