Matthew 12:39
in Matthew 12Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet:
KJV
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
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This verse in Matthew 12
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThat generation was evil, on account of the influence that had come to be in it from the evil one. It was adulterous because it had left her natural husband—the word or law of truth—and had come to be wedded to a lie. The law which is "in the members" of our flesh wars against "the law of the mind." It is an adulterer of the soul. Every opposing power, when it has intercourse with the soul unfaithfully—the soul that has as its bridegroom the Word of God—causes the soul to commit adultery.
This site's exposition
we would see a sign from thee
on Matthew 12:38-39
Master, we would see a sign from thee comes from scribes and Pharisees who have just watched a blind and dumb demoniac healed before their own eyes, and the bench reads the request as proof of the hardened unbelief just described, demanding a further sign after refusing the one already given. An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign names the request itself as the symptom, spiritual adultery being the prophets' own word for covenant unfaithfulness, and the only sign granted will be the sign of the prophet Jonas.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Such adulterers are all those who love the world, and all who seek the friendship of it. Seeketh a sign - After all they have had already, which were abundantly sufficient to convince them, had not their hearts been estranged from God, and consequently averse to the truth. The sign of Jonah - Who was herein a type of Christ.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
An evil and adulterous generation - Or, race of people; for so γενεα should be translated here, and in most other places in the Gospels; for our Lord, in general, uses it to point out the Jewish people. This translation is a key to unlock some very obscure passages in the evangelists. Seeketh after a sign - Or, seeketh another sign, (επιζητει), so I think this word should be translated. Our Lord had already given the Jews several signs; and here they desire sign upon sign. Our Lord terms the Jews an adulterous race.
on Matthew 12:38-50
The beginning of this passage is one of those places which strikingly illustrate the truth of Old Testament history. Our Lord speaks of the Queen of the South as a real, true person, who had lived and died. He refers to the story of Jonah, and his miraculous preservation in the whale’s belly, as undeniable matters of fact. Let us remember this if we hear men professing to believe the writers of the New Testament, and yet sneering at the things recorded in the Old Testament as if they were fables.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἀποκριθεὶς | apokritheis | answering | G611 → | 231 times |
| εἶπεν | eipen | He said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| αὐτοῖς· | autois | to them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| γενεὰ | genea | A generation | G1074 → | 43 times |
| πονηρὰ | ponera | evil | G4190 → | 78 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μοιχαλὶς | moichalis | adulterous | G3428 → | |
| σημεῖον | semeion | a sign | G4592 → | 75 times |
| ἐπιζητεῖ· | epizetei | seeks for; | G1934 → | 13 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| σημεῖον | semeion | a sign | G4592 → | 75 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| δοθήσεται | dothesetai | will be given | G1325 → | 412 times |
| αὐτῇ | autea | to it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰ | ei | only | G1487 → | 508 times |
| μὴ | me | except | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σημεῖον | semeion | sign | G4592 → | 75 times |
| Ἰωνᾶ | iona | of Jonah | G2495 → | 9 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφήτου. | prophetou | prophet. | G4396 → | 144 times |
Ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ἀποκριθεὶςanswering
apokritheisG611 →231 times
εἶπενHe said
eipenG2036 →925 times
αὐτοῖς·to them;
autoisG846 →5565 times
γενεὰA generation
geneaG1074 →43 times
πονηρὰevil
poneraG4190 →78 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μοιχαλὶςadulterous
moichalisG3428 →
σημεῖονa sign
semeionG4592 →75 times
ἐπιζητεῖ·seeks for;
epizeteiG1934 →13 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
σημεῖονa sign
semeionG4592 →75 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
δοθήσεταιwill be given
dothesetaiG1325 →412 times
αὐτῇto it
auteaG846 →5565 times
εἰonly
eiG1487 →508 times
μὴexcept
meG3361 →1066 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
σημεῖονsign
semeionG4592 →75 times
Ἰωνᾶof Jonah
ionaG2495 →9 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
προφήτου.prophet.
prophetouG4396 →144 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
James 4:4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:15–16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Romans 8:7
because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
- John 15:19
If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
- Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and…
- Galatians 1:10
Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
- 1 John 2:15–16
Through
Mark 8:38If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the…
it leads to
- James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 12:8–9
I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
- James 4:4
Through
Matthew 16:4A 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.
it leads to
- Luke 11:29–30
As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
- Luke 11:29–30
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Matthew
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, FRAGMENT 274.