Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 19:41-44

"And when he drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, the things which belong unto peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, when thine enemies shall cast up a bank about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." — Luke 19:41-44 (ASV)

He wept over it. Showing His compassion for the guilty city, and His strong sense of the evils that were about to come upon it (see Barnes on Matthew 23:37). As He entered the city, He passed over the Mount of Olives. From that mountain, there was a full and magnificent view of the city (see Barnes on Matthew 21:1).

The view of the splendid capital—the knowledge of its crimes—the remembrance of God’s mercies toward it—the certainty that it might have been spared if it had received the prophets and Himself—the knowledge that it was about to put Him, their long-expected Messiah, to death, and for that to be given up to utter desolation—affected His heart, and the triumphant King and Lord of Zion wept!

Amid all His prosperity, and all the acclamations of the multitude, the heart of the Redeemer of the world was turned from the tokens of rejoicing to the miseries about to come on a guilty people. Yet they might have been saved.

He says, If you had known—even you, with all your guilt—the things that make for your peace; if you had repented, had been righteous, and had received the Messiah; if you had not stained your hands with the blood of the prophets, and were not now to stain them with that of the Son of God, then these terrible calamities would not come upon you. But it is too late. The national wickedness is too great; the cup is full; mercy is exhausted; and Jerusalem, with all her pride and splendor, the glow of her temple, and the pomp of her service, must perish!

For the days shall come... (Luke 19:43). This took place under Titus, the Roman general, A.D. 70, about thirty years after this was spoken.

Cast a trench about you (Luke 19:43). The word trench now commonly means a pit or ditch. When the Bible was translated, it also meant earth thrown up to defend a camp (Johnson's Dictionary). This is the meaning of the original here. It is not a pit or large ditch, but a pile of earth, stones, or wood thrown up to guard a camp and defend it from an enemy's approach.

This was done at the siege of Jerusalem. Josephus informs us that Titus, in order to compel the city to surrender by famine, built a wall around the entire circumference of the city. This wall was nearly five miles in length and was furnished with thirteen castles or towers. This work was completed with incredible labour in ten days. The professed design of this wall was to keep the city in on every side. Never was a prophecy more strikingly accomplished.

Shall lay you even with the ground... (Luke 19:44). This was literally done. Titus caused a plough to pass over the place where the temple stood (see Barnes on Matthew 24:1 and following). All this was done, Christ says, because Jerusalem did not know the time of its visitation—that is, did not know, and would not know, that the Messiah had come. His coming was the time of their merciful visitation. That time had been predicted, and invaluable blessings promised as the result of His advent; but they would not know it. They rejected Him, they put Him to death, and it was just that they should be destroyed.