Luke 17:27
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.
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Genesis 7:11-24 describes the flood's catastrophic arrival. God Himself shut Noah's family in the ark (Genesis 7:16), then 'the windows of heaven were opened' and 'the fountains of the great deep were broken up' (Genesis 7:11). Water covered even the highest mountains (Genesis 7:19-20); every living thing died except those in the ark (Genesis 7:21-23). The judgment was global, sudden, and inescapable for the unprepared.
Jesus' point to His first-century audience was pointed: as Noah preached for decades while building the ark, Jesus was preaching the kingdom and warning of coming judgment. Would His generation heed the warning or, like Noah's contemporaries, dismiss it while pursuing normal life? History records their choice: the religious establishment rejected Jesus, leading to both His crucifixion and Jerusalem's destruction (AD 70)—a preview of final judgment. The pattern continues: every generation faces the choice to prepare (repent, believe the gospel) or ignore God's warnings while life seems stable. Suddenly, unexpectedly, the flood of judgment will come—this time by fire (2 Peter 3:7, 10-12).
Questions for Reflection
- How can believers maintain healthy engagement in normal life (work, marriage, daily needs) while avoiding spiritual complacency about eternal realities?
- What does it mean practically to live with the urgency of Noah, preparing the 'ark' of salvation while others pursue normalcy?
- How should the totality of judgment ('destroyed them all') motivate evangelistic urgency in your relationships?
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Analysis & Commentary
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. Jesus details Noah-era normalcy: They did eat, they drank (ἤσθιον, ἔπινον, ēsthion, epinon)—imperfect tenses indicating continuous action. They married wives, they were given in marriage (ἐγάμουν, ἐγαμίζοντο, egamoun, egamizonto)—ongoing social activities. These aren't sins but ordinary human life. The problem: they did these things until the day that Noe entered into the ark (ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας εἰσῆλθεν Νῶε εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν, achri hēs hēmeras eisēlthen Nōe eis tēn kibōton)—right up to the moment of judgment, with no preparation, no repentance, no seeking God.
And the flood came, and destroyed them all (καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ κατακλυσμὸς καὶ ἀπώλεσεν πάντας, kai ēlthen ho kataklysmos kai apōlesen pantas). The aorist tense marks sudden, decisive action. The verb apollymi (ἀπώλεσεν, destroyed) indicates complete, irrevocable ruin—the same word used for eternal perdition (Matthew 10:28, John 3:16). All (πάντας, pantas) emphasizes totality—only Noah's family (eight people) survived.
The warning is sobering: normal life isn't sinful, but living as if this world is all that matters is spiritual suicide. Noah's contemporaries weren't necessarily more wicked than other generations—they simply ignored God while pursuing temporal goods. When judgment came, their normalcy provided no protection. So will it be at Christ's return: those absorbed in earthly pursuits without regard for God will be swept away. The solution isn't abandoning normal life but living it with eternity in view, like Noah who 'prepared an ark to the saving of his house' (Hebrews 11:7).