The Meaning of Matthew 24:45 Explained

Matthew 24:45

KJV: Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

YLT: 'Who, then, is the servant, faithful and wise, whom his lord did set over his household, to give them the nourishment in season?

Darby: Who then is the faithful and prudent bondman whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food in season?

ASV: Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who  then  is  a faithful  and  wise  servant,  whom  his  lord  hath made ruler  over  his  household,  to give  them  meat  in  due season? 

What does Matthew 24:45 Mean?

Study Notes

faithful
See, Luke 12:42-46 ; 1 Corinthians 4:2 . It is faithfulness, not ability, in the Lord's service that is first approved by Him.

Verse Meaning

Jesus continued instructing His disciples but now stressed the importance of prudence and faithfulness as He prepared them for His return. There are three parables in this section. All of them refer to two types of disciples, the faithful and the unfaithful. [1]

Context Summary

Matthew 24:40-51 - Watch And Work
There are many comings of the Son of man before the final one to judgment. We may derive the full benefit of our Lord's words, even though we have arrived at no settled opinion as to the precise order of future events. The hour of our death is as uncertain as that of His coming in the clouds. For each, we should be ready!
Watchfulness is keeping awake! We are beset by temptations to sleep. Bunyan said that we are traveling over the Enchanted Ground, the air of which is very heavy and sleep-producing. How dull we are to perceive the unseen, or to meet the great opportunities of life! Broken up alludes to the mud or clay house which could not keep off the thief. Death breaks in and carries us away from all of our treasures. See 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:4.
We had best wait for our Lord while engaged in carefully discharging our appointed tasks. The Church is a big household in which each has his niche. "To labor is to pray;" to serve is to be ready. [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 24:45

In due season [ἐν ακιρῷ]
At the regular hours which his Lord observes when at home; and not delaying because he thinks that his Lord delayeth his coming (Matthew 24:48), but doing his duty in its appointed time. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 24:45

Luke 12:42 In due season []
At the appointed time for distributing rations. See on Matthew 24:45. [source]
Titus 1:5 Ordain elders [καταστήσῃς πρεσβυτέρους]
Καθιστάναι appointor constitute. In Paul only Romans 5:19. For the sense here comp. Matthew 24:45, Matthew 24:47; Luke 12:14; Acts 6:3. The meaning of the injunction is, that Titus should appoint, out of the number of elderly men of approved Christian reputation, certain ones to be overseers ( ἐπίσκοποι ) of the churches in the several cities. The eldership was not a distinct church office. See on 1 Timothy 5:1. [source]
1 Peter 5:6 Under the mighty hand of God [υπο την κραταιαν χειρα του τεου]
Common O.T. picture (Exodus 3:19; Ezekiel 20:33, etc.).That he may exalt you (ινα υπσωσηι — hina hupsōsēi). Purpose clause with ινα — hina and first aorist active subjunctive of υπσοω — hupsoō Cf. Luke 14:11; Philemon 2:9.In due time Same phrase in Matthew 24:45. [source]
1 Peter 5:6 In due time [εν καιρωι]
Same phrase in Matthew 24:45. [source]
Revelation 3:14 Faithful [πιστός]
The word occurs in the New Testament in two senses: trusty, faithful Matthew 24:45; Matthew 25:21, Matthew 25:23; Luke 12:42); and believing, confiding (John 20:27; Galatians 3:9; Acts 16:1). Of God, necessarily only in the former sense. [source]
Revelation 1:5 The faithful witness [ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς]
For the phraseology see on 1 John 4:9. For witness, see on John 1:7; see on 1 Peter 5:1. As applied to the Messiah, see Psalm 89:37; Isaiah 55:4. The construction again departs from the grammatical rule. The words witness, first-born, ruler, are in the nominative case, instead of being in the genitive, in apposition with Jesus Christ. This construction, though irregular, nevertheless gives dignity and emphasis to these titles of the Lord. See on Revelation 1:4. The word πιστὸς , faithful is used (1), of one who shows Himself faithful in the discharge of a duty or the administration of a trust (Matthew 24:45; Luke 12:42). Hence, trustworthy (1 Corinthians 7:25; 2 Timothy 2:2). Of things that can be relied upon (1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11). (2), Confiding; trusting; a believer (Galatians 3:9; Acts 16:1; 2 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Timothy 5:16). See on 1 John 1:9. The word is combined with ἀληθινός , true, genuine in Revelation 3:14; Revelation 19:11; Revelation 21:5; Revelation 22:6. Richard of St. Victor (cited by Trench) says: “A faithful witness, because He gave faithful testimony concerning all things which were to be testified to by Him in the world. A faithful witness, because whatever He heard from the Father, He faithfully made known to His disciples. A faithful witness, because He taught the way of God in truth, neither did He care for any one nor regard the person of men. A faithful witness, because He announced condemnation to the reprobate and salvation to the elect. A faithful witness, because He confirmed by miracles the truth which He taught in words. A faithful witness, because He denied not, even in death, the Father's testimony to Himself. A faithful witness, because He will give testimony in the day of judgment concerning the works of the good and of the evil.” [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 24:45 mean?

Who then is the faithful servant and wise whom has set master over the household of him - to give to them the food in season
Τίς ἄρα ἐστὶν πιστὸς δοῦλος καὶ φρόνιμος ὃν κατέστησεν κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκετείας αὐτοῦ τοῦ δοῦναι αὐτοῖς τὴν τροφὴν ἐν καιρῷ

πιστὸς  faithful 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πιστός  
Sense: trusty, faithful.
δοῦλος  servant 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: δοῦλοσ1 
Sense: a slave, bondman, man of servile condition.
φρόνιμος  wise 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: φρόνιμος  
Sense: intelligent, wise.
ὃν  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
κατέστησεν  has  set 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καθιστάνω 
Sense: to set, place, put.
κύριος  master 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ἐπὶ  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
οἰκετείας  household 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: οἰκέτης  
Sense: one who lives in the same house as another, spoken of all who are under the authority of one and the same householder.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δοῦναι  to  give 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
τροφὴν  food 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: τροφή  
Sense: food, nourishment.
καιρῷ  season 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: καιρός  
Sense: due measure.