And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Parallel translations
- WEB But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into.
- BSB But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
- NKJV But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
- NASB “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
- NLT “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If the householder had known when the thief was coming, he would have stayed watchful. The unexpected timing of the Lord's coming demands constant readiness.
Overview
Jesus likens His return to a thief arriving at an unforeseen hour, stressing that the timing is unknown. Because no one can predict the moment, ongoing vigilance is essential. The image is not about Christ's character but about the suddenness of His coming, which leaves no room for spiritual carelessness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 2 Pet 3:10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
- Rev 3:3Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
- Rev 16:15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
- Matt 24:43–44But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
- 1 Th 5:2–3For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
- Matt 6:19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 12:39 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.