Define

• Greek: thlipsis (θλῖψις) - tribulation, affliction, distress, trouble, pressure/oppression

  • (in Matthew 24:29 as tēn thlipsin tōn hēmerōn ekeinōn - τὴν θλῖψιν τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐκείνων - "the tribulation of those days"; accusative singular feminine)

• Hebrew: equivalent in prophetic contexts (e.g., OT sources Jesus draws from like Daniel 12:1) is tsarah (צָרָה) - distress, trouble, affliction, tribulation

  • (or sarah in some forms; used for intense suffering/judgment periods)

Related words

• megalē thlipsis (μεγάλη θλῖψις) - great tribulation (Matthew 24:21; the intensified period referenced)
• thlibō (θλίβω) - to afflict, oppress, cause tribulation (verb form)
• stenochōria (στενοχωρία) - anguish, distress (related term for narrow/crushing hardship)
• kakopatheia (κακοπάθεια) - suffering, endurance of hardship (broader affliction concept)

Additional Info

• In Matthew 24:29, "the tribulation of those days" (thlipsis tōn hēmerōn ekeinōn) refers back to the "great tribulation" (megalē thlipsis) of verse 21—unprecedented suffering/distress tied to end-times events (abomination of desolation in v.15 onward, persecution, false christs, wars, etc.).
• The phrase "suffering" in relation to Matthew 24:29 appears in some modern translations (e.g., NRSV: "Immediately after the suffering of those days..."), but the underlying Greek word is thlipsis (θλῖψις) - tribulation, affliction, distress, oppression, pressure (Strong's G2347; from root meaning "to crush" or "press," metaphorically intense hardship or persecution).
• Immediately after this period of intense affliction/suffering, cosmic signs occur (sun/moon darkened, stars fall, heavenly powers shaken), leading to the visible coming of the Son of Man (v.30).
• Thlipsis appears ~45 times in the NT, often for believer persecution (e.g., Matthew 24:9; Romans 5:3; Revelation 7:14) or eschatological judgment; here it denotes severe, God-ordained tribulation preceding Christ's return. No separate "suffering" word exists in the Greek text—it's rendered as "suffering" in some versions for clarity, but thlipsis is the key term linking to the Great Tribulation context.

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