Matthew 24:47 (KJV)

What does Matthew 24:47 mean?

Matthew 24:47 describes a master giving a trusted servant a much greater responsibility. Jesus says the master will put that servant in charge of everything he owns, showing how highly the master values the servant’s faithful work.

Jesus is speaking to his disciples through a picture of a household. After describing the servant whom the returning master finds doing his assigned work, Jesus says what the master will do for him.

The Greek behind Matthew 24:47

• “make him ruler” — καθίστημι (kathistēmi): The Greek carries the sense of appointing someone to a position. The phrase pictures the master placing the servant in charge, rather than making him a king.
• “goods” — ὑπάρχοντα (hyparchonta): This word refers to possessions or property. The phrase “all his goods” points to the master’s entire estate, not just the part of the household the servant managed before.

Why Matthew 24:47 matters

• The servant’s new position grows out of a smaller assignment. In verse 45, the master gives him responsibility for feeding the other servants; in verse 47, the scope becomes “all his goods.”
• Jesus presents the appointment as a firm promise within the story. “Verily I say unto you” introduces the statement with particular emphasis.
• The appointment follows the master’s return. Verse 46 describes the master finding the servant at work, and verse 47 tells what the master will then do.