Matthew 24:40
New International Version
Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

New Living Translation
“Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left.

English Standard Version
Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.

Berean Standard Bible
Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

Berean Literal Bible
Then two will be in the field: one is taken, and one is left.

King James Bible
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

New King James Version
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

New American Standard Bible
At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

NASB 1995
“Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

NASB 1977
“Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then there will be two in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left.

Amplified Bible
At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken [for judgment] and one will be left.

Christian Standard Bible
Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left.

American Standard Version
Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:

Contemporary English Version
Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left.

English Revised Version
Then shall two men be in the field; one is taken, and one is left:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"At that time two men will be working in the field. One will be taken, and the other one will be left.

Good News Translation
At that time two men will be working in a field: one will be taken away, the other will be left behind.

International Standard Version
At that time, two people will be in the field. One will be taken, and one will be left behind.

Majority Standard Bible
Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.

NET Bible
Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left.

New Heart English Bible
Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then will two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Weymouth New Testament
Then will two men be in the open country: one will be taken away, and one left behind.

World English Bible
Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Then two [men] will be in the field: one is received, and one is left;

Berean Literal Bible
Then two will be in the field: one is taken, and one is left.

Young's Literal Translation
Then two men shall be in the field, the one is received, and the one is left;

Smith's Literal Translation
Then shall be two in the field; one shall be taken, and one is let go;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then two shall be in the field: one shall be taken, and one shall be left.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then two men will be in a field: one will be taken up, and one will be left behind.

New American Bible
Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left.

New Revised Standard Version
Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken away and the other left.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Then two will be in the field; one will be taken captive, and one will be left.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Then two men shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and the other left.

Godbey New Testament
Then two men shall be in the field; one is taken, and one is left.

Haweis New Testament
Then two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other dismissed.

Mace New Testament
of two persons, who shall be then in the field, one shall be taken, and the other left.

Weymouth New Testament
Then will two men be in the open country: one will be taken away, and one left behind.

Worrell New Testament
Then two men will be in the field; one is carried off, and one is left behind;

Worsley New Testament
Then there shall be two in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Readiness at Any Hour
39And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.…

Cross References
Luke 17:34-36
I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed: one will be taken and the other left. / Two women will be grinding grain together: one will be taken and the other left.” / Two men will be in the field: One and will be taken and the other left.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. / After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— / in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Revelation 14:14-16
And I looked and saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. / Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud, “Swing Your sickle and reap, because the time has come to harvest, for the crop of the earth is ripe.” / So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3
For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. / While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, / not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. / Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.

Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Matthew 13:49
So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous

John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.

Acts 1:9-11
After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. / They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. / “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

Daniel 12:1-2
“At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. / And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Zechariah 14:5
You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.

Isaiah 26:19-21
Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead. / Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed. / For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.

Joel 2:31-32
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. / And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.

Malachi 3:17-18
“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. / So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”


Treasury of Scripture

Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

the one.

2 Chronicles 33:12-24
And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, …

Luke 17:34-37
I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left…

Luke 23:39-43
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us…

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Country Field Open Received
Matthew 24
1. Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;
3. what and how great calamities shall be before it;
29. the signs of his coming to judgment.
36. And because that day and hour are unknown,
42. we ought to watch like good servants, expecting our Master's coming.














Two men
The phrase "two men" signifies a common, everyday scenario, emphasizing the normalcy of life at the time of the event described. In the Greek, "δύο" (duo) simply means "two," indicating a pair, which is often used in scripture to denote companionship or partnership. This setting in the field suggests a typical workday, highlighting that the event will occur unexpectedly during routine activities. Historically, fields were central to daily life in agrarian societies, symbolizing sustenance and labor.

will be in the field
The "field" (Greek: "ἀγρῷ," agros) represents the world of work and daily toil. Fields were essential for survival, providing food and resources. This setting underscores the suddenness of the event, as it will interrupt the normal course of life. Theologically, the field can also symbolize the world at large, where people are engaged in their daily tasks, unaware of the divine timeline.

one will be taken
The word "taken" (Greek: "παραλαμβάνεται," paralambanetai) implies being received or taken to oneself. In a biblical context, this can be interpreted as being taken by God, possibly referring to the rapture or a divine selection. The notion of being "taken" suggests a positive connotation, being chosen or gathered by God, aligning with the hope of believers for salvation and eternal life.

and the other left
The term "left" (Greek: "ἀφίεται," aphietai) means to be left behind or abandoned. This stark contrast with being "taken" highlights the separation between those who are prepared and those who are not. It serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of spiritual readiness. Theologically, this separation can be seen as a judgment, where one's spiritual state determines their fate.

(40) The one shall be taken.--Literally, the present tense being used to express the certainty of the future, one is taken, and one is left. The form of the expression is somewhat obscure, and leaves it uncertain which of the two alternatives is the portion of the chosen ones. Is the man who is "taken" received into fellowship with Christ, while the other is abandoned? or is he carried away as by the storm of judgment, while the other is set free? On the whole, the use of the Greek word in other passages (as, e.g., in Matthew 1:20; Matthew 1:24; Matthew 12:45; John 1:11; John 14:3) is in favour of the former interpretation. What is taught in any case is that the day of judgment will be, as by an inevitable law, a day of separation, according to the diversity of character which may exist in the midst of the closest fellowship in outward life.

Verse 40. - The Lord gives two examples of the suddenness of his advent, and its effect in private life. Shall two be in the field. They shall be working together at their ordinary agricultural occupations, with nothing outwardly to distinguish one from the other, good and bad being mingled together. The one shall be taken (παραλαμβανεται is taken, the present implying certainty), and the other left (ἀφίεται, is deft). Christ speaks as though he saw the scene before him. The "taking" implies separation from companions, as Matthew 17:1; Matthew 18:16, etc. This is the work of the angels (ver. 31). There is some doubt as to the destiny of the two classes named. Are the good "taken" and the evil "left"? or are the evil "taken" and the good "left"? Some suppose that the terms allude to the sudden approach of a hostile army by which some are taken prisioners and others allowed to escape; or, since in the parable the tares are first gathered for the burning, those taken must be the wicked, those left are for storing in the everlasting garner. On the other hand, many commentators understand the verbs in a sense opposite to that mentioned above. As (ver. 31) the angels are sent forth to gather the elect, the "taken" are of this class, who are caught away to meet the Lord and his saints (1 Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:3), while the others are left for judgment and reprobation (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). Bengel, continuing the reference to the Flood, writes, "Assumitur in tutelam (ver. 31), ut Noachus cum domo sua; sinitur in periculis, quicquid obveniat, ut homines in diluvio." The latter interpretation of the two seems to be the correct one. At any rate, it is plain that the nicest discrimination is exercised, and that among men and women, in all conditions of life, a final severance shall then be made, which shall apportion their lot in the other world.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Two [men]
δύο (dyo)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1417: Two. A primary numeral; 'two'.

will be
ἔσονται (esontai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

field:
ἀγρῷ (agrō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 68: From ago; a field; genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e. Hamlet.

one
εἷς (heis)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

will be taken
παραλαμβάνεται (paralambanetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3880: From para and lambano; to receive near, i.e. Associate with oneself; by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively, to learn.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[the other]
εἷς (heis)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

left.
ἀφίεται (aphietai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 863: From apo and hiemi; to send forth, in various applications.


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Matthew 24:39
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