Matthew 24:38-39
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The mundane activities listed—eating, drinking, marrying—aren't condemned in themselves, but highlight how people were utterly absorbed in daily life. This complete preoccupation meant they were oblivious to the imminent judgment, completely unaware of the approaching doom right up until the moment Noah entered the ark.
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, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining how his coming will be sudden and unexpected, much like the great flood in Noah's time. In those days, people were completely absorbed in ordinary life—eating, drinking, and getting married—unaware of the impending disaster. This mundane activity continued right up until the very moment Noah entered the ark, highlighting humanity's obliviousness to God's judgment.
What were people doing right before the Great Flood? Jesus uses their everyday activities as a stark warning. Were these actions themselves wrong?
Jesus points to the days before the flood to describe the general state of humanity right before His return.
Ordinary Life
He lists common, even necessary, activities: eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. These aren't inherently sinful actions. People need to eat, drink, and form families to sustain life and society.
The Danger of Indifference
The problem wasn't the actions themselves, but the attitude behind them. People were so engrossed in these daily routines and pleasures that they became completely oblivious to the impending judgment.
Lost in the Routine
Their focus was solely on the present, on the continuation of their normal lives, as if nothing else mattered. They were living life as usual, completely unaware or unconcerned that their world was about to end.
Noah spent over a century building the ark and warning people. Yet, the people around him remained oblivious. How could this be?
The people living before the flood were not completely ignorant of the coming judgment. Noah, a preacher of righteousness, was actively building an ark – a massive, public project that served as a constant warning for over 100 years.
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Unbelief as Blindness
Despite Noah's efforts and the visible evidence, the people 'knew not until the deluge came.' This ignorance wasn't due to a lack of information, but a lack of faith. Unbelief blinded their minds to the truth and the reality of God's impending judgment.
The Ark as a Sign
The ark itself was a sign. Its construction was a testament to Noah's faith and a visible symbol of God's judgment approaching. Yet, those around him chose to ignore it, continuing in their pursuits as if Noah's warnings were simply the ramblings of a madman.
Divine Judgment's Suddenness
This obliviousness is key to understanding the suddenness of God's judgment. While there were warnings, the reprobate willfully disregarded them, leading to their complete surprise when destruction finally came.
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.
ginōskō · Greek Verb
To be ignorant or without knowledge; in this context, the lack of spiritual discernment regarding the impending judgment of God.
The verse highlights the shocking normalcy and obliviousness of humanity right up until a cataclysmic divine judgment, emphasizing that even prolonged warnings can be ignored amidst the routines of daily life.
~2950 BC
Noah begins building the Ark
Centuries before the flood, Noah began constructing the massive vessel as instructed by God, a monumental task that served as a public, prolonged warning to humanity.
c. 2349 BC— this verse
Noah and his family enter the Ark
Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives entered the ark just before the torrential rains began. This marked the final moment of opportunity for those outside.
c. 2349 BC
The Great Flood begins
The catastrophic floodwaters descended, covering the entire earth and wiping out all living beings except those safely inside the ark. This judgment was sudden and absolute for the unprepared.
This passage directly precedes the account of Noah and the flood, highlighting the pervasive wickedness and corrupt intentions of humanity which necessitated God's judgment, mirroring the 'eating and drinking' described as a symptom of their spiritual blindness.
Luke 17:26-27This parallel passage explicitly compares the days of Noah to the time of the Son of Man's coming, emphasizing that life continued 'eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage' as usual, underscoring the suddenness of divine judgment.
Luke 17:28-29This passage also references the destruction of Sodom, where people were similarly engaged in everyday activities ('eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building') until judgment fell, reinforcing the theme of ordinary life being unaware of imminent divine wrath.
1 Peter 3:20This verse connects the few who were saved in Noah's ark to baptism, implying that the majority in Noah's day were swept away by the flood because they were not in the ark of salvation, just as many will be unaware of Christ's coming.
2 Peter 3:3-4This passage warns of scoffers in the last days who will disregard the signs of Christ's return, saying 'Where is the promise of his coming?' This attitude of disbelief and normal life continuing is directly comparable to the unconcerned populace before the flood.
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 mundane activities listed—eating, drinking, marrying—aren't condemned in themselves, but highlight how people were utterly absorbed in daily life. This complete preoccupation meant they were oblivious to the imminent judgment, completely unaware of the approaching doom right up until the moment Noah entered the ark.
Jesus is explaining how his coming will be sudden and unexpected, much like the great flood in Noah's time. In those days, people were completely absorbed in ordinary life—eating, drinking, and getting married—unaware of the impending disaster. This mundane activity continued right up until the very moment Noah entered the ark, highlighting humanity's obliviousness to God's judgment.
Jesus is explaining how his coming will be sudden and unexpected, much like the great flood in Noah's time. In those days, people were completely absorbed in ordinary life—eating, drinking, and getting married—unaware of the impending disaster. This mundane activity continued right up until the very moment Noah entered the ark, highlighting humanity's obliviousness to God's 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, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the…" — The mundane activities listed—eating, drinking, marrying—aren't condemned in themselves, but highlight how people were utterly absorbed in daily life. This complete preoccupation meant they were obli…
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Last reviewed October 2026
