Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The word "hour" here emphasizes not just the unpredictable timing of Christ's return, but the specific, precise moment when it will happen, urging constant readiness rather than just general anticipation. It highlights that preparation isn't a one-time event, but a continuous posture of alertness for that unknown "moment."
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just described signs pointing to the end of the age and the destruction of Jerusalem, comparing it to the days of Noah when people were caught unaware by the flood. He then explains that his own coming will also be sudden and unexpected, separating people like wheat from chaff. This verse is Jesus' direct application of those parables, urging his followers to stay alert and ready because the timing of his return is completely unknown.
Jesus isn't just talking about if he's coming back, but when. This certainty is the foundation for why we need to pay attention.
Jesus' words in Matthew 24:42 are a direct command: "Therefore, stay awake." This isn't a suggestion; it's a directive born from the absolute certainty of His return. The surrounding context, especially the parables of Noah and the suddenness of the flood, highlights that His coming will be a definitive event, just as unstoppable and unexpected for the unprepared as the great flood was for the world in Noah's day. The 'why' behind the command to 'stay awake' is rooted in the Lord's inevitable return to judge and to establish His kingdom.
We know He's coming, but when? This divine mystery is the fuel for our constant readiness.
The core reason for the command to 'stay awake' is the profound uncertainty of the exact time of the Lord's return: 'for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.' This isn't a puzzle to be solved, but a reality to be lived within. The original language hints at not just the day, but the specific 'hour' or even the 'watch' of the night. This unpredictable timing means that no moment is too soon, and no moment is too late, to be prepared. It challenges us to live each day as if it could be the day, fostering a mindset of perpetual vigilance rather than occasional alertness.
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Being ready isn't just about avoiding judgment; it's about being found in a state our Lord would celebrate.
The call to 'stay awake' is fundamentally about readiness – a readiness that transcends mere intellectual assent. It means maintaining a spiritual alertness, a holy posture of the heart and mind. This preparedness involves being 'found' in Christ, marked by His image, and having a holy detachment from the transient things of this world. It's about living in such a way that when the Lord comes, He finds us not asleep in complacency, covetousness, or worldly pursuits, but actively engaged in faith, love, and service, ready to meet Him with joy, whether in judgment or mercy.
Understand the original words
gregoreite · Greek Verb
A verb denoting the state of being alert, watchful, and vigilant; in a theological sense, it refers to maintaining spiritual readiness for the return of Christ.
erchetai · Greek Verb
Refers to the Second Coming of Christ, the future event where Jesus returns in glory to judge the living and the dead and establish His kingdom.
While Jesus' words about his coming and the end of the age have ultimate fulfillment in his return, his immediate audience also experienced a catastrophic fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The call to 'watch' therefore applies both to an imminent, tangible judgment and to the ultimate, future coming of the Lord.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Teaching
Jesus delivers the Olivet Discourse, teaching about the signs of the end times and the destruction of Jerusalem. This discourse includes parables and warnings about being ready for his return.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Roman army under Titus destroys Jerusalem and the Second Temple, an event that Jesus predicted and that served as a powerful, immediate fulfillment of his warnings.
c. AD 75-80
Gospel of Matthew Written
The Gospel of Matthew is likely written, compiling Jesus' teachings, including the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25), for a predominantly Jewish Christian audience.
c. AD 90s
Gospel of Luke Written
The Gospel of Luke is completed, presenting a parallel account of Jesus' teachings, including sections that echo the themes of watchfulness and readiness found in Matthew's account.
This passage echoes the same warning about the unpredictable timing of the master's return, urging his servants to be ready, just as Matthew 24:42 does.
1 Thessalonians 5:2Paul directly references the unexpected nature of the Lord's coming, comparing it to a thief in the night, a concept that resonates with the urgency of staying awake and prepared found in Matthew 24:42.
Matthew 25:13Jesus explicitly links the need to 'stay awake' with not knowing the hour of the Son of Man's coming, reinforcing the central message of vigilance in Matthew 24:42.
Revelation 16:15This verse presents a direct parallel, stating that blessings come to those who are watchful and ready for the Lord's coming, highlighting the positive outcome of heeding the warning in Matthew 24:42.
vincentMatthew 24:42: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
What hourLater texts, however, read ἡμέρᾳ, a, day. ποίᾳ ἡμέρᾳ, in what kind of a day, whether near or a remote one. Similarly Matthew 24:43 : ἐν ποίᾳ φυλακῇ, in what kind of a watch, whether a night or a morning watch.
bensonMatthew 24:42: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
Matthew 24:42-44 . Watch therefore — Let your mind be thoroughly awake to a sense of the certainty and importance of these things, and be on your guard that they may not overtake you unawares, but that you may be prepared to meet Christ in the way of judgment or mercy; for ye know not what hour your Lord cometh — Either to avenge himself of this nation, to require your soul of you, or to call you and all mankind to…
The word "hour" here emphasizes not just the unpredictable timing of Christ's return, but the specific, precise moment when it will happen, urging constant readiness rather than just general anticipation. It highlights that preparation isn't a one-time event, but a continuous posture of alertness for that unknown "moment."
Jesus has just described signs pointing to the end of the age and the destruction of Jerusalem, comparing it to the days of Noah when people were caught unaware by the flood. He then explains that his own coming will also be sudden and unexpected, separating people like wheat from chaff. This verse is Jesus' direct application of those parables, urging his followers to stay alert and ready because the timing of his return is completely unknown.
Jesus has just described signs pointing to the end of the age and the destruction of Jerusalem, comparing it to the days of Noah when people were caught unaware by the flood. He then explains that his own coming will also be sudden and unexpected, separating people like wheat from chaff. This verse is Jesus' direct application of those parables, urging his followers to stay alert and ready because the timing of his return is completely unknown.
"Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." — The word "hour" here emphasizes not just the unpredictable timing of Christ's return, but the specific, precise moment when it will happen, urging constant readiness rather than just general anticipa…
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Last reviewed October 2026