Matthew 24:42-47

24:42 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day¹ your Lord will come. 24:43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief² was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into. 24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.³

The Faithful and Wise Slave

24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave,⁴ whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves⁵ their food at the proper time? 24:46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work⁶ when he comes. 24:47 I tell you the truth,⁷ the master⁸ will put him in charge of all his possessions.

¹tc Most later mss (L 0281 Ï lat) have here ὥρᾳ ({wra, “hour”) instead of ἡμέρα (Jemera, “day”). Although the merits of this reading could be argued either way, in light of the overwhelming and diverse early support for ἡμέρᾳ ({א B C D W Δ Θ Ë¹³ 33 892 1424, as well as several versions and fathers}), the more general term is surely correct.

²sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.

³sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it would take some time – so long, in fact, that some will not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).

⁴tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

⁵tn Grk “give them.”

⁶tn That is, doing his job, doing what he is supposed to be doing.

⁷tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁸tn Grk “he”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity.