King James Version

What Does Luke 12:39 Mean?

Luke 12:39 in the King James Version says “And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not...” — study this verse from Luke chapter 12 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.”

Luke 12:39 · KJV

Context

37

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38

And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

39

And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

40

Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

41

Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched (τοῦτο δὲ γινώσκετε ὅτι εἰ ᾔδει ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης ποίᾳ ὥρᾳ ὁ κλέπτης ἔρχεται, ἐγρηγόρησεν ἄν, touto de ginōskete hoti ei ēdei ho oikodespotēs poia hōra ho kleptēs erchetai, egrēgorēsen an)—Jesus shifts metaphors from returning master to invading thief to emphasize suddenness and surprise. The imperative ginōskete (γινώσκετε, know, understand) commands attention to this crucial truth. The oikodespotēs (οἰκοδεσπότης, householder, master of the house) represents believers; the kleptēs (κλέπτης, thief) represents Christ's unexpected coming.

The contrary-to-fact conditional (εἰ ᾔδει... ἐγρηγόρησεν ἄν, ei ēdei... egrēgorēsen an) indicates: if he had known (but he didn't), he would have watched (but he didn't). And not have suffered his house to be broken through (καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀφῆκεν διορυχθῆναι τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, kai ouk an aphēken diorychthēnai ton oikon autou)—The verb dioryssō (διορύσσω) means to dig through; ancient Palestinian houses had mud-brick or stone walls that thieves literally dug through. The point: ignorance of timing demands constant readiness. Since we don't know the hour, we must always watch.

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Historical & Cultural Context

This thief metaphor appears multiple times in NT eschatology (Matthew 24:43, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3, 16:15), emphasizing Christ's return will be sudden and unexpected for the unprepared. Palestinian homes typically had walls made of sun-dried mud brick, easily penetrated by determined thieves who would literally dig through (hence "break through"). Homeowners maintained vigilance or hired watchmen, but without knowing when thieves might strike, constant alertness was required. The metaphor doesn't imply Christ is unwelcome (like a thief) but that His coming will be unexpected.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does the thief metaphor communicate the unexpectedness and potential unwelcome shock of Christ's return for the unprepared?
  2. What does not knowing the hour teach about the necessity of perpetual readiness rather than last-minute preparation?
  3. In what ways might Christians today be vulnerable to spiritual 'break-in' due to complacency about Christ's return?

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 23 words
τοῦτο1 of 23

“this”

G5124

that thing

δὲ2 of 23

“And”

G1161

but, and, etc

γινώσκετε3 of 23

“know”

G1097

to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed)

ὅτι4 of 23

“that”

G3754

demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because

εἰ5 of 23

“if”

G1487

if, whether, that, etc

ᾔδει6 of 23

“had known”

G1492

used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent g3700 and g3708; properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by impl

ὁ7 of 23
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

οἰκοδεσπότης8 of 23

“the goodman of the house”

G3617

the head of a family

ποίᾳ9 of 23

“what”

G4169

individualizing interrogative (of character) what sort of, or (of number) which one

ὥρᾳ10 of 23

“hour”

G5610

an "hour" (literally or figuratively)

ὁ11 of 23
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

κλέπτης12 of 23

“the thief”

G2812

a stealer (literally or figuratively)

ἔρχεται13 of 23

“would come”

G2064

to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

ἐγρηγόρησεν14 of 23

“he would have watched”

G1127

to keep awake, i.e., watch (literally or figuratively)

ἂν15 of 23
G302

whatsoever

καὶ16 of 23

“and”

G2532

and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words

οὐκ17 of 23

“not”

G3756

the absolute negative (compare g3361) adverb; no or not

ἄν,18 of 23
G302

whatsoever

ἀφῆκεν19 of 23

“have suffered”

G863

to send forth, in various applications (as follow)

διορυγῆναι20 of 23

“to be broken through”

G1358

to penetrate burglariously

τὸν21 of 23
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

οἶκον22 of 23

“house”

G3624

a dwelling (more or less extensive, literal or figurative); by implication, a family (more or less related, literally or figuratively)

αὐτοῦ23 of 23
G846

the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Luke. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Luke 12:39 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Luke 12:39 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Peter 3:10Revelation 3:3Revelation 16:15Matthew 24:43-441 Thessalonians 5:2-3Matthew 6:19

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