Matthew 12:40

“For 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.”

Matthew 12:40 · direct translation from the Greek
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His sign: as Jonah was in the sea monster, he will be three days and three nights in the earthThe Resurrection

With the Greek beneath

40

Explicit type · Jonah 1:17

Go to Jonah 1:17

Jesus compares his time in the heart of the earth with Jonah’s three days and three nights in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:17).

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

ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας “just as Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:40)

  • ἸωνᾶςIōnasG2495יוֹנָהyonaH3124“Jonah”
  • κοιλίᾳkoiliaiG2836מְעֵיmeeH4578“belly”
  • κήτουςkētousG2785דָּגdagH1709“sea monster”

Matthew 12:40, word by word

just asὥσπερhōsper

just as

Just as, in the same way as.

Where else “hōsper” appears
JonahἸωνᾶςIōnas

Jonah

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

Where else “Iōnas” appears
wasἦνēn

be present

To be in a place or with someone.

Where else “ēn” appears
the bellyκοιλίᾳkoiliai

belly

The gut, or appetite.

Where else “koiliai” appears
of the sea monsterκήτουςkētous

sea monster, great fish

Sea monster, great fish.

Where else “kētous” appears
threeτρεῖςtreis

three

Three.

Where else “treis” appears
daysἡμέραςhēmeras

day

A span counted on the calendar: “on the third day,” “forty days.”

Where else “hēmeras” appears
nightsνύκταςnyktas

night

Night. "By night".

Where else “nyktas” 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
the heartκαρδίᾳkardiai

heart

Heart: the center of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.

Where else “kardiai” appears
of the earthγῆςgēs

earth

The whole earth under heaven, where human beings live.

Where else “gēs” appears

Translation note

Jonah 1:17 says “a great fish”; the Greek word is the one for sea monsters.

Parallel passages

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

The sign of Jonah

Luke 11:29-32

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

See them side by side

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.

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.

The context

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.

40 · This verse (above)

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.

Read all of Matthew 12

To study Matthew 12 in a group

  1. 1. What it says

    How did Jesus answer the Pharisees when they criticized his disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath (vv. 3–8)?

  2. 2. What it means

    What does “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” mean in Jesus' reply (v. 7)?

  3. 3. How I live it

    Jesus says the mouth speaks from the heart's abundance (v. 34). Which of your words today would you like to guard?

How to use it