Luke 11:30
in Luke 11For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For even as Jonah became a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
KJV
For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
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This verse in Luke 11
Commentary
13 notes on this verse(in Esai. 7.) A sign is a thing brought openly to view, containing in itself the manifestation of something hidden, as the sign of Jonas represents the descent to hell, the ascension of Christ, and His resurrection from the dead. Hence it is added, For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
This site's exposition
the sign of Jonas the prophet
on Luke 11:29-30
This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet answers the demand for a sign from heaven raised back in verse sixteen, and the sign named is a man, not a wonder in the sky. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation states the comparison, and the commentators divide over what carries the weight of the sign in Luke’s own telling: some read Jonah’s person and preaching alone, a foreign prophet whose bare word moved a pagan city to repent, others read Luke as assuming the fuller sign Matthew states outright, three days in the fish’s belly answered by three days in the tomb. Both readings agree the sign is Jesus himself set against Jonah, and that the comparison already condemns a generation that will not repent at a greater than Jonah’s preaching.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
(de Cons. Ev. lib. ii. c. 39.) Luke indeed relates this in the same place as Matthew, but in a somewhat different order. But who does not see that it is an idle question, in what order our Lord said those things, seeing that we ought to learn by the most precious authority of the Evangelist, that there is no falsehood. But not every man will repeat another's words in the same order in which they proceeded from his mouth, seeing that the order itself makes no difference with respect to the fact, whether it be so or not.
The sign of Jonah served the Ninevites in two ways. If they would have rejected it, they would have gone down to Sheol alive like Jonah, but they were raised from the dead like him because they repented. Just as in the case of our …
He will not grant you another sign, so that he may give holy things to dogs or throw pearls before swine.…He said only the sign of Jonah will be given to them. This means the passion on the cross and the resurrection from the dead.
That you may know that the people of the Synagogue are treated with dishonour, while the blessedness of the Church is increased. But as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of man be to the Jews. Hence it is added, They seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given them but the sign of Jonas the prophet. Now as the sign of Jonas is a type of our Lord's passion, so also is it a testimony of the grievous sins which the Jews have committed.
The Medieval Church1 voice
For just as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. He showed that the Jews, like the Ninevites, were overwhelmed with grave sins and close to destruction if they did not repent. Yet, just as …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
For just as he spent three days in the belly of the whale, so too shall I spend three days in the belly of the whale, the great beast, that is, Hades, and rise again. When Jonah, cast out by the whale and as if …
On account of which he adds: For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so shall the Son of Man be to this generation. For Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites not only by word, but also by the deed of a miracle, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), a sign speaking to them, though a sign spoken against by them. A warning to them to improve this sign; for it was at their peril if they did not. (1.) The queen of Sheba would rise up in judgment against them, and condemn their unbelief,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
A woman is brought before us in this passage of Scripture, of whose name and history we know nothing. We read that, as our Lord spoke, "A certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him: Blessed is the mother that gave you birth." At once our Lord founds a great lesson on her remark. His perfect wisdom turned every incident within His reach to profit. We should observe in these verses — how great are the privileges of those who hear and keep God's Word.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
A woman is brought before us in this passage of Scripture, of whose name and history we know nothing. We read that, as our Lord spoke, "A certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him: Blessed is the mother that gave you birth." At once our Lord founds a great lesson on her remark. His perfect wisdom turned every incident within His reach to profit. We should observe in these verses — how great are the privileges of those who hear and keep God's Word. They are regarded by Christ with as much honor as if they were His nearest relatives. It is more blessed to be a believer in the Lord Jesus — than it would have been to have been one of the family in which He was born after the flesh. It was a greater honor to Mary herself, to have Christ dwelling in her heart by faith — than to have been the mother of Christ, and to have nursed Him on her bosom. We are generally very slow to receive truths like these. We are apt to imagine that to have seen Christ, and heard Christ, and lived near Christ, and been a relative of Christ according to the flesh — would have had some mighty effect upon our souls. We are all naturally inclined to attach great importance to a religion of sight, and sense, and touch, and eye, and ear . We love a physical, tangible, material Christianity — far better than one of faith. And we need reminding that seeing is not always believing. Thousands saw Christ continually, while He was on earth, and yet clung to their sins. Even His brethren at one time "did not believe in him." (John 7:5.) A mere fleshly knowledge of Christ, saves no one. The words of Paul are very instructive, "Though we have known Christ after the flesh — yet we do not know Him any more in this way." (2 Corinthians 5:16.)
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καθὼς | kathos | Even as | G2531 → | 182 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | was | G1096 → | 667 times |
| Ἰωνᾶς | ionas | Jonah | G2495 → | 9 times |
| τοῖς | tois | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Νινευίταις | nineuitais | Ninevites | G3536 → | |
| σημεῖον, | semeion | a sign | G4592 → | 75 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | thus | G3779 → | 208 times |
| ἔσται | estai | will be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱὸς | huios | Son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπου | anthropou | of Man | G444 → | 549 times |
| τῇ | tea | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γενεᾷ | genea | generation | G1074 → | 43 times |
| ταύτῃ. | taute | this. | G3778 → | 1381 times |
καθὼςEven as
kathosG2531 →182 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἐγένετοwas
egenetoG1096 →667 times
ἸωνᾶςJonah
ionasG2495 →9 times
τοῖςto the
toisG3588 →19766 times
ΝινευίταιςNinevites
nineuitaisG3536 →
σημεῖον,a sign
semeionG4592 →75 times
οὕτωςthus
houtosG3779 →208 times
ἔσταιwill be
estaiG1510 →2333 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
υἱὸςSon
huiosG5207 →377 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπουof Man
anthropouG444 →549 times
τῇto the
teaG3588 →19766 times
γενεᾷgeneration
geneaG1074 →43 times
ταύτῃ.this.
tauteG3778 →1381 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jonah 1:17Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.
it leads to
- Matthew 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- Matthew 16:4
A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.
- Psalms 104:25–26
Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both great and small.
- Matthew 12:40
Through
Jonah 2:10And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
it leads to
- Matthew 8:26–27
“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.
- Psalms 33:9
For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.
- Isaiah 50:2
Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold,…
- Matthew 8:8–9
The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
- Genesis 1:3
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
- Matthew 8:26–27
Where this verse is studied
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Studies3
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About Luke
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Basil of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 11; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 82; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 11.2; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.