Matthew 24:17
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Original Language Analysis
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 12
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἐπὶ
Let him which is on
G1909
ἐπὶ
Let him which is on
Strong's:
G1909
Word #:
2 of 12
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e., over, upon, etc.; of re
τοῦ
G3588
τοῦ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 12
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
μὴ
not
G3361
μὴ
not
Strong's:
G3361
Word #:
5 of 12
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether
ἆραι
to take
G142
ἆραι
to take
Strong's:
G142
Word #:
7 of 12
to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind), specially, to sail away (i.e., weigh
ἐκ
out of
G1537
ἐκ
out of
Strong's:
G1537
Word #:
9 of 12
a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct
τῆς
G3588
τῆς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
10 of 12
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
Matthew 10:27What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.Acts 10:9On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:Luke 12:3Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.Matthew 6:25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?Deuteronomy 22:8When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.Luke 5:19And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.1 Samuel 9:25And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
Historical Context
Josephus describes the panic during Jerusalem's siege when people desperately tried to preserve possessions or flee with treasures. Many were killed by zealots inside the city for suspected desertion or by Romans outside. Delay meant death. Archaeological evidence from Pompeii (destroyed AD 79, close to Jerusalem's fall) shows skeletons of people who paused to gather valuables—they were buried in volcanic ash. The urgency Jesus prescribed was literal.
Questions for Reflection
- What modern "possessions" might keep believers from immediately obeying God's clear commands?
- How can Christians cultivate appropriate detachment from material things without falling into Gnostic dualism that despises God's creation?
- What is the relationship between Jesus's command here and his teaching about storing treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21)?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house (ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος μὴ καταβάτω ἆραι τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ)—Palestinian houses had flat roofs (δῶμα, dōma) accessed by external stairs, often used for prayer, sleeping, or storage. Jesus commands: don't even descend into your house. The urgency mirrors Lot's wife, who looked back and became salt (Genesis 19:26). The verb καταβαίνω (katabainō, "come down") with the negative μή creates an absolute prohibition.
The phrase τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας ("things from the house") represents earthly possessions—valuables, necessities, sentimental items. Jesus prioritizes life over property. Luke 17:31-32 adds: "Remember Lot's wife"—a warning against attachment to material things when divine judgment looms. The principle applies beyond AD 70: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36).