Matthew 24:22
New International Version
“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

New Living Translation
In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.

English Standard Version
And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Berean Standard Bible
If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

Berean Literal Bible
And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the elect, those days will be shortened.

King James Bible
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

New King James Version
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

New American Standard Bible
And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

NASB 1995
“Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

NASB 1977
“And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.

Legacy Standard Bible
And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Amplified Bible
And if those days [of tribulation] had not been cut short, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (God’s chosen ones) those days will be shortened.

Christian Standard Bible
Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect.

American Standard Version
And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Contemporary English Version
If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter.

English Revised Version
And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If God does not reduce the number of those days, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.

Good News Translation
But God has already reduced the number of days; had he not done so, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, God will reduce the days.

International Standard Version
If those days hadn't been limited, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be limited.

Majority Standard Bible
If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

NET Bible
And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

New Heart English Bible
Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.

Webster's Bible Translation
And except those days should be shortened, there would no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Weymouth New Testament
And if those days had not been cut short, no one would escape; but for the sake of God's own People those days will be cut short.

World English Bible
Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the chosen will those days be shortened.

Berean Literal Bible
And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the elect, those days will be shortened.

Young's Literal Translation
And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the chosen, shall those days be shortened.

Smith's Literal Translation
And except those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the chosen, those days shall be shortened.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened.

New American Bible
And if those days had not been shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect they will be shortened.

New Revised Standard Version
And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would live; but for the sake of the chosen ones those days will be shortened.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
If those days are not cut short no one would live, but because of the chosen ones, those days will be cut short.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And unless those days should be made few, no flesh could be saved. But on account of the elect those days shall be made few.

Godbey New Testament
And if those days were not shortened, no life would be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

Haweis New Testament
And except those days were shortened, there would be no flesh saved: but for the elect?s sake these days shall be shortened.

Mace New Testament
for unless the time was to be short, very few could escape, but for the sake of the converts the time shall be short.

Weymouth New Testament
And if those days had not been cut short, no one would escape; but for the sake of God's own People those days will be cut short.

Worrell New Testament
And, unless those days should be shortened, no flesh could be saved: but, for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.

Worsley New Testament
And unless those days be shortened, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Abomination of Desolation
21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. 23At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.…

Cross References
Mark 13:20
If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short.

Luke 18:7-8
Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them? / I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Revelation 7:14
“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Daniel 12:1
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered.

Isaiah 65:8-9
This is what the LORD says: “As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes, and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing,’ so I will act on behalf of My servants; I will not destroy them all. / And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and heirs from Judah; My elect will possess My mountains, and My servants will dwell there.

Romans 9:27-29
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved. / For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth thoroughly and decisively.” / It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”

Isaiah 10:22-23
Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overflowing with righteousness. / For the Lord GOD of Hosts will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.

Revelation 12:12
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.”

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

Isaiah 13:12
I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir.

Jeremiah 30:7
How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.

Zechariah 14:2-3
For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city. / Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.

Joel 2:32
And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.

Amos 9:8-9
Surely the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” declares the LORD. / “For surely I will give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations as grain is sifted in a sieve; but not a pebble will reach the ground.

Isaiah 45:22
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.


Treasury of Scripture

And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

except.

Mark 13:20
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

for.

Isaiah 6:13
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

Isaiah 65:8,9
Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all…

Zechariah 13:8
And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

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Matthew 24
1. Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;
3. what and how great calamities shall be before it;
29. the signs of his coming to judgment.
36. And because that day and hour are unknown,
42. we ought to watch like good servants, expecting our Master's coming.














And if those days had not been cut short
This phrase refers to a period of intense tribulation and suffering. The Greek word for "cut short" is "κολοβόω" (kolobóō), which implies a deliberate shortening or curtailing. Historically, this reflects God's merciful intervention to prevent total destruction. In the context of Matthew 24, Jesus is speaking about the end times, a period of great distress. Theologically, this highlights God's sovereignty and compassion, ensuring that His purposes prevail even amidst chaos.

no one would be saved
The phrase underscores the severity of the tribulation. The Greek word for "saved" is "σωθήσεται" (sōthēsetai), which can mean both physical deliverance and spiritual salvation. This dual meaning emphasizes the comprehensive nature of God's salvation plan. Historically, this reflects the dire circumstances faced by early Christians and serves as a warning for future generations. It reminds believers of the necessity of divine intervention for survival and redemption.

but for the sake of the elect
The term "elect" comes from the Greek "ἐκλεκτοὺς" (eklektous), meaning chosen or selected. This refers to those whom God has chosen for a specific purpose, often understood as believers or the faithful. Scripturally, the concept of election is rooted in God's sovereign choice and grace, as seen throughout the Bible. This phrase reassures believers of their special status and God's protective care over them, even in the most trying times.

those days will be shortened
Reiterating the earlier phrase, this confirms God's intervention in human history. The repetition emphasizes the certainty and intentionality of God's actions. Historically, this can be seen as a promise of hope and deliverance for the faithful. It assures believers that God is in control and that the period of suffering will not last longer than necessary. This serves as a source of comfort and encouragement, reinforcing the belief in God's ultimate plan and timing.

(22) Should no flesh be saved.--The words are of course limited by the context to the scene of the events to which the prophecy refers. The warfare with foes outside the city, and the faction-fights and massacres within, would have caused an utter depopulation of the whole country.

For the elect's sake.--Those who, as believers in Jesus, were the "remnant" of the visible Israel, and therefore the true Israel of God. It was for the sake of the Christians of Judaea, not for that of the rebellious Jews, that the war was not protracted, and that Titus, under the outward influences of Josephus and Bernice, tempered his conquests with compassion (Ant. xii. 3, ? 2; Wars, vi. 9, ? 2). The new prominence which the idea of an election gains in our Lord's later teaching is every way remarkable. (Comp. Matthew 18:7; Matthew 20:6). The "call" had been wide; in those who received and obeyed it He taught men to recognise the "elect" whom God had chosen. Subtle questions as to whether the choice rested on foreknowledge or was absolutely arbitrary lay, if we may reverently so speak, outside the scope of His teaching.

Verse 22. - Except these days should be shortened (ἐκολοβώθησαν, had been shortened). In the midst of wrath God thinks on mercy. He providentially ordained that the days of vengeance should not be indefinitely prolonged; the siege was practically of short duration, the country was not wholly overrun and desolated (comp. 2 Kings 13:23). The natural causes that combined to produce this shortening of the siege have been recounted by commentators. These were - the divided counsels of the Jews themselves, the voluntary surrender of parts of the fortifications, the fierce factions in the city, the destruction of magazines of provisions by calamitous fire, the suddenness of the arrival of Titus, and the fact that the walls had never been strengthened, as Herod Agrippa had intended. There should no flesh be saved; i.e. the whole Jewish nation would have been annihilated. For the elect's sake. At the intercession of the escaped Christians, who offered up unceasing prayer for their brethren and countrymen, God lessened the duration of the calamities. "The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working" (James 5:16). Ten righteous would have saved Sodom; Lot's intercession did preserve Zoar (comp. Isaiah 6:13; Jeremiah 5:1; Acts 27:24). Some, not so suitably, explain "the elect" to be those Jews who should hereafter turn to the Lord; or the elect seed, "beloved for the fathers' sake" (Romans 11:28). We may well believe that the local tribulations, such as are intimated by Daniel and Christ, and their limitation in time, are a picture of what shall happen in the last days, the intermediate fulfilment being the prelude of the final accomplishment.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

those
ἐκεῖναι (ekeinai)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.

days
ἡμέραι (hēmerai)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

had not been cut short,
ἐκολοβώθησαν (ekolobōthēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2856: (lit: I maim, mutilate), I cut short, shorten, abbreviate. From a derivative of the base of kolazo; to dock, i.e. abridge.

nobody
πᾶσα (pasa)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

would be saved.
ἐσώθη (esōthē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4982: To save, heal, preserve, rescue. From a primary sos; to save, i.e. Deliver or protect.

But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

for the sake of
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

elect,
ἐκλεκτοὺς (eklektous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1588: From eklegomai; select; by implication, favorite.

those
ἐκεῖναι (ekeinai)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.

days
ἡμέραι (hēmerai)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

will be shortened.
κολοβωθήσονται (kolobōthēsontai)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2856: (lit: I maim, mutilate), I cut short, shorten, abbreviate. From a derivative of the base of kolazo; to dock, i.e. abridge.


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