Matthew 24:38
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)
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The focus isn't on ordinary life being inherently sinful, but on the people's complete absorption in their daily routines and pleasures. This intense preoccupation with eating, drinking, and marrying blinded them to the impending, divine judgment that Noah's building of the ark was signaling.
Jesus is describing the signs leading up to his return, likening it to the days before the great flood. People were completely absorbed in their everyday lives – eating, drinking, and getting married – oblivious to the impending judgment. This focus on ordinary activities, to the exclusion of spiritual awareness, characterized their society right up until Noah entered the ark.
The Bible describes pre-flood days as filled with everyday activities like eating, drinking, and marriage. Were these things inherently wrong?
Jesus uses the days before the flood as an illustration for His second coming. It's important to understand what He's highlighting.
Life's Routine
Matthew 24:38 lists common activities: 'eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.' These aren't sins in themselves. They are the fabric of everyday life.
The Focus of the Unprepared
Jesus isn't condemning these activities. He's pointing out that for the people living then, these daily routines completely occupied their attention. They were so absorbed in 'the affairs of this life,' as Barnes puts it, that they were 'regardless of what was coming upon them.' Their focus was on the present, not on the impending judgment.
A Contrast to Faith
While the world was caught up in these normal activities, Noah was warned by God and obediently built the ark. This highlights a crucial contrast: the lost were engrossed in life, while the saved were attentive to God's word.
The people before the flood didn't know what was coming. How could they be so unaware, especially with Noah building an ark for over a century?
Jesus highlights a profound ignorance among the people before the flood, which is key to understanding His warning.
Blinded by Distraction
Calvin points out that their ignorance stemmed from 'unbelief [that] had blinded their minds.' While Noah saw the coming vengeance by faith, others were oblivious. They were so immersed in their daily lives – eating, drinking, marrying – that the monumental warning unfolding before them was missed.
The Warning Was Visible
As Gill notes, the building of the ark was a public, long-term display – a clear sign of impending judgment. Yet, they 'persisted in their wicked course of living' and 'took no heed.' This wasn't a lack of information, but a willful disregard for what that information implied.
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 ordinary lives of people before the flood and the sudden, catastrophic judgment that fell upon them to illustrate the unsuspecting nature of the world before his own return.
c. 2950 BC - 2350 BC
Early Flood Narratives
Ancient Mesopotamian cultures, including Sumerians and Akkadians, develop flood myths, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, reflecting a shared cultural memory or archetype of a catastrophic flood. These stories predate and possibly influenced the biblical account.
c. 1450 BC
Mosaic Period and Genesis
The Book of Genesis, including the account of Noah and the Flood, is traditionally attributed to Moses. The narrative is set within the context of early Israelite history and law, establishing foundational theological themes.
c. 1450 BC— this verse
Noah Enters the Ark
According to the Genesis account, Noah, his family, and pairs of all living creatures enter the ark, marking the immediate prelude to the divine judgment of the Great Flood. This event signifies the cessation of normal human activity and the beginning of a period of divine wrath.
c. 1450 BC
The Great Flood
The biblical narrative describes the world being inundated by a massive flood that destroys all life on land, except for those within the ark. This event serves as a divine judgment against humanity's wickedness.
This passage directly describes the wickedness and corrupt desires of humanity before the flood, setting the stage for why God brought judgment and directly paralleling the 'eating and drinking' with deeper sinfulness.
Luke 17:26-27Luke's parallel account explicitly links the days of Noah to the coming of the Son of Man, emphasizing the ordinary activities of life that will be interrupted by His return, just as the flood interrupted life for the ungodly.
1 Peter 3:20Peter connects Noah's time to the salvation found in baptism, highlighting that a few were saved through judgment while the rest were lost due to their unrepentant, ordinary lives, similar to the context of Matthew 24.
2 Peter 3:3-4This passage warns of 'scoffers' in the last days who will dismiss the promise of Christ's return by pointing to the continuing ordinary cycle of life, directly echoing the indifference of those in Noah's day.
Luke 21:34Jesus' warning here directly parallels the heedlessness of Noah's generation, urging His followers not to be weighed down by 'surfeiting, drunkenness, and the cares of this life,' which can cause the day of judgment to come unexpectedly.
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 focus isn't on ordinary life being inherently sinful, but on the people's complete absorption in their daily routines and pleasures. This intense preoccupation with eating, drinking, and marrying blinded them to the impending, divine judgment that Noah's building of the ark was signaling.
Jesus is describing the signs leading up to his return, likening it to the days before the great flood. People were completely absorbed in their everyday lives – eating, drinking, and getting married – oblivious to the impending judgment. This focus on ordinary activities, to the exclusion of spiritual awareness, characterized their society right up until Noah entered the ark.
Jesus is describing the signs leading up to his return, likening it to the days before the great flood. People were completely absorbed in their everyday lives – eating, drinking, and getting married – oblivious to the impending judgment. This focus on ordinary activities, to the exclusion of spiritual awareness, characterized their society right up until Noah entered the ark.
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A Spiritual 'Snare'
This ignorance is what makes the coming judgment so devastating. It arrives 'like a snare' (Luke 21:34), catching them completely off guard because their focus was entirely inward on their own affairs, not outward toward God's truth.
c. 4 BC - c. AD 30/33
Life and Ministry of Jesus
Jesus Christ lives and ministers, teaching about the Kingdom of God, divine judgment, and the importance of readiness for his return. His teachings often draw parallels to Old Testament events, including the Flood.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Discourse on End Times
During his ministry, Jesus delivers teachings, like the Olivet Discourse recorded in Matthew 24, to his disciples, warning them about future tribulations and the signs of his second coming. He uses the days of Noah as an analogy for the unawareness of people before his return.
"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 focus isn't on ordinary life being inherently sinful, but on the people's complete absorption in their daily routines and pleasures. This intense preoccupation with eating, drinking, and marrying…
