Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left;
- KJV Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
- BSB Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
- NASB At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
- NLT “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left.
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
Two men in a field: one taken, one left. Christ's coming brings a decisive separation among people living side by side.
Overview
In the midst of ordinary work, the coming of the Son of Man divides humanity. Outward similarity does not guarantee the same destiny; the heart's readiness matters. Interpreters differ on whether being 'taken' means gathered to Christ or removed in judgment, but the central truth is a real and sudden separation. The verse urges each person to be ready, not presuming on appearances.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Luke 17:34–37I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. The one will be taken, and the other will be left.
- 2 Pet 2:7–9and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked
- 2 Pet 2:5and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly;
- Luke 23:39–43One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
- 2 Chr 33:12–24When he was in distress, he begged Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
- 1 Cor 4:7For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn’t receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 24:40 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.