Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 21

Goodly stones. Beautiful stones. Either referring to the large, square, and well-finished stones of which the eastern wall was built, or to the precious stones which might have been used in decorating the temple itself. See Barnes on Mark 13:1.

Gifts. This word properly denotes anything devoted or dedicated to God. Anciently warriors dedicated to their gods the spoils of war—the shields, and helmets, and armour, and garments of those slain in battle. These were suspended in the temples. It would seem that something of this kind had occurred in the temple of Jerusalem, and that the people, to express their gratitude to God, had suspended on the pillars and porches of the temple gifts and offerings. Josephus mentions particularly a golden vine with which Herod the Great had adorned the columns of the temple (Antiq. xiii. 8). See also 2 Maccabees 5:16; 9:16.

Commotions. Insurrections. Subjects rising against their rulers.

Settle it therefore in your hearts. Fix it firmly in your minds—so firmly as to become a settled principle—that you are always to depend on God for aid in all your trials. Mark 13:11.

A mouth. Eloquence, ability to speak as the case may demand. .

Gainsay. Speak against. They will not be able to reply to it, or to resist the force of what you will say.

A hair of your head perish. This is a proverbial expression, denoting that they should not suffer any essential injury. This was strikingly fulfilled in the fact that, in the calamities of Jerusalem, there is reason to believe that no Christian suffered. Before those calamities came upon the city, they had fled to Pella, a city on the east of the Jordan. See Barnes on Matthew 24:18.