Luke 17:28
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Original Language Analysis
Historical Context
Genesis 18-19 narrates Sodom's destruction. God sent angels to investigate Sodom's wickedness (Genesis 18:20-21). Lot welcomed them, but Sodomite men surrounded his house demanding to 'know them' sexually (Genesis 19:4-5)—blatant wickedness. Yet Jesus emphasizes not their extraordinary depravity but their ordinary complacency. Ezekiel 16:49 identifies Sodom's core sins: 'pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness...neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.' Prosperity bred arrogance and hard-heartedness.
Sodom was a prosperous city in the Jordan valley, well-watered like 'the garden of the LORD' (Genesis 13:10). Their thriving economy ('bought, sold, planted, builded') created illusion of security—until fire and brimstone rained from heaven (Genesis 19:24). Only Lot, his wife, and two daughters escaped, and Lot's wife looked back longingly and became a salt pillar (Genesis 19:26)—illustrating divided loyalty. Jesus' audience knew this history. His warning was unmistakable: don't repeat Sodom's mistake by assuming worldly prosperity guarantees security while ignoring God's warnings.
Questions for Reflection
- How does economic prosperity and future planning (buying, selling, planting, building) create false security that ignores eternal accountability?
- What's the difference between responsible stewardship of earthly goods and the worldly absorption that characterized Sodom?
- In what areas of your life might you be investing heavily in temporal things while neglecting eternal preparation?
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Analysis & Commentary
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded. Jesus introduces a second historical parallel: as it was in the days of Lot (ὁμοίως καθὼς ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Λώτ, homoiōs kathōs egeneto en tais hēmerais Lōt), referencing Genesis 18-19. Like the Noah comparison, Lot's era featured ordinary activities: they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded (ἤσθιον, ἔπινον, ἠγόραζον, ἐπώλουν, ἐφύτευον, ᾠκοδόμουν, ēsthion, epinon, ēgorazon, epōloun, ephyteuon, ōkodomoun).
Jesus adds commercial and agricultural activities to the eating/drinking/marrying of Noah's time: buying, selling, planting, building. These represent economic productivity, future planning, investment in this world. Again, these activities aren't inherently sinful—they're normal human life. The problem is perspective: Sodom pursued prosperity and comfort while ignoring God and practicing abomination (Genesis 19:4-5, Ezekiel 16:49-50). They lived as if tomorrow was guaranteed, making no preparation for eternity.
The two examples (Noah and Lot) establish a pattern: every generation that ignores God while pursuing worldly security faces sudden judgment. The activities differ slightly (marriage in Noah's time, commerce in Lot's), suggesting that any form of worldly preoccupation—whether domestic, economic, or social—can blind people to spiritual reality. The warning applies to every era: material prosperity and social stability create false security, dulling awareness of accountability to God. Then judgment strikes, catching the unprepared in their complacency.