The Meaning of Matthew 24:17 Explained

Matthew 24:17

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

YLT: he on the house-top -- let him not come down to take up any thing out of his house;

Darby: let not him that is on the house come down to take the things out of his house;

ASV: let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Matthew 24:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 24:15-28 - Beware Of False Christs
The abomination of desolation is explained in Luke 21:20, and probably refers to the Roman ensigns as the symbols of pagan and therefore unclean power. So urgent would be their need of flight that the outside steps of the houses must be used. None might try to save his property. Ever, the winter's cold must be faced, if life were to be saved; and the flight must be farther than could be covered on a Sabbath day, that is, according to Jewish law, less than a mile.
It is a matter of literal fact that there was compressed into the period of the Jewish War an amount of suffering perhaps unparalleled. Josephus' history of the period abounds in references to these false Christs who professed themselves to be the Messiah.
Notice that, though the elect may be powerfully tempted, they will repudiate and resist the attack and still remain loyal to their Lord. What a searching word is this!-"whom He did predestinate"¦ them He also glorified," Romans 8:30. They may be tempted, tried, almost deceived, but angels will bear them up in their hands and God will keep their feet. See Psalms 91:12; 1 Samuel 2:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

Greek Commentary for Matthew 24:17

On the housetop [επι του δωματος]
They could escape from roof to roof and so escape, “the road of the roofs,” as the rabbis called it. There was need for haste. [source]
Him which is on the house-top [ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος]
From roof to roof there might be a regular communication, called by the Rabbis “the road of the roofs.” Thus a person could make his escape passing from roof to roof, till, at the last house, he would descend the stairs on the outside of the house, but within the exterior court. The urgency of the flight is enhanced by the fact that the stairs lead into this court. “Though you must pass by the very door of your room, do not enter to take anything out. Escape for your life.” [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 24:17

Mark 13:15 Housetop []
See on Matthew 24:17. [source]
Luke 17:31 On the house-top []
See on Matthew 24:17. [source]
Luke 12:3 House-tops []
See on Matthew 24:17. [source]
Luke 17:31 Let him not go down [μη καταβατω]
Second aorist active imperative of καταβαινω — katabainō with μη — mē in a prohibition in the third person singular. The usual idiom here would be μη — mē and the aorist subjunctive. See Mark 13:15. and Matthew 24:17. when these words occur in the great eschatological discussion concerning flight before the destruction of Jerusalem. Here the application is “absolute indifference to all worldly interests as the attitude of readiness for the Son of Man” (Plummer). [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 24:17 mean?

the [one] on the housetop not let him come down to take anything out of the house of him
ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος μὴ καταβάτω ἆραι τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ

  the  [one] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δώματος  housetop 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: δῶμα  
Sense: a building, house.
καταβάτω  let  him  come  down 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καταβαίνω  
Sense: to go down, come down, descend.
ἆραι  to  take 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: αἴρω  
Sense: to raise up, elevate, lift up.
τὰ  anything 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐκ  out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
οἰκίας  house 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: οἰκία  
Sense: a house.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.