Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that the people of Lot's day were deeply engrossed in the routines of everyday life – eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. This ordinary activity, far from being inherently sinful, masked a profound indifference to God's impending judgment, showing how easily the mundane can distract us from eternal realities.
Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is warning his disciples about the suddenness of his coming and the destruction that will fall on those who are unprepared. He uses the example of the flood in Noah’s day and now compares it to the destruction of Sodom, highlighting how everyday life continued as usual right up until disaster struck.
The everyday rhythm of life—eating, buying, building—can lull us into a false sense of security. Jesus warns that this very normalcy can blind us to His return.
In Luke 17:28, Jesus paints a picture of life in Lot's day just before God’s judgment fell on Sodom and Gomorrah. People were caught up in the ordinary activities of life: 'eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.' This wasn't inherently sinful behavior. In fact, these are necessary and good parts of human existence.
The Deceptive Power of Routine
The danger lies not in the activities themselves, but in the attitude they foster. When these daily routines become all-consuming, they can create a profound sense of permanence and predictability. This mindset leads people to believe that life will always continue as it is, making them utterly unprepared for sudden, divine intervention. Jesus highlights this in Luke 21:34, warning that hearts can become 'overcharged with... the cares of this life,' causing that day to come 'suddenly' like a snare.
What's the stark contrast Jesus draws between the ordinary lives of Sodom's residents and the divine judgment that struck them?
Jesus uses the destruction of Sodom as a potent illustration of how unexpected and complete God's judgment can be. The people were deeply engrossed in their worldly affairs—buying, selling, planting, and building—fully convinced of their security. They were 'eating and drinking' as if tomorrow were guaranteed.
A World Unaware
This 'normalcy' created a profound ignorance of the impending doom. They 'knew not until the deluge came' in Noah's day (Luke 17:27), and similarly, the inhabitants of Sodom were unaware until fire and brimstone rained down. Their engagement in commerce, agriculture, and construction was not the problem; their and for divine judgment were. They were building and buying as if God's justice would never arrive, a stark contrast to the imminent, fiery destruction that awaited them.
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Understand the original words
Lot · Hebrew Proper Noun
A person of moral and righteous character living in the midst of a notoriously wicked city, whose deliverance serves as a testament to God's care for the righteous while punishing the ungodly.
Jesus uses the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a parallel to the suddenness of divine judgment. The people were deeply engrossed in everyday activities – buying, selling, building – completely oblivious to the impending doom, just as they would be before the final judgment.
c. 2000 BC— this verse
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, along with others in the plain, were destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven, as described in Genesis 19. This event serves as a stark warning of divine judgment.
c. 1400 BC
Abraham's Covenant and Sojourn
Abraham had previously lived in the region near Sodom and negotiated with its king, showing the established existence and prominence of these cities in patriarchal times.
c. 1400 BC
Lot's Family Life in Sodom
Lot and his family lived in Sodom, a city known for its wickedness. This period highlights the immersion of God's people in culturally corrupt environments.
c. 750 BC
Amos Condemns Samaria and Sodom
The prophet Amos references the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in his prophecies against Israel, using it as a historical example of God's judgment on sin and societal corruption.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
The Babylonian Empire, under Nebuchadnezzar, began deporting the Jewish elite from Jerusalem. This marked the start of the exile, a period of judgment and loss for Judah.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple, completing the exile of the Jewish people. This was a catastrophic event, signifying God's judgment on a rebellious nation.
This passage directly describes the ordinary activities of eating, drinking, buying, and selling that were occurring in Sodom just before its destruction, mirroring the verse in Luke.
Matthew 24:38Jesus uses the same comparison to Noah's day, highlighting the mundane activities of everyday life that occupied people before the flood, just as they did before the destruction of Sodom.
2 Peter 2:6-7Peter recalls the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, describing Lot as a righteous man vexed by the 'lawless deeds' of the inhabitants who were living in worldly pursuits, echoing the context of Luke 17.
Luke 12:16-21This parable of the rich fool illustrates a similar theme of being consumed by worldly possessions and plans for the future, only to have life cut short unexpectedly, highlighting the danger of being unprepared for God's judgment.
Ezekiel 16:49This prophetic passage describes Sodom's sin as stemming from pride, excess, and a lack of care for the poor, providing the moral context for why God's judgment fell upon them despite their outward prosperity and business.
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…
gillLuke 17:28: "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;"
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot,.... When he lived in Sodom, and before, and at the time of the destruction of that city with other neighbouring ones: they did eat, they drank; See Gill on Luke 17:27, and Ezekiel 16:49. This is to be understood of the inhabitants of Sodom, and the other cities that perished with it: they bought, they sold: they trade…
The verse highlights that the people of Lot's day were deeply engrossed in the routines of everyday life – eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. This ordinary activity, far from being inherently sinful, masked a profound indifference to God's impending judgment, showing how easily the mundane can distract us from eternal realities.
Jesus is warning his disciples about the suddenness of his coming and the destruction that will fall on those who are unprepared. He uses the example of the flood in Noah’s day and now compares it to the destruction of Sodom, highlighting how everyday life continued as usual right up until disaster struck.
Jesus is warning his disciples about the suddenness of his coming and the destruction that will fall on those who are unprepared. He uses the example of the flood in Noah’s day and now compares it to the destruction of Sodom, highlighting how everyday life continued as usual right up until disaster struck.
"Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building," — The verse highlights that the people of Lot's day were deeply engrossed in the routines of everyday life – eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. This ordinary activity, far from…
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Last reviewed October 2026