And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

MATTHEW 24:49KJV
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Matthew 24:49 (KJV)

What does Matthew 24:49 mean?

Matthew 24:49 describes a servant who abuses the position his master has given him. Instead of caring for the household, he strikes the other servants and joins people who are drunk. His conduct shows how badly he is treating those placed alongside him.

Jesus is speaking to his disciples through a story about a household servant. After the servant says his master is delayed in verse 48, Jesus describes what the servant begins to do during his absence. The picture would have been familiar to listeners who knew that a servant could be given responsibility over others in a household.

The Greek behind Matthew 24:49

  • “smite” — τύπτω (typtō): This means to strike or beat. The word pictures physical violence against the other servants.
  • “fellowservants” — σύνδουλος (syndoulos): This means someone who serves alongside another. The word shows that the people he strikes share his status as servants, even though he has been given responsibility in the household.

Why Matthew 24:49 matters

  • The servant’s actions contrast with his assigned work. In verse 45, the servant is put in charge of giving the household their food at the proper time; in verse 49, he strikes the very people he should be serving.
  • The master’s absence is part of the story’s tension. The servant acts after saying, “My lord delayeth his coming” in verse 48, but the master returns at an unexpected time in verse 50.
  • Jesus uses the story to explain watchfulness. In verse 42, he tells his disciples to watch because they do not know when their Lord will come.

Where else these words appear

“drunken” Greek G3184 · used in 7 verses

  • John 2:10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
  • 1 Corinthians 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
  • Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

“fellowservants” Greek G4889 · used in 10 verses

  • Matthew 18:28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
  • Matthew 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
  • Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

“smite” Greek G5180 · used in 13 verses

  • Matthew 27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
  • Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
  • Acts 21:32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.

“eat” Greek G2068 · used in 55 verses

  • Matthew 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?
  • Mark 14:22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
  • 1 Corinthians 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.