Devine Scripture

Matthew 24:50

What does Matthew 24:50 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 24:50 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 24:50 means

Jesus explicitly states the inevitability and unexpectedness of the evil servant's judgment: "the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not." This reinforces the earlier warnings about the sudden and unpredictable nature of Christ's return. The evil servant is caught completely off guard, demonstrating the danger of presumption and the folly of living carelessly. This underlines that ignorance of the exact time does not excuse unpreparedness but demands constant vigilance.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not,

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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,

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not,

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

The lord of that servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him, and in an hour of which he has no knowledge,

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

the lord of that servant will arrive in a day when he doth not expect, and in an hour of which he doth not know,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopeth not and at an hour that he knoweth not:

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

the lord of that bondman shall come in a day when he does not expect it, and in an hour he knows not of,

Context

This verse delivers the inevitable consequence for the evil servant, directly following his unfaithful actions. It powerfully reiterates the theme of unexpected return, establishing the sudden arrival of the master, which then leads directly to the severe and definitive judgment pronounced upon the unfaithful servant in the culminating verse of the chapter.

v.49and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and shall eat and drink with the drunken;

v.50This passage

v.51and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Matthew 24:42

    Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh.

  • Revelation 3:3

    Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

  • Proverbs 29:1

    He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:2

    For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

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