Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that the way people lived – absorbed in daily life, oblivious to impending judgment – was the key characteristic of Noah's time, not necessarily the amount of sin itself. This means the Lord is comparing the normalcy and mundane preoccupations of everyday life, rather than extreme wickedness, as the sign of His return.
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is describing the suddenness and unexpected nature of his return, drawing a parallel to two historical catastrophes. He first points to the days of Noah, when humanity was consumed by a global flood because they were absorbed in everyday life, oblivious to the coming judgment until it was too late. This sets the stage for his warning that his return will similarly catch the world off guard.
Life felt normal right before the world ended. What does that tell us about the days leading up to Jesus' return?
Jesus uses the days of Noah as a stark warning. The people then weren't necessarily evil in their daily actions – they were eating, drinking, marrying, and living life. The problem wasn't the activities themselves, but the complete absence of awareness and preparation for God's coming judgment.
A World Unaware
When judgment day arrives, not everyone living a similar life will face the same outcome. What causes this dramatic split?
The comparison to Noah's day isn't just about the unawareness of the lost, but also about the that occurs. In Noah's story, one family was 'taken' into the safety of the ark, while the rest of humanity was 'swept away.' Jesus uses this to illustrate a profound truth about His return.
Ask a follow-up
Two Groups, One Moment
Understand the original words
ho huios tou anthropou · Greek Noun Phrase
A title for the Messiah, particularly emphasizing His humanity, divine authority, and future role as the eschatological Judge of all people as described in Daniel 7:13-14.
Noah · Hebrew Proper Noun
Refers to the pre-flood historical period characterized by extreme wickedness and divine judgment, serving as a prophetic archetype for the suddenness and unexpected nature of the final judgment.
Jesus uses the stark contrast between the oblivious indulgence of the pre-Flood world and the sudden, catastrophic judgment to highlight the unpreparedness of those who will face his future return. The comparison emphasizes that just as the antediluvian world was consumed while absorbed in ordinary life, so too will the world be caught unaware at the final judgment.
c. 2350 BC— this verse
The Great Flood
God sends a catastrophic flood to cleanse the earth of wickedness, saving only Noah and his family in the ark. This event is characterized by a world utterly unprepared and engrossed in daily life, unaware of the impending judgment.
c. 2000-1900 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God rains fire and brimstone on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them and their inhabitants. Like the Flood, this judgment struck a population consumed by their daily lives and sins, unaware of the divine intervention.
c. 4 BC - AD 30/33
Jesus' earthly ministry
Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, lives, teaches, and performs miracles, preparing his disciples for his eventual return and the final judgment. His teachings often used earthly examples to illustrate heavenly truths.
c. AD 60-65
Likely period of Luke's Gospel
The Gospel of Luke is written, recording Jesus's teachings, including his comparisons between the days of Noah and the future coming of the Son of Man. This provides context for the original audience.
This passage directly parallels Luke's comparison, stating 'For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.'
Genesis 6:5This verse describes the widespread wickedness and corrupted hearts of humanity before the flood, highlighting the moral environment that characterized Noah's day and will characterize the end times.
Genesis 7:10This verse marks the actual start of the flood, underscoring the suddenness and completeness of God's judgment that overtook a world preoccupied with everyday life, similar to what Jesus predicts.
2 Peter 3:3Peter echoes this warning, reminding believers that scoffers will come in the last days, living according to their own passions, much like the unconcerned people of Noah's time.
Luke 17:28Jesus immediately follows the Noah comparison with the example of Lot and Sodom, emphasizing the same theme of unsuspecting indulgence in daily life just before sudden, fiery judgment.
barnesLuke 17:26: "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man."
See the notes at Matthew 24:37-39 .
calvinLuke 17:26-37: "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man."
- But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38. For as in the days that came before the deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the day when Noah entered into the ark, 39. And knew not until the deluge came, [160] and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40. Two men shall then be in the field…
The verse highlights that the way people lived – absorbed in daily life, oblivious to impending judgment – was the key characteristic of Noah's time, not necessarily the amount of sin itself. This means the Lord is comparing the normalcy and mundane preoccupations of everyday life, rather than extreme wickedness, as the sign of His return.
Jesus is describing the suddenness and unexpected nature of his return, drawing a parallel to two historical catastrophes. He first points to the days of Noah, when humanity was consumed by a global flood because they were absorbed in everyday life, oblivious to the coming judgment until it was too late. This sets the stage for his warning that his return will similarly catch the world off guard.
Jesus is describing the suddenness and unexpected nature of his return, drawing a parallel to two historical catastrophes. He first points to the days of Noah, when humanity was consumed by a global flood because they were absorbed in everyday life, oblivious to the coming judgment until it was too late. This sets the stage for his warning that his return will similarly catch the world off guard.
"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man." — The verse highlights that the way people lived – absorbed in daily life, oblivious to impending judgment – was the key characteristic of Noah's time, not necessarily the amount of sin itself. Thi…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026