Luke 12:39 (DBY)

Passage

But this know, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be dug through.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:37 Blessed are those bondmen whom the lord [on] coming shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that he will gird himself and make them recline at table, and coming up will serve them.

Luke 12:38 And if he come in the second watch, and come in the third watch, and find [them] thus, blessed are those [bondmen].

Luke 12:39 But this know, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be dug through.

Luke 12:40 And ye therefore, be *ye* ready, for in the hour in which ye do not think [it], the Son of man comes.

Luke 12:41 And Peter said to him, Lord, sayest thou this parable to us, or also to all?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "master", "house", "known", "hour", "thief", "coming", "watched", and "suffered". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "master" and "house", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "And if he come in the second..." into verse 40's "And ye therefore be ye ready for...", so "master" and "house" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "master" and "house" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.