Matthew 24:17-18
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The urgency here isn't just about fleeing a natural disaster, but about escaping a city facing imminent destruction by hostile forces. Even the "road of the roofs" was the quickest escape route, bypassing the need to descend inside and risk being trapped.
Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is warning his disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He tells them to flee the city when they see signs of this devastation, emphasizing the urgency and the need for immediate escape. The instruction to not go back into their homes or fields highlights that survival is paramount, and any delay to gather possessions could be fatal.
Imagine the scene: chaos erupts, and your only way out isn't through the front door. Jesus paints a vivid picture of immediate danger and the need for swift action.
A Unique Architectural Advantage
During Jesus' time, houses in cities like Jerusalem often had flat roofs. These weren't just for sitting out on; they were connected by walkways, creating a 'road of the roofs.' This allowed people to travel between houses without going down into the crowded, dangerous streets.
Life Over Valuables
Jesus uses this architectural detail to emphasize the extreme urgency of the situation he's describing (the destruction of Jerusalem). If you were on the roof when disaster struck, your instinct might be to grab valuables from inside. But Jesus says, 'Don't even go back inside.' The priority is your life, not your possessions. The rooftop path offered a quicker escape, bypassing the need to enter your home and risk getting trapped.
Why such extreme urgency? Jesus isn't just talking about a bad day; he's describing a pivotal moment with eternal implications.
A Foretaste of Judgment
This specific instruction in Matthew 24 is directly linked to the coming destruction of Jerusalem. This event, prophesied by Daniel as the 'abomination of desolation,' was a catastrophic judgment from God upon a people who had rejected Him and His Son. It was a profound demonstration of God's wrath and a sign of future, ultimate judgment.
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Escape to a Greater Reality
The command to flee without taking possessions highlights the total devastation and the absolute necessity of escape. It's a stark reminder that earthly possessions and comforts are temporary. For Jesus' followers, this event served as a powerful warning and a call to discern the times, ultimately pointing towards the need for an eternal 'escape' through faith in Christ, which secures us not from a city's destruction, but from eternal judgment.
Understand the original words
dōma · Greek Noun
The flat roof of a Near Eastern house, which served as a social, domestic, and sometimes spiritual space.
agrō · Greek Noun
An agricultural space or open land, frequently used in the Bible as a setting for labor, judgment, or the harvest of the nations.
himation · Greek Noun
A loose-fitting outer garment worn by both men and women, essential for warmth, protection, and social identification in the ancient Near East.
Jesus' instruction to flee immediately from Jerusalem, not even stopping to grab belongings, directly echoes the desperate, life-or-death urgency of escaping a city under sudden, catastrophic attack.
c. 167-164 BC
Antiochus IV Epiphanes' Profanation
The Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes desecrates the Jerusalem Temple, installing an altar to Zeus. This event, prophesied by Daniel, serves as a historical precedent for 'abomination' language.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Olivet Discourse
Jesus speaks to his disciples on the Mount of Olives, foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and giving signs and warnings.
AD 66-70
First Jewish-Roman War
The Jewish revolt against Roman rule begins, leading to a devastating siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by Roman forces. This fulfills Jesus' prophecy.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman army under Titus sacks Jerusalem, burns the Temple, and demolishes much of the city, fulfilling Jesus' prediction of utter desolation.
This passage echoes the extreme urgency of flight, mirroring Lot's hasty escape from Sodom, where no possessions were to be retrieved, emphasizing that life is the sole priority.
Luke 17:31This verse reinforces the Matthew passage by stating, 'Likewise, whoever is on the housetop, let him not go down into the house or whatever is in it, and likewise whoever is in the field, let him not turn back.' It highlights the parallel instruction for immediate flight without retrieving belongings.
Jeremiah 45:5God's message to Baruch, 'But seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not; for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest,' shows that in times of divine judgment, preserving one's life is the ultimate goal, even more than reclaiming possessions.
Deuteronomy 28:53This Old Testament passage foretells the dire consequences of disobedience, including the horrific siege where mothers would eat their own children due to extreme famine, underscoring the life-or-death desperation implied in Matthew 24:17.
vincentMatthew 24:17: "Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:"
Him which is on the house-top (ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος)From roof to roof there might be a regular communication, called by the Rabbis "the road of the roofs." Thus a person could make his escape passing from roof to roof, till, at the last house, he would descend the stairs on the outside of the house, but within the exterior court. The urgency of the flight is enhanced by the fact that the stairs…
barnesMatthew 24:17: "Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:"
Him which is on the house-top - The roofs of the houses in Eastern countries were made flat, so that they were favorable places for walking and retirement. See the notes at Matthew 9:1-8 . The meaning here is, that He who should be on the house-top when this calamity came upon the city "should flee without delay;" He should not even take time to secure any article of apparel from his house. So su…
The urgency here isn't just about fleeing a natural disaster, but about escaping a city facing imminent destruction by hostile forces. Even the "road of the roofs" was the quickest escape route, bypassing the need to descend inside and risk being trapped.
Jesus is warning his disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He tells them to flee the city when they see signs of this devastation, emphasizing the urgency and the need for immediate escape. The instruction to not go back into their homes or fields highlights that survival is paramount, and any delay to gather possessions could be fatal.
Jesus is warning his disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He tells them to flee the city when they see signs of this devastation, emphasizing the urgency and the need for immediate escape. The instruction to not go back into their homes or fields highlights that survival is paramount, and any delay to gather possessions could be fatal.
"Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak." — The urgency here isn't just about fleeing a natural disaster, but about escaping a city facing imminent destruction by hostile forces. Even the "road of the roofs" was the quickest escape route, bypa…
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Last reviewed October 2026
