Matthew 24 · Verse 17

Matthew 24:17

Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Matthew 24:17, King James Version

Matthew 24:17 in other translations

BSBLet no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house.
WEBLet him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house.
ASVlet him that is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house:
YLThe on the house-top--let him not come down to take up any thing out of his house;
DARBYlet not him that is on the house come down to take the things out of his house;
BBELet not him who is on the house-top go down to take anything out of his house:
WebsterLet him who is on the house-top not come down to take any thing out of his house:

What does Matthew 24:17 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 17. Him which is on the housetop. The roofs of the houses in eastern countries were made flat, so that they were favourable places for walking and retirement. Mt 9:2. The meaning here is, that he who should be on the house-top when this calamity came upon the city, should flee without delay; he should not even take time to secure any article of apparel from his house. So sudden would be the calamity, that by doing it he would endanger his life.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Let him which is on the house top - The houses of the Jews, as well as those of the ancient Greeks and Romans, were flat-roofed, and had stairs on the outside, by which persons might ascend and descend without coming into the house. In the eastern walled cities, these flat-roofed houses usually formed continued terraces from one end of the city to the other; which terraces terminated at the gates. He, therefore, who is walking on the house top, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house; but let him instantly pursue his course along the tops of the houses, and escape out at the city gate as fast as he can. Any thing - Instead of τι, any thing, we should read τα, the things; which reading is supported by all the best MSS., versions, and fathers.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 24:4-28

The disciples had asked concerning the times, When these things should be? Christ gave them no answer to that; but they had also asked, What shall be the sign? This question he answers fully. The prophecy first respects events near at hand, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Jewish church and state, the calling of the Gentiles, and the setting up of Christ's kingdom in the world; but it also looks to the…

Read the full comment on Matthew 24:4-28 →

Matthew 24:17 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὁhothe [one]G3588
ἐπὶepionG1909
τοῦtoutheG3588
δώματοςdōmatoshousetopG1430
μὴmēnotG3361
καταβάτωkatabatōhe should come downG2597
ἆραιaraito takeG142
τὰtathe [things]G3588
ἐκekout ofG1537
τῆςtēstheG3588
οἰκίαςoikiashouseG3614
αὐτοῦ,autouof him,G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 24:17

  • Luke 17:31-33

    In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

  • Mark 13:15-16

    And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

  • Matthew 10:27

    What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

  • Acts 10:9

    On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

  • Luke 12:3

    Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

  • Deuteronomy 22:8

    When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

  • Matthew 6:25

    Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

  • 1 Samuel 9:25

    And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.

  • Luke 5:19

    And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

  • Job 2:4

    And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

  • Proverbs 6:4-5

    Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
which.
6:25; Job 2:4; Pr 6:4,5; Mr 13:15,16; Lu 17:31-33
the house-top.
10:27; De 22:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 24:16

    Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:

  • Matthew 24:17

    Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

  • Matthew 24:18

    Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

Read all of Matthew 24

Matthew 24:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el que sobre el terrado, no descienda á tomar algo de su casa;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		que celui qui est sur le toit ne descende pas pour emporter ses effets hors de sa maison;
German
Elberfelder 1871		wer auf dem Dache ist, nicht hinabsteige, um die Sachen aus seinem Hause zu holen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et qui in tecto, non descendat tollere aliquid de domo sua: