Luke 12:39 (DRB)

Passage

But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you that he will gird himself and make them sit down to meat and passing will minister unto them.

Luke 12:38 And if he shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants.

Luke 12:39 But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch and would not suffer his house to be broken open.

Luke 12:40 Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come.

Luke 12:41 And Peter said to him: Lord, dost thou speak this parable to us, or likewise to all?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "householder", "hour", "thief", "come", "surely", "watch", and "suffer". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "householder" and "hour", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "And if he shall come in the..." into verse 40's "Be you then also ready for at...", so "householder" and "hour" 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 "householder" and "hour" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.