Luke 12:39 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →If the master of the house had known the hour of the thief, he would have watched; the hour, however, is not known.
What Does Luke 12:39 Mean?
Jesus adds a second, sharper picture. Beside the loving household awaiting its lord He sets a house under threat: a thief breaks through in the night precisely because the householder did not know when to watch. Knowledge of the hour would have meant vigilance; assumed safety bred sleep.
The startling move is that Jesus compares His own coming to the thief's — not in character, but in timing: unannounced and unschedulable (1 Thess 5:2; Rev 16:15). Every attempt to fix the date misses the design. The hour is hidden precisely so that readiness becomes a way of life rather than a last-minute scramble. The wise household does not calculate; it watches.
Luke 12:39 in the Original Language
oikodespotes (οἰκοδεσπότης), 'goodman of the house' -- the master of the household.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 12:39
What does Luke 12:39 mean?
If the master of the house had known the hour of the thief, he would have watched; the hour, however, is not known.