Bible Strands
Luke 17:36
Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
King James Version
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples in Luke 17, extending a teaching on the sudden arrival of the Son of Man. He inserts this agricultural scene between the grinding women of Luke 17:35 and the disciples' question in Luke 17:37.
The words — The Greek παραλημφθήσεται (paralēmphthēsetai) literally means "will be taken," and ἕτερος (heteros) specifies "another" distinct from the first. These terms establish a direct contrast between the two men sharing the same field.
The thread — The verse functions as a structural parallel to Luke 17:35, repeating the pattern of one person taken and another left within identical ordinary settings. This mirrored pairing reinforces the immediate context of sudden, simultaneous division.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that ordinary, shared circumstances will not prevent a decisive separation. It requires the reader to remain vigilant for an unannounced event that will instantly sort people into different fates.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.