Matthew Chapter 24 verse 20 Holy Bible
And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath:
read chapter 24 in ASV
And say a prayer that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.
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But pray that your flight may not be in winter time nor on sabbath:
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But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
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read chapter 24 in WBT
Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,
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and pray ye that your flight may not be in winter, nor on a sabbath;
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Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 20. - Pray ye that, etc. (προσεύχεσθε ἵνα). He bids them pray to and worship God, in order that he may give them a favourable time for flight. The clause introduced with the final particle does not directly denote the subject of the petition, as our version gives the impression, but rather the aim of the petitioners (Morison). Not in the winter. He spake of personal hindrances in the last verse; here he speaks of external circumstances over which man has no control, except by prayer. The weather in winter, which means the rainy season, might render the roads impassable, and would, of course, prevent any hope of obtaining food by the wayside from cornfield or fruit tree. The sabbath day, which precluded any work or the use of beast of burden, and restricted a journey to something less than a mile. We must remember that until the final catastrophe the Christians observed such Mosaic restrictions (see Exodus 16:29; Acts 1:12). A flight for such a short distance would have been of no avail under the imperious circumstances which rendered escape advisable.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(20) Pray ye that your flight . . .--Rules were given for flight where the conditions lay within their own power. Other incidents which lay outside their will might lawfully be the subjects of their prayers. It is characteristic of St. Matthew, as writing for Jews, that he alone records the words "nor on the Sabbath day." Living as the Christians of Judaea did in the strict observance of the Law, they would either be hindered by their own scruples from going beyond a Sabbath day's journey (about one English mile), which would be insufficient to place them out of the reach of danger, or would find impediments--gates shut, and the like--from the Sabbath observance of others.
