Luke 12:39
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Luke 12:39
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Chapter Context
Luke 12 is a historical gospel chapter in the New Testament that explores themes of discipleship, righteousness, worship. Written during the late first century CE (c. 80-85 CE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Written when Christians needed to understand their place in the Roman world.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-59: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it addresses timeless questions about faith, suffering, and divine purpose. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Luke and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Luke 12:39
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Analysis
And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched (τοῦτο δὲ γινώσκετε ὅτι εἰ ᾔδει ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης ποίᾳ ὥρᾳ ὁ κλέπτης ἔρχεται, ἐγρηγόρησεν ἄν, touto de ginōskete hoti ei ēdei ho oikodespotēs poia hōra ho kleptēs erchetai, egrēgorēsen an)—Jesus shifts metaphors from returning master to invading thief to emphasize suddenness and surprise. The imperative ginōskete (γινώσκετε, know, understand) commands attention to this crucial truth. The oikodespotēs (οἰκοδεσπότης, householder, master of the house) represents believers; the kleptēs (κλέπτης, thief) represents Christ's unexpected coming.
The contrary-to-fact conditional (εἰ ᾔδει... ἐγρηγόρησεν ἄν, ei ēdei... egrēgorēsen an) indicates: if he had known (but he didn't), he would have watched (but he didn't). And not have suffered his house to be broken through (καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀφῆκεν διορυχθῆναι τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, kai ouk an aphēken diorychthēnai ton oikon autou)—The verb dioryssō (διορύσσω) means to dig through; ancient Palestinian houses had mud-brick or stone walls that thieves literally dug through. The point: ignorance of timing demands constant readiness. Since we don't know the hour, we must always watch.
Historical Context
This thief metaphor appears multiple times in NT eschatology (Matthew 24:43, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3, 16:15), emphasizing Christ's return will be sudden and unexpected for the unprepared. Palestinian homes typically had walls made of sun-dried mud brick, easily penetrated by determined thieves who would literally dig through (hence "break through"). Homeowners maintained vigilance or hired watchmen, but without knowing when thieves might strike, constant alertness was required. The metaphor doesn't imply Christ is unwelcome (like a thief) but that His coming will be unexpected.
Reflection
- How does the thief metaphor communicate the unexpectedness and potential unwelcome shock of Christ's return for the unprepared?
- What does not knowing the hour teach about the necessity of perpetual readiness rather than last-minute preparation?
- In what ways might Christians today be vulnerable to spiritual 'break-in' due to complacency about Christ's return?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3, 16:15