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
16 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 want to see a sign from You
on Matthew 12:38-39
Scribes and Pharisees say, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You”, asking for a further sign after refusing the one given. Jesus names the demand itself as the symptom, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign”. The only sign granted is “the sign of the prophet Jonah”.
This site's exposition
A wicked and adulterous generation
Jerome and Origen explain adulterous in the prophets' sense: Israel had left her true husband for other lovers, as Ezekiel 16 describes. John Wesley notes that they asked for a sign after signs enough to convince them. The sign of Jonah follows in verse 40.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
(Verse 39.) And he answered and said to them: An evil and adulterous generation. Admirably said adulterous: because she had dismissed her husband, and according to Ezekiel, had joined herself to many lovers (Ezek. 16).
Excellently is that said, and adulterous, seeing she has put away her husband, and, according to Ezekiel, has joined herself to many lovers.
Wherefore also He rebukes them severely. And when they were questioning Him roughly and insulting Him, He reasoned with them gently; when they were flattering; reproachfully, and with great severity; implying that He is superior to either passion, and is neither at the one time moved to anger, nor at the other softened by flattery. And see His reproach, that it is not merely hard words, but contains a demonstration of their wickedness. For what saith He? "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign." Now what He saith is to this effect: What marvel if ye behave so to me who have been hitherto unknown to you when even to the Father, of whom ye have had so much experience, ye have done the very same? forsaking Him, ye have run unto the devils, drawing to yourselves wicked lovers. With this Ezekiel too was continually upbraiding them. Now by these sayings He signified Himself to be of one accord with His Father, and them to be doing nothing new; He was also unfolding their secrets, how with hypocrisy and as enemies they were making their demand. Therefore He called them "an evil generation," because they have been always ungrateful towards their benefactors; because upon favors they become worse, which belongs to extreme wickedness. And He called it "adulterous," declaring both their former and their present unbelief; whereby He implies Himself again to be equal to the Father, if at least the not believing Him makes it "adulterous." Then, after His reproach, what saith He? "There shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet." Now is He striking the first note of the doctrine of His resurrection, and confirming it by the type. What then? one may say; was no sign given it? None was given to it on asking. For not to bring in them did He work His signs (for He knew them to be hardened), but in order to amend others. […]
This is the sign which before He had promised to give them when they asked it, saying, "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;" meaning His cross, and His death, His burial, and His resurrection. And again, declaring in another way the virtue of the cross, He said, "When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He." And what He saith is to this purport: "When ye have crucified me, and think ye have overcome me, then, above all, shall ye know my might." For after the crucifixion, the city was destroyed, and the Jewish state came to an end, they fell away from their polity and their freedom, the gospel flourished, the word was spread abroad to the ends of the world; both sea and land, both the inhabited earth and the desert perpetually proclaim its power.
they attempted to bring a charge against him, saying to him in turn: We wish to see a sign from thee, that is, a sign such as that of Moses, which was for the punishment of men. But the Lord, knowing the thoughts of their …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
Then He begins to answer them, giving them a sign not from heaven, which they were unworthy to see, but giving it them from the deep beneath. But to His own disciples He gave a sign from heaven, to whom He showed the glory of His blessed eternity both in a figure on the mount, and after in verity when He was taken up into heaven. Wherefore it follows, And there shall no sign he given it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas.
But he answered them... Then he refuses them and does two things: first, he denies the request; secondly, he predicts an indignity (v. 41). In regard to the first he tells what they were seeking; secondly, he denies (v. 39b). It is stated, therefore, that …
He calls them an evil generation as they were deceiving tempters, and adulterous, because they had abandoned God and followed after demons. He calls His Resurrection a sign as it is marvelous beyond belief. For having descended into the heart of the earth, the nethermost …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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.
But he answered and said unto them,....
The Nineteenth Century3 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.
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 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. Such men forget that in so doing they pour contempt upon Christ himself. The authority of the Old Testament and the authority of the New stand or fall together; the same Spirit inspired men to write of Solomon and Jonah who inspired the evangelists to write of Christ.These are not unimportant points in this day: let them be well fixed in our minds. The first practical lesson which demands our attention in these verses is the amazing power of unbelief. We should mark how the scribes and Pharisees call upon our Lord to show them more miracles. “Master, we would see asign from thee.” They pretended that they only wanted more evidence in order to be convinced and become disciples: they shut their eyes to the many wonderful works which Jesus had already done. It was not enough for them that he had healed the sick, and cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, and cast out demons: they were not yet persuaded; they yet demanded more proof. They would not see what our Lord plainly pointed at in his reply—that they had no real will to believe. There was evidence enough to convince them, but they had no wish to be convinced. There are many in the church of Christ who are exactly in the state of these scribes and Pharisees. They flatter themselves that they only require a little more proof to become decided Christians.
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
Studies24
On this verse
About Matthew
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 3; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 43; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 88; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, FRAGMENT 274; Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.