But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath.

“Or because that will not be a time of shewing pity, neither upon them who are with child, nor upon them who are suckling, nor upon their infants. And as speaking to Jews who thought they might travel no more upon the sabbath than a sabbath-day’s journey, He adds, But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath.”

“He has already set forth the destruction; in this part he sets forth that the consummation will come, and he sets forth certain preambles. And first he sets forth the prophecy; second, the admonition, at the words "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains"; third, the reason for the admonition, at the words "for then shall be great tribulation." Thus he said the consummation will come, "when therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation," etc. What is it that he calls the abomination? It can be said that the army of the Romans is called the abomination, and they are called abominations of desolation because they were the desolators of the land. Or by "abominations" idols are meant, and this can be said of a twofold idol. It is read that Pilate brought an eagle into the temple, which was the standard of the Romans, which the Jews called an abomination. Hence when you shall see the idol placed in the holy place, then you can recognize the fulfillment of the prophecy of Daniel concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. Or it can be said that Jerusalem was destroyed in two ways. First by Titus and Vespasian, and then the temple was burned, and then still some were left. Afterward still some rebelled, and then Hadrian, who succeeded Trajan, destroyed it utterly, and gave a law that no Jew should thereafter dwell there, and he called the city by his own name; likewise he placed an idol in the sacred place. Hence that idol, which Hadrian placed, can be called the abomination; hence "when you shall see this," etc. Concerning this casting-down enough is had in Lamentations 2. "Let him who reads understand." And why does he say this? Because in that prophecy of Daniel many things are said about the Passion of Christ. For these words are to be observed; hence there it is said: "Christ shall be slain, (...) and there shall be in the temple the abomination of desolation, and the desolation shall persist even to the consummation and the end." Hence let him who sees understand that such things have happened. "Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." He sets forth a useful admonition. And first he sets it forth; second he excludes impediments to flight. For some impediments are avoidable, some unavoidable. He says, "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." "Then," namely in the time of Vespasian. At that time a certain man called Agrippa ruled in the mountains, and he obeyed the Romans, nor did he rebel against them: hence while other peoples were at war, he and his people were at peace. Hence by the providence of God the faithful who were in Judea were admonished to withdraw and go to the kingdom of this Agrippa, and so they did: hence "then let those who are in Judea," namely the faithful, "flee to the mountains"; Zechariah 2:6: "flee from the land of the north," etc. Then he removes the impediments to flight. And because some impediments are avoidable, some not, therefore first he sets forth the avoidable dangers; second the unavoidable, at the words "woe to those who are with child," etc. Those which are avoidable are the affairs of earthly things: and of these some happen in the city, some outside; therefore he sets forth both. The second at the words "and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak." He says therefore, "and let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything from his house"; that is, whoever dwells in the city, even if in his house, let him not turn back to take anything, etc. Likewise, "and let him who is in the field not turn back," into the house, "to take his cloak," namely whatever things are necessary, because all that a man has he will give for his soul. And why does he say this? Because with the feast of the Passover impending, many gathered in Jerusalem: and Titus, knowing this, besieged the city, since they were thus gathered together. Hence he means to say: this evil will happen so quickly that no one will be able to take precaution for himself. Likewise he sets forth the unavoidable impediments. And because some were unavoidable by human power and simply so, while others, though unavoidable, were nevertheless avoidable by the power of God, therefore first he speaks of the first; second of the second, at the words "pray," etc. That which, when it exists, can in no way be avoided, is the burden of children. For although someone might be told: save your soul, he could say: how can I leave behind my child? Therefore he explains this: "woe to those who are with child and who are nursing," because such women could not flee, since it was not to be said to them that they should procure an abortion, nor to nursing women that they should kill their children; and thus is fulfilled what is said in Luke 23:29: "blessed are the breasts that have not given suck." Likewise there are other impediments where man cannot provide a remedy except through God. For some time is unsuitable either by nature or by law: by nature, as wintertime, because then a man is hindered from fleeing on account of the harshness of the weather. Likewise on account of the law, as if it should happen on the sabbath, because God commanded that they should not go beyond one mile. And because this is not in our power, but God's, therefore "pray that your flight be not in winter, or on the sabbath," because in such matters recourse must be had to God alone. Hence Hosea 6:1: "Come, and let us return to the Lord, for he has taken us, and he will save us." Pray that it be not in winter, because it hinders flight naturally on account of the danger of the road; nor on the sabbath, because it hinders according to the law of God. Also note that he says "sabbath," by which he indicates that on a feast day they were fittingly slain. Whence the necessity of fleeing? From the greatness of the tribulation. Hence first he sets forth the tribulation and the greatness of the tribulation; second he sets forth the cause, at the words "and unless those days had been shortened," etc. He says therefore, "for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world." And this he who reads the history of Josephus can well weigh, that many died of famine. Likewise there were seditions in the city, so that they killed one another: hence although Titus, who was most gentle, wished to spare them, they themselves were unwilling. Likewise there were robbers among them who killed many. And a certain woman ate her own son. Hence there was such a tribulation as was never seen. And this Luke says, 21:23f: "there shall be tribulation, and they shall fall by the edge of the sword." But will there be a greater tribulation in the time of Antichrist? Yes; but it will not be among the Jews. And Chrysostom asks on account of what sin this happened, since not even the punishment of the Sodomites was so great — for the punishment would not be graver unless the sin were graver. And because they might say that these things happened to them on account of the sins of the Christians, therefore he says that this is not so; hence, "unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would be saved." Augustine says that some have explained it thus, that the days then were made shorter, just as in the time of Joshua a day was made longer. But against this, Psalm 118:91 says: "by your ordinance the days continue": therefore it can be said in two ways. First, that the days of the tribulation were shortened first in number. Hence if that time had lasted, all would have been slain, because no one would have remained. And why? Because the Romans ruled over the whole world, and the Jews were already dispersed throughout the whole world; therefore if that time had lasted, they would have been slain everywhere on earth. Or the days are said to be shortened, when the evils are shortened. And why are they shortened? "For the sake of the elect": not that the word of God had failed. For many of that people had been converted, and they were praying on behalf of the people that a remnant might be left; Isaiah 1:9: "unless the Lord had left us a seed, we should have been as Sodom," etc. Then Chrysostom sets forth two considerations as to why this is said: because there were some disciples there, and likewise John still lived on beyond that time. Therefore he says that John made no mention of this in his Gospel, because he wrote after this event had happened: hence he would have been telling of things past; but Matthew and Luke, who wrote beforehand, made mention of it, because at that time it was still future. Therefore he says that it was a manifest miracle that, when the Romans were attacking the Jews, and almost the whole nation of the Jews was suffering destruction, so few Jews were able to go throughout the whole world to convert almost the entire world, and this was the wondrous power of Christ. Hilary explains that these words refer to the end of the world. "When you shall see this abomination" — he names Antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2:2: "neither be terrified, nor by spirit, nor by word, as if the day of the Lord were at hand; let no man deceive you by any means." "And then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains"; because the Jews will fail, hence they will flee the land of the Jews, and will turn to the mountains of Christianity. "And let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything from his house." He means to say that the perfect should not be moved from their perfection. Hence he touches upon the contemplative life, which is signified by the housetop; hence such persons ought not withdraw from their contemplation. Likewise "he who is in the field" touches upon the active life. Such persons should not turn back to their former life, but should remain in their resolve. And what is meant by "those with child"? Men weighed down by sins. Men who are nursing are imperfect men. Hence he means to say, woe to men burdened with sins, and not confirmed. According to Augustine, those with child are those who conceive the intention of acting wickedly; those nursing are those who already carry it out in deed. And what does he mean by "winter" and "sabbath"? By winter sadness is signified, by sabbath gladness. Hence, that it be not in winter through an absorbing sadness, or on the sabbath through a gladness that elates the mind. Or by "sabbath" is meant idleness from good work, by "winter" the cooling of charity. "And unless those days had been shortened" — because it will last but a little, and if it lasted, not all flesh would be saved, that is, every carnal man. Likewise these words can be referred to the coming of Christ through the Church; and thus Origen says that just as the word of the Gospel was spread abroad at his coming, so false doctrine will be spread abroad at the coming of Antichrist; and just as Christ had his prophets, so also will Antichrist. Then let those who are in the city flee to the mountains, of perfect righteousness. Those are called "with child" who are still running through the word of salvation; those "nursing" who have already accomplished something. Pray therefore that they be not hindered through idleness and torpor. "Then shall be great tribulation," because there will be a perversion of Christian doctrine through false doctrine. And "unless the days were shortened," namely by the instruction of doctrine, through additions of true doctrine, not all flesh would be saved, that is, all would turn to false doctrine.”

“But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,.... When days are short, and unfit for long journeys, and roads are bad, and sometimes not passable, through large snows, or floods of water; and when to dwell in desert places, and lodge in mountains, must be very uncomfortable: wherefore Christ directs to pray to God, who has the disposal of all events, and of the timing of them, that he would so order things in the course of his providence, that their flight might not be in such a season of the year, when travelling would be very difficult and troublesome. Dr. Lightfoot observes, from a Jewish writer (h), that it is remarked as a favour of God in the destruction of the first temple, that it happened in the summer, and not in winter; whose words are these: "God vouchsafed a great favour to Israel, for they ought to have gone out of the land on the tenth day of the month Tebeth; as he saith Eze 24:2 "son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day": what then did the Lord, holy and blessed? If they shall now go out in the winter, (saith he,) they will all die; therefore he prolonged the time to them, and carried them away in summer.'' And since therefore they received such a favour from him at the destruction of the first temple, there was encouragement to pray to him, that they might be indulged with the like favour when Jerusalem should be besieged again: neither on the sabbath day: the word "day" is not in the Greek text; and some (i) have been of opinion, that the "sabbatical year", or the seventh year, is meant, when no fruits would be found in the fields, and a great scarcity of provisions among people; who would not have a sufficiency, and much less any to spare to strangers fleeing from their native places; but rather the sabbath day, or "day of the sabbath", as the Persic version reads it, is designed; and Beza says, four of his copies read it in the genitive case: and so four of Stephens's. And the reason why our Lord put them on praying, that their flight might not be on the sabbath day, was, because he knew not only that the Jews, who believed not in him, would not suffer them to travel on a sabbath day more than two thousand cubits; which, according to their traditions (k), was a sabbath day's journey; and which would not be sufficient for their flight to put them out of danger; but also, that those that did believe in him, particularly the Jerusalem Jews, would be all of them fond of the law of Moses, and scrupulous of violating any part of it, and especially that of the sabbath; see Act 21:20. And though the Jews did allow, that the sabbath might be violated where life was in danger, and that it was lawful to defend themselves against an enemy on the sabbath day; yet this did not universally obtain; and it was made a question of, after the time of Christ, whether it was lawful to flee from danger on the sabbath day; of which take the following account (l). "Our Rabbins teach, that he that is pursued by Gentiles, or by thieves, may profane the sabbath for the sake of saving his life: and so we find of David, when Saul sought to slay him, he fled from him, and escaped. Our Rabbins say, that it happened that evil writings (or edicts) came from the government to the great men of Tzippore; and they went, and said to R. Eleazar ben Prata, evil edicts are come to us from the government, what dost thou say? "shall we flee?" and he was afraid to say to them "flee"; but he said to them with a nod, why do you ask me? go and ask Jacob, and Moses, and David; as it is written, of Jacob, Hos 12:12 "and Jacob fled"; and so of Moses, Exo 2:15 "and Moses fled"; and so of David, Sa1 19:18 "and David fled, and escaped": and he (God) says, Isa 26:20 "come my people, enter into thy chambers".'' From whence, it is plain, it was a question with the doctors in Tzippore, which was a town in Galilee, where there was an university, whether it was lawful to flee on the sabbath day or not; and though the Rabbi they applied to was of opinion it was lawful, yet he was fearful of speaking out his sense plainly, and therefore delivered it by signs and hints. Now our Lord's meaning, in putting them on this petition, was, not to prevent the violation of the seventh day sabbath, or on account of the sacredness of it, which he knew would be abolished, and was abolished before this time; but he says this with respect to the opinion of the Jews, and "Judaizing" Christians, who, taking that day to be sacred, and fleeing on it unlawful, would find a difficulty with themselves, and others, to make their escape; otherwise it was as lawful to flee and travel on that day, as in the winter season; though both, for different reasons, incommodious. (h) Taachuma, fol. 57. 2. (i) Vid. Reland. Antiq. Heb. par. 4. c. 10. sect. 1. & Hammond in loc. (k) Maimon. Hilch. Sabbat, c. 27. sect. 1. (l) Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 23. fol. 231. 4.”