Luke 11:30

“For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man also be one to this generation.”

Luke 11:30 · direct translation from the Greek
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30

Explicit type · Jonah 3:4

Go to Jonah 3:4

Jesus says that, as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be to his generation; in Jonah 3:4 the prophet announces the destruction of Nineveh.

The biblical author himself makes the connection, in these words:

καθὼς γὰρ ἐγένετο Ἰωνᾶς τοῖς Νινευίταις σημεῖον “for just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites” (Luke 11:30)

  • ἸωνᾶςIōnasG2495יוֹנָהyonaH3124“Jonah”

Luke 11:30, word by word

JonahἸωνᾶςIōnas

Jonah

Jonah, the prophet who was three days in the belly of the great fish and preached to Nineveh.

Where else “Iōnas” appears
becameἐγένετοegeneto

become

To turn into something new, different from before.

Where else “egeneto” appears
a signσημεῖονsēmeion

mark

A mark that identifies something.

Where else “sēmeion” appears
to the NinevitesΝινευίταιςNineuitais

Ninevite

Ninevite, an inhabitant of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.

Where else “Nineuitais” appears
willἔσταιestai

be

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “estai” appears
the Sonυἱὸςhuios

Son

Jesus, the Son of God.

Where else “huios” appears
of Manἀνθρώπουanthrōpou

Son of Man

"The Son of Man": what Jesus calls himself.

Where else “anthrōpou” appears
generationγενεᾷgeneai

generation

Generation: the people born around the same time, or each step from parent to child in a family.

Where else “geneai” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

The sign of Jonah

Matthew 12:38-42

A similar saying; scholars discuss whether it is the same saying in another setting or a repeated one.

See them side by side

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.

Matthew 12:38-42

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.

The context

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.

30 · This verse (above)

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.

Read all of Luke 11

To study Luke 11 in a group

  1. 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. 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. 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?

How to use it