For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The most striking aspect here is that Jesus isn't just pointing to the suddenness of the flood, but to the unaware, ordinary activities of the people before it. They were caught off guard not because a storm was brewing, but because they were so absorbed in eating, drinking, and marrying that they completely missed the grave warnings and the reality of the impending judgment.
For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is describing the signs leading up to his return and the end of the age, warning his disciples not to be deceived by false prophets or to grow weary of waiting. He emphasizes that the final coming of the Son of Man will be sudden and unexpected, catching most people off guard just as the flood did in Noah's day. This comparison highlights the world's continued engagement in ordinary life and pleasures, oblivious to the impending judgment.
Jesus uses Noah's day as a mirror for His own return. What does that mean for a world that feels so normal?
In Matthew 24:37, Jesus declares, 'For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.' The key here is the comparison to Noah's time.
Daily Life Amidst Divine Warning
Before the flood, life continued as usual for most people. They were eating, drinking, marrying, and conducting their business. This wasn't a world in chaos, but a world deeply immersed in its everyday routines and pleasures.
The Shock of the Unexpected
Despite Noah's century-long preaching and the construction of the ark—clear signs of impending judgment—the vast majority remained oblivious or indifferent. Their normalcy became their undoing, as the flood arrived suddenly, 'taking them all away.'
A Parallel to the End Times
Jesus draws a direct parallel. His return will also catch many by surprise, not because there are no signs, but because the world's focus is on the ordinary, the immediate, and the pleasures of life, much like the people in Noah's day who were 'eating and drinking' until the floodwaters rose.
When Jesus returns, there will be a stark separation. What does it mean to be 'taken' or 'left'?
Following the comparison to Noah's day, Jesus explains the consequence: 'Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other left.'
Ask a follow-up
The Flood's Separation
In Noah's story, the 'taking away' was the wicked being swept away by the floodwaters of judgment. Noah and his family were 'left' behind, preserved through the catastrophe to continue life on earth.
The Final Separation
Jesus applies this to His coming. It signifies a divine separation. Those 'taken' are removed for judgment, while those 'left' are the righteous, preserved for God's kingdom. This highlights that Christ's return will bring about a decisive distinction between those who belong to Him and those who do not.
Not About Escape, But Readiness
The contrast emphasizes that outward circumstances might look identical (two men in a field, two women at a mill), but their eternal destiny is vastly different. This isn't about who is doing what, but who is prepared.
Understand the original words
huios tou anthrōpou · Greek Noun Phrase
The title most frequently used by Jesus for Himself, emphasizing His humanity, His messianic authority, and His role as the eschatological Judge as foretold in Daniel 7.
parousia · Greek Noun
The visible return of Jesus Christ in glory to judge the living and the dead and to consummate His kingdom.
Jesus uses the catastrophic and unexpected destruction during Noah's time as a stark warning: His return will similarly catch a world engrossed in everyday life and oblivious to the impending divine judgment.
c. 2348 BC— this verse
Noah's Flood
A catastrophic flood sent by God to cleanse the earth from widespread wickedness. Noah and his family were saved in an ark, while the rest of humanity perished.
c. 1900 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God rained down fire and sulfur on these wicked cities, destroying them and their inhabitants, with Lot and his daughters being rescued.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Ministry and Teachings
Jesus preached, taught, and warned about the coming judgment, including His own return and the destruction of Jerusalem.
c. AD 64-67
Peter's Epistles
The Apostle Peter, referencing Jesus' teachings, wrote about the days of Noah and the coming judgment, likening them to the future coming of the Lord.
This passage describes the pervasive wickedness and corrupt thoughts of humanity in Noah's day, highlighting the moral decay that characterized the time before the flood, which Jesus uses as a parallel to the general unawareness and self-absorption before His return.
Luke 17:26-27This passage directly echoes Matthew 24:37 by comparing the coming of the Son of Man to the days of Noah, emphasizing how people were engaged in ordinary life activities and were completely unaware until the flood came and destroyed them all.
1 Peter 3:20Peter refers to the 'long-suffering of God' in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, noting that only a few were saved through water, drawing a parallel between that salvation and baptism, and underscoring the ignorance and destruction of the ungodly.
2 Peter 3:3-4Peter warns that in the last days, scoffers will arise, questioning the promised coming of Christ and pointing to the apparent unchanging nature of things, just as people in Noah's day were unaware of the impending judgment.
Genesis 7:10-12This passage details the onset of the flood immediately after Noah and his family entered the ark, illustrating the suddenness and overwhelming nature of the divine judgment that caught the unprepared world by surprise.
barnesMatthew 24:37: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Noe - The Greek way of writing "Noah." See Genesis 6-9 . The coming of the Son of man would be as it was in the days of Noah: 1. In its being sudden and unexpected, the "precise time" not being made known, though the "general" indications had been given. 2. The world would be found as it was then.
bensonMatthew 24:37: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
Matthew 24:37-41 . But as the days of Noe were, &c. — As then they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till they were surprised by the flood, notwithstanding the frequent warnings and admonitions of that preacher of righteousness: so now, they shall be engaged in the business and pleasures of the world, little expecting, little thinking of this universal ruin, till it come upon th…
The most striking aspect here is that Jesus isn't just pointing to the suddenness of the flood, but to the unaware, ordinary activities of the people before it. They were caught off guard not because a storm was brewing, but because they were so absorbed in eating, drinking, and marrying that they completely missed the grave warnings and the reality of the impending judgment.
Jesus is describing the signs leading up to his return and the end of the age, warning his disciples not to be deceived by false prophets or to grow weary of waiting. He emphasizes that the final coming of the Son of Man will be sudden and unexpected, catching most people off guard just as the flood did in Noah's day. This comparison highlights the world's continued engagement in ordinary life and pleasures, oblivious to the impending judgment.
Jesus is describing the signs leading up to his return and the end of the age, warning his disciples not to be deceived by false prophets or to grow weary of waiting. He emphasizes that the final coming of the Son of Man will be sudden and unexpected, catching most people off guard just as the flood did in Noah's day. This comparison highlights the world's continued engagement in ordinary life and pleasures, oblivious to the impending judgment.
"For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." — The most striking aspect here is that Jesus isn't just pointing to the suddenness of the flood, but to the unaware, ordinary activities of the people before it. They were caught off guard not bec…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026