Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
LUKE 17:28KJVWhat does Luke 17:28 mean?
Luke 17:28 describes how, in the days of Lot, people were living their normal lives—eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building—without any sense of coming judgment. Jesus is warning that people will be caught off guard by sudden events, just as they were in Lot’s time.
In this verse, Jesus is speaking to His disciples and others around Him. He is comparing the time before God’s judgment on Sodom (in Lot’s day) to what it will be like before the coming of the Son of Man. The focus is on how ordinary life continued right up until disaster struck, highlighting the suddenness and unexpected nature of what is to come.
The Greek behind Luke 17:28
- The word "Likewise" (ὡσαύτως, hōsautōs) connects this verse directly to the previous example about Noah, showing that Jesus is making a deliberate comparison between the two situations.
- The verbs "they ate" (ἤσθιον, ēsthion), "they drank" (ἔπινον, epinon), "they bought" (ἠγόραζον, ēgórazon), "they sold" (ἐπώλουν, epōloun), "they planted" (ἐφύτευον, ephýteuon), and "they built" (ᾠκοδόμουν, oikodomoun) are all in the imperfect tense in Greek, which often suggests ongoing, habitual actions. This emphasizes that people were going about their usual routines without interruption.
Why Luke 17:28 matters
- Luke 17:28 helps clarify that Jesus is not just talking about obvious wickedness, but about people being absorbed in everyday life, unaware of coming judgment.
- This verse connects the story of Lot to the wider teaching about readiness and alertness in the face of God’s plans, reinforcing the need to pay attention even when life seems normal.
- By mentioning specific activities like buying, selling, and building, Luke 17:28 paints a vivid picture of normalcy, making the warning more relatable and urgent for anyone hearing or reading it.