For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The everyday activities described – eating, drinking, and marriage – weren't wrong in themselves, but represented a total absorption in earthly life that completely overshadowed any awareness of impending divine judgment. This highlights how easily ordinary life can become a distraction, preventing us from recognizing God's warnings and the signs of His coming.
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining that his return will be as sudden and unexpected as the great flood. Just before the deluge, people were completely absorbed in their daily lives – feasting, drinking, and making marriage arrangements – utterly unaware of the impending destruction. They continued their ordinary routines right up until the very moment Noah and his family entered the safety of the ark, highlighting their deep-seated complacency in the face of divine judgment.
Imagine life carrying on as usual, even as disaster looms. What does this seemingly ordinary scene reveal about a lost generation?
Jesus uses the days before the flood to paint a picture of humanity's dangerous unawareness.
The Illusion of Stability
The people of Noah's time were engaged in everyday activities: eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. These aren't inherently sinful actions. They represent the rhythms of life, the continuation of society, and the natural human desire for companionship and family. Barnes notes that these activities simply reflect 'attention to the affairs of this life.'
A Deeper Indifference
However, the crucial point isn't the activities themselves, but the focus. Calvin and others highlight that their engagement in these normal routines was so complete, so all-encompassing, that it blinded them to the imminent danger. They were 'regardless of what was coming upon them' (Barnes). This wasn't just enjoying life; it was an immersion in the mundane that led to a profound spiritual and existential blindness. As Gill points out, they 'wholly gave themselves up to the pleasures of life... without any concern about... their approaching danger.'
Noah warned them, the ark was being built before their eyes... yet they remained oblivious. What does this tell us about the power of unbelief?
The obliviousness of the pre-flood generation wasn't due to a lack of warning, but a deep-seated refusal to believe.
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Warnings Ignored
For over a century, Noah was not just a preacher of righteousness, but a living billboard for the coming judgment. The construction of the massive ark was a constant, visible sign of an impending, unprecedented catastrophe. Yet, as Poole observes, 'Though they had watched Noah building the ark, and heard him preach righteousness for many a year, they took no heed.'
The Blinding Effect
This refusal to heed the warnings stemmed from unbelief. Gill explains that 'unbelief had blinded their minds.' They chose to trust their senses and the apparent stability of the world over God's revealed truth. Bengel notes that they were 'employed in this, and in nothing else,' suggesting a willful focus that shut out any inconvenient truths. Their blindness was not an accident; it was a consequence of their choice not to believe God's word, even when presented with overwhelming evidence.
Understand the original words
kataklysmos · Greek Noun
A sudden, catastrophic judgment from God upon the earth due to human sin, serving as a historical type for the future final judgment.
Jesus uses the stark contrast between the 'normal' activities of everyday life and the sudden, devastating judgment of the flood to illustrate how unprepared the world will be for His return. The people were so consumed by their routines—eating, drinking, and marrying—that they ignored the obvious, a century-long construction project for a vessel that made no sense without a coming flood.
c. 2950 BC
God's assessment of humanity
God saw that the wickedness of humankind was great on the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.
c. 2948 BC - 2348 BC
Noah builds the ark
God commanded Noah to build an ark to save his family and pairs of all living creatures from the coming flood, a process that took over a century.
c. 2348 BC— this verse
Noah enters the ark
Noah, his family, and the animals entered the ark, sealing themselves inside just before the catastrophic deluge began.
c. 2348 BC
The Great Flood begins
The fountains of the great deep burst forth and the windows of heaven opened, unleashing a flood that destroyed all life outside the ark.
This passage directly parallels the days of Noah and the sudden, unexpected nature of the destruction, highlighting the normalcy of life immediately before disaster struck.
Genesis 6:5This verse from Genesis describes the pervasive wickedness and constant evil imaginations of the hearts of humanity before the flood, providing the context for why such destructive judgment was necessary.
Luke 21:34Jesus warns against hearts being 'overcharged with... the cares of this life,' echoing the idea that ordinary daily activities, when they consume all attention, can lead to being unprepared for judgment.
2 Peter 3:4This passage directly addresses scoffers who doubt Christ's return by pointing to the unchanging nature of the world since the flood, reinforcing the comparison that life will seem normal right up until the end.
Genesis 7:7This verse marks the moment Noah and his family finally entered the ark, pinpointing the exact time before the catastrophic deluge, as mentioned in Matthew 24:38.
barnesMatthew 24:38: "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,"
For as in the days ... - The things mentioned here denote attention to the affairs of this life rather than to what was coming on them. It does not mean that these things were wrong, but only that such was their actual employment, and that they were regardless of what was coming upon them.
calvinMatthew 24:37-42: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
- 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; one…
The everyday activities described – eating, drinking, and marriage – weren't wrong in themselves, but represented a total absorption in earthly life that completely overshadowed any awareness of impending divine judgment. This highlights how easily ordinary life can become a distraction, preventing us from recognizing God's warnings and the signs of His coming.
Jesus is explaining that his return will be as sudden and unexpected as the great flood. Just before the deluge, people were completely absorbed in their daily lives – feasting, drinking, and making marriage arrangements – utterly unaware of the impending destruction. They continued their ordinary routines right up until the very moment Noah and his family entered the safety of the ark, highlighting their deep-seated complacency in the face of divine judgment.
Jesus is explaining that his return will be as sudden and unexpected as the great flood. Just before the deluge, people were completely absorbed in their daily lives – feasting, drinking, and making marriage arrangements – utterly unaware of the impending destruction. They continued their ordinary routines right up until the very moment Noah and his family entered the safety of the ark, highlighting their deep-seated complacency in the face of divine judgment.
"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark," — The everyday activities described – eating, drinking, and marriage – weren't wrong in themselves, but represented a total absorption in earthly life that completely overshadowed any awareness of impe…
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Last reviewed October 2026