Matthew 24:38
New International Version
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;

New Living Translation
In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.

English Standard Version
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark,

Berean Standard Bible
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.

Berean Literal Bible
For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until that day Noah entered into the ark,

King James Bible
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

New King James Version
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

New American Standard Bible
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

NASB 1995
“For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

NASB 1977
“For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

Legacy Standard Bible
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

Amplified Bible
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the [very] day when Noah entered the ark,

Christian Standard Bible
For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.

American Standard Version
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

Contemporary English Version
People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day the flood came and Noah went into the big boat.

English Revised Version
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In the days before the flood, people were eating, drinking, and getting married until the day that Noah went into the ship.

Good News Translation
In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat;

International Standard Version
In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage right up to the day when Noah went into the ark.

Majority Standard Bible
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.

NET Bible
For in those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark.

New Heart English Bible
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the box-shaped vessel,

Webster's Bible Translation
For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

Weymouth New Testament
At that time, before the Deluge, men were busy eating and drinking, taking wives or giving them, up to the very day when Noah entered the Ark,

World English Bible
For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for as they were, in the days before the flood, eating, and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the Ark,

Berean Literal Bible
For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until that day Noah entered into the ark,

Young's Literal Translation
for as they were, in the days before the flood, eating, and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, till the day Noah entered into the ark,

Smith's Literal Translation
For as they were in the days of the inundation, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noe came into the ark,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, even till that day in which Noe entered into the ark,

Catholic Public Domain Version
For it will be just as it was in the days before the flood: eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, even until that day when Noah entered into the ark.

New American Bible
In [those] days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark.

New Revised Standard Version
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For as the people before the flood were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For just as they were eating and drinking before the flood, and they were taking wives, and they were taking husbands, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the day in which Noah entered the ark,

Godbey New Testament
For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day on which Noah entered into the ark,

Haweis New Testament
For as they were in the days preceding the deluge, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,

Mace New Testament
for as at the time that usher'd in the deluge, they were eating and drinking, marrying themselves and their children, till the day that Noe entred into the ark,

Weymouth New Testament
At that time, before the Deluge, men were busy eating and drinking, taking wives or giving them, up to the very day when Noah entered the Ark,

Worrell New Testament
For, as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day on which Noe entered into the ark,

Worsley New Testament
for as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, till the day that Noah entered into the ark,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Readiness at Any Hour
37As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. 39And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.…

Cross References
Genesis 6:3-5
So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.” / The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown. / Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.

Genesis 6:11-13
Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence. / And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways. / Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth.

Genesis 7:6-7
Now Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came upon the earth. / And Noah and his wife, with his sons and their wives, entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

Genesis 7:11-12
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. / And the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.

Genesis 7:21-23
And every living thing that moved upon the earth perished—birds, livestock, animals, every creature that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind. / Of all that was on dry land, everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. / And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained.

Luke 17:26-27
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man: / People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

1 Peter 3:20
who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.

2 Peter 2:5
if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;

Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Genesis 6:17-18
And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish. / But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

Genesis 6:8-9
Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD. / This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:14-16
Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark and coat it with pitch inside and out. / And this is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. / You are to make a roof for the ark, finish its walls a cubit from the top, place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks.

Genesis 7:1-5
Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. / You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate; / and seven pairs of every kind of bird of the air, male and female, to preserve their offspring on the face of all the earth. ...

Genesis 7:17-20
For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth. / So the waters continued to surge and rise greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters. / Finally, the waters completely prevailed upon the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered. ...

Genesis 7:24
And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.


Treasury of Scripture

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

they.

Genesis 6:2
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

1 Samuel 25:36-38
And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light…

1 Samuel 30:16,17
And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah…

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Matthew 24
1. Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;
3. what and how great calamities shall be before it;
29. the signs of his coming to judgment.
36. And because that day and hour are unknown,
42. we ought to watch like good servants, expecting our Master's coming.














For in the days before the flood
This phrase sets the historical context, referring to the time of Noah as described in Genesis. The Greek word for "flood" is "kataklysmos," which indicates a deluge or overwhelming flood. This event is not only a historical account but also serves as a typological foreshadowing of future judgment. The days before the flood were marked by moral decay and spiritual apathy, a parallel to the end times described by Jesus. Archaeological evidence of ancient flood narratives across cultures supports the historicity of a significant flood event, underscoring the Bible's account.

people were eating and drinking
This phrase highlights the normalcy and routine of daily life. The Greek words "esthiontes" (eating) and "pinontes" (drinking) suggest habitual actions. The emphasis is not on the immorality of these actions but on the people's preoccupation with mundane activities, oblivious to impending judgment. This serves as a warning against complacency and spiritual indifference, urging believers to remain vigilant and prepared for Christ's return.

marrying and giving in marriage
Marriage, a God-ordained institution, is mentioned here to illustrate the continuation of life's normal activities. The Greek words "gamountes" (marrying) and "gamizontes" (giving in marriage) indicate the societal focus on personal and familial pursuits. This phrase underscores the people's ignorance of the spiritual realities and the urgency of the times. It serves as a caution to prioritize spiritual readiness over earthly concerns, reflecting the conservative Christian emphasis on living with an eternal perspective.

up to the day Noah entered the ark
This phrase marks the culmination of the period of ignorance and the onset of divine intervention. Noah's entry into the ark, as described in Genesis, symbolizes obedience and faith amidst widespread unbelief. The ark itself is a typology of salvation through Christ, offering refuge from judgment. The historical account of Noah's faithfulness serves as an inspiration for believers to remain steadfast and obedient, trusting in God's provision and timing. The conservative Christian perspective sees this as a call to live righteously and expectantly, aware of the signs of the times and the certainty of Christ's return.

Verse 38. - They were eating, etc. The Lord describes the reckless way in which men went on their usual course, pursued their pleasures and avocations, with the doom. hanging over them, in spite of the warning given. The word for "eating" (τρώγοντες) implies the idea of gnawing food greedily like an animal, hence eating gluttonously. They had learned to drink to excess long before Lot's time (Genesis 9:20, 21). The periphrastic form of expression, η΅σαν τρώγοντες... πίνοντες, denotes not a single act, but habitude. Until the day. Though they had watched Noah building the ark, and heard him preach righteousness for many a year, they took no heed. It must be observed that Christ here confirms the historical accuracy of this episode in Genesis.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
ταῖς (tais)
Article - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

days
ἡμέραις (hēmerais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

before
πρὸ (pro)
Preposition
Strong's 4253: A primary preposition; 'fore', i.e. In front of, prior to.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

flood,
κατακλυσμοῦ (kataklysmou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2627: A deluge, flood. From katakluzo; an inundation.

[people] were
ἦσαν (ēsan)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

eating
τρώγοντες (trōgontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5176: To eat, partake of a meal.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

drinking,
πίνοντες (pinontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4095: To drink, imbibe. A prolonged form of pio, which poo occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses; to imbibe.

marrying
γαμοῦντες (gamountes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1060: To marry, used of either sex. From gamos; to wed.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

giving in marriage,
γαμίζοντες (gamizontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1061: To give in marriage. From gamos; to espouse.

up to
ἄχρι (achri)
Preposition
Strong's 891: As far as, up to, until, during. Or achris akh'-rece; akin to akron; until or up to.

the
ἧς (hēs)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

day
ἡμέρας (hēmeras)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

Noah
Νῶε (Nōe)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3575: (Hebrew) Noah. Of Hebrew origin; Noe, a patriarch.

entered
εἰσῆλθεν (eisēlthen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

ark.
κιβωτόν (kibōton)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2787: A box, i.e. The sacred ark and that of Noah.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 24:38 For as in those days which were (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 24:37
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