Read Verse Keyword Strong's
Prev

Luke 17:27

Next

They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

They did eat {G2068}, they drank {G4095}, they married wives {G1060}, they were given in marriage {G1547}, until {G891} the day {G2250} that {G3739} Noe {G3575} entered {G1525} into {G1519} the ark {G2787}, and {G2532} the flood {G2627} came {G2064}, and {G2532} destroyed {G622} them all {G537}.

People ate and drank, and men and women married, right up until the day Noach entered the ark; then the flood came and destroyed them all.

People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Commentary

In Luke 17:27, Jesus continues His discourse on the nature of His second coming, using the historical event of Noah's Flood as a powerful illustration. This verse emphasizes the ordinary, everyday activities that preoccupied people before the sudden, catastrophic judgment of the Flood. The core message is one of unpreparedness and obliviousness to impending divine intervention.

Context

This verse is part of Jesus' teaching to His disciples about the coming of the Son of Man. He contrasts the normalcy of life before the Flood with the suddenness of its arrival, paralleling it with the unexpected nature of His own return. The preceding verse (Luke 17:26) introduces the comparison to the "days of Noe," and the following verses extend this analogy to the "days of Lot" (Luke 17:28-29), reinforcing the theme of life's routines abruptly interrupted by divine judgment.

Key Themes

  • Suddenness of Judgment: The verse highlights how life continued as usual, without any outward sign of the impending cataclysm, until the very day Noah entered the ark. This underscores the unexpected and immediate nature of God's judgment when it arrives.
  • Worldly Preoccupation: The activities listed—eating, drinking, marrying—are not inherently sinful, but their emphasis here signifies a deep absorption in everyday life that blinded people to spiritual realities and divine warnings. Their focus was entirely on temporal matters.
  • Divine Warning and Patience: Though not explicit in this verse, the broader narrative of Noah's Flood (found in Genesis 6-9) includes a period of God's patience and Noah's preaching, during which humanity had an opportunity to repent. This verse implicitly points to the rejection of that warning.
  • The Importance of Preparedness: By illustrating the fate of those who were unprepared, Jesus strongly implies the necessity of spiritual vigilance and readiness for His own return.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage" uses a repetitive structure to emphasize the ordinary, mundane, and continuous nature of life leading up to the Flood. There's no specific complex Greek word here, but the simple, direct verbs underscore how utterly normal and routine existence was, highlighting the world's obliviousness rather than any specific sin in the actions themselves.

Related Scriptures

  • This teaching of Jesus is closely paralleled in Matthew 24:37-39, where Jesus also uses the days of Noah to describe the unexpected nature of His coming.
  • The Apostle Peter also refers to the Flood as a historical event and a precursor to future judgment, warning against scoffers who ignore God's past interventions in 2 Peter 3:5-7.
  • The concept of readiness is a recurring theme in Jesus' parables, such as the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, and His exhortation to be ready in Luke 12:40.

Practical Application

Luke 17:27 serves as a sober warning for all generations. It does not call for an abandonment of normal life, but rather a spiritual perspective that transcends mere worldly preoccupations. Believers are called to live with an awareness of Christ's potential imminent return, ensuring their hearts and lives are aligned with God's will. This means cultivating spiritual vigilance, being prepared for the Lord's coming, and not allowing the routines of daily life to distract from eternal realities. It reminds us that salvation is found in trusting God and entering the "ark" of His provision, just as Noah did, before the unexpected "flood" of judgment comes.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Luke 12:19 (5 votes)

    And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, [and] be merry.

  • Luke 12:20 (5 votes)

    But God said unto him, [Thou] fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:1 (4 votes)

    ¶ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (4 votes)

    For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

  • Luke 16:19 (3 votes)

    There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

  • Luke 16:23 (3 votes)

    And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

  • Isaiah 22:12 (2 votes)

    And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: