Matthew 24:41
Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Original Language Analysis
τῷ
G3588
τῷ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
4 of 10
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
παραλαμβάνεται
shall be taken
G3880
παραλαμβάνεται
shall be taken
Strong's:
G3880
Word #:
7 of 10
to receive near, i.e., associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation); by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively, to learn
Cross References
Isaiah 47:2Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.Exodus 11:5And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.Luke 17:35Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Historical Context
Women ground grain daily using two millstones—hard, monotonous work often done in pairs or groups (Exodus 11:5, Job 31:10). The handmill (mylos, μύλος) was essential household equipment. Jesus again chooses mundane activity to illustrate eternal stakes. In AD 70, two women might be grinding when Roman armies arrived; at the Second Coming, the pattern repeats cosmically.
Questions for Reflection
- What daily routines tempt you to forget that this could be the day Christ returns?
- How can you maintain spiritual vigilance while engaged in necessary but monotonous tasks?
- If you were grinding at the mill with someone today, would you know which of you would be 'taken' and which 'left'?
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Analysis & Commentary
Two women shall be grinding at the mill—The Greek alēthō (ἀλήθω) describes hand-mill grain grinding, daily women's work in first-century households. The one shall be taken, and the other left—identical language to verse 40, reinforcing the pattern. Two women, same work, same location, radically different eternal destinies. External similarity conceals internal reality.
The repetition (two men, two women) emphasizes universality—no occupation, gender, or location exempts anyone from this division. The mill scene pictures life's routines continuing until the moment of Christ's return. These aren't 'end-times tribulation scenarios' but the normal course of life interrupted by the Day of the Lord. The 'taking' remains judicial removal, not blessed escape.