Study it in the app“And as the crowds were gathering, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”
Andδὲas the crowdsΤῶν ὄχλωνwere gathering,ἐπαθροιζομένωνhe beganἤρξατοto say,λέγειν“ThisαὕτηgenerationἩ γενεὰisἐστινan evilπονηράgeneration;γενεὰit seeksζητεῖa sign,σημεῖονandκαὶnoοὐsignσημεῖονwill be givenδοθήσεταιto itαὐτῇexceptεἰ μὴthe signτὸ σημεῖονof Jonah.Ἰωνᾶ
crowd
A lot of people together.
Where else “ochlōn” appearsgather
Gather, crowd together.
Where else “epathroizomenōn” appearsbegin
To start doing something.
Where else “ērxato” appearssay
To express something in words to others.
Where else “legein” appearsgeneration
Generation: the people born around the same time, or each step from parent to child in a family.
Where else “genea” appearsbe
To be: says who or what something is.
Where else “estin” appearsevil
One who does or desires evil, opposed to God and the good.
Where else “ponēra” appearsdemand
To demand something, or discuss it.
Where else “zētei” appearssign
A miracle that shows God's power.
Where else “sēmeion” appearsgive
To hand something to another freely, as a gift.
Where else “dothēsetai” appearsJonah
Jonah, the prophet who was three days in the belly of the great fish and preached to Nineveh.
Where else “Iōna” appearsOther books that tell the same thing or quote these words.
The sign of Jonah
A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.
Luke 11:29-32
29And as the crowds were gathering, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man also be one to this generation. 31The queen of the South will be raised at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look, something greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they changed their minds at the proclamation of Jonah, and look, something greater than Jonah is here.
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39But he answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40For just as Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they changed their minds at the proclamation of Jonah; and look, something greater than Jonah is here. 42The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and look, something greater than Solomon is here.
28But he said, “Rather, happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
29 · This verse (above)
30For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man also be one to this generation.
1. What it says
When the disciples ask to be taught to pray, what does Jesus tell them to say, and what stories does he add? (vv. 1-13)
2. What it means
Jesus says “ask, seek, knock” and compares God to a father who gives good gifts. What does that teach about what God is like? (vv. 9-13)
3. How I live it
What concrete thing would you like to ask God today, with the trust a child has when speaking to a father?
