Luke 17:26-27
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse isn't just about a sudden judgment, but about a world utterly absorbed in its everyday routines—eating, drinking, marrying—completely oblivious to the impending doom, mirroring humanity's often careless engagement with life when Jesus returns. This points to how normal, even good, activities can become a dangerous distraction from spiritual readiness.
Jesus is describing the suddenness and unexpectedness of his return, comparing it to the days before the great flood. In Noah’s time, people were immersed in their daily lives—eating, drinking, marrying—completely oblivious to the impending divine judgment. This comparison highlights how, just like the generation destroyed by the flood, many will be caught off guard by the Son of Man's arrival because they're too preoccupied with worldly matters.
Think about your typical day. What if the world's end happened today, during your routine? Jesus uses a stark comparison to highlight how life goes on, right up until the moment of judgment.
Jesus points to the days of Noah as a parallel to the 'days of the Son of Man.' What were those days like?
Normalcy Before the Storm
This wasn't necessarily about inherent sin, but a profound indifference to God's impending judgment. Life was so consuming that the warning signs—Noah's preaching and the ark's construction—were ignored. People were 'caught up' in the normal flow of life, unaware of the radical change about to occur.
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Noah was prepared; the rest of the world wasn't. This isn't just about a future event, but a way of living that either gets left behind or taken away.
The comparison with Noah's day highlights a critical distinction: preparation versus unawareness.
Taken vs. Left
Jesus later expands on this, describing a scene where people are separated: 'two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.' This separation isn't just about who is saved and who is judged. It speaks to:
The 'taking' signifies judgment and removal, while the 'leaving' signifies being left behind to face destruction, or in other contexts, being spared to enter God's kingdom. The point is the shock of sudden, final separation.
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.
tebah · Hebrew Noun
A vessel built by Noah at God's command to provide salvation for his family and the animals from the destruction of the global flood; it is a significant biblical type of safety and refuge found in God.
mabbul · Hebrew Noun
A divine act of universal judgment intended to cleanse the earth of corruption; biblically, it symbolizes God's sovereignty over creation and His intolerance of persistent, unrepentant sin.
Jesus uses the sudden, unexpected destruction of the wicked in Noah's day and the inhabitants of Sodom as powerful illustrations. He warns that the 'days of the Son of Man' (referring to His future return and judgment) will be similar – characterized by people living ordinary lives, oblivious to impending divine reckoning.
c. 3000-2000 BC— this verse
The Great Flood
According to the biblical narrative, humanity had become so wicked that God sent a global flood, saving only Noah, his family, and pairs of animals on an ark. The flood is depicted as a sudden, cataclysmic event that wiped out the ungodly.
c. 2000-1800 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone rained down from heaven due to their extreme wickedness. This event serves as another stark example of divine judgment on unrepentant sin.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem and deported a group of Judeans, including royalty and skilled individuals. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile, a period of judgment and separation for God's people.
587/586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians returned, destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, and deported most of the remaining population. This was a devastating judgment for Israel's persistent disobedience and idolatry.
c. 70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by Rome
Jesus' prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was fulfilled by the Roman army. This event, a severe judgment on a generation that rejected Him, serves as a powerful earthly parallel to the future judgment Jesus describes.
This passage describes the deep wickedness and corruption of humanity before the flood, mirroring the careless indifference Jesus warns about in Luke 17:26.
Matthew 24:37-39Jesus directly parallels the days of Noah with His coming, emphasizing the mundane activities of eating and drinking that characterized the world before its destruction, just as Luke does.
2 Peter 3:3-7Peter explicitly links the coming scoffers of the last days to the ungodly people of Noah's time, who were unaware of the coming judgment until it was too late.
Genesis 19:1-11The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, also mentioned by Jesus in this context, provides a parallel to the sudden, fiery judgment that will overtake those living in careless sin, similar to the flood's devastation.
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 isn't just about a sudden judgment, but about a world utterly absorbed in its everyday routines—eating, drinking, marrying—completely oblivious to the impending doom, mirroring humanity's often careless engagement with life when Jesus returns. This points to how normal, even good, activities can become a dangerous distraction from spiritual readiness.
Jesus is describing the suddenness and unexpectedness of his return, comparing it to the days before the great flood. In Noah’s time, people were immersed in their daily lives—eating, drinking, marrying—completely oblivious to the impending divine judgment. This comparison highlights how, just like the generation destroyed by the flood, many will be caught off guard by the Son of Man's arrival because they're too preoccupied with worldly matters.
Jesus is describing the suddenness and unexpectedness of his return, comparing it to the days before the great flood. In Noah’s time, people were immersed in their daily lives—eating, drinking, marrying—completely oblivious to the impending divine judgment. This comparison highlights how, just like the generation destroyed by the flood, many will be caught off guard by the Son of Man's arrival because they're too preoccupied with worldly matters.
"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." — The verse isn't just about a sudden judgment, but about a world utterly absorbed in its everyday routines—eating, drinking, marrying—completely oblivious to the impending doom, mirroring humanity's o…
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