Matthew 24:50

The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus speaks to his disciples on the Mount of Olives during the Olivet Discourse, using the parable of the wicked servant to illustrate accountability during his absence. He addresses them directly as they await signs of his return and the end of the age.

The words — The text centers on ἥξει (hēxei), meaning "will come," and ἡμέρᾳ (hēmera), meaning "a day," to mark the precise but unforeseen timing of the master's arrival. These terms establish a concrete moment of intervention rather than an abstract future concept.

The thread — The motif of sudden arrival appears in Matthew 24:42, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, and Revelation 3:3, where the Lord's coming is consistently described as unanticipated. These references collectively frame the expectation of divine visitation as unpredictable across the New Testament.

Why it lands — The verse requires sustained vigilance by eliminating the ability to calculate the moment of judgment. It compels the reader to maintain faithful conduct continuously rather than adjusting behavior based on predicted timelines.

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.

The Greek words

ἥξειhēxeiwill come ὁhothe κύριοςkuriosmaster τοῦtouof the δούλουdoulouservant ἐκείνουekeinouof that one ἐνenin ἡμέρᾳhēmeraa day ᾗhēin which οὐounot προσδοκᾷprosdokahe does expect καὶkaiand ἐνenin ὥρᾳhōraan hour ᾗhēwhich οὐounot γινώσκει,ginōskeihe is aware,

King James Version

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

Cross-references

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
Revelation 3:3 Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.
Matthew 24:42 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.
Proverbs 29:1 A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery.