Matthew 12:41

“The 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 12:41 · direct translation from the Greek

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The menἄνδρεςof NinevehΝινευῖταιwill rise upἀναστήσονταιatἐνthe judgmentτῇ κρίσειwithμετὰthisταύτηςgenerationτῆς γενεᾶςandκαὶcondemnκατακρινοῦσινit,αὐτήνbecauseὅτιthey changed their mindsμετενόησανatεἰςthe proclamationτὸ κήρυγμαof Jonah;Ἰωνᾶandκαὶlook,ἰδοὺsomething greaterπλεῖονthan JonahἸωνᾶishere.ὧδε

Theme · Jonah 3:5

Go to Jonah 3:5

Jesus recalls that the men of Nineveh changed their minds at the proclamation of Jonah; Jonah 3:5 tells that they believed God and proclaimed a fast.

The same term appears in both passages.

ΝινευῖταιNineuitaiG3536נִינְוֵהninveH5210“Ninevite”

Matthew 12:41, word by word

The menἄνδρεςandres

man

An adult male, as distinct from a woman or a child.

Where else “andres” appears

of NinevehΝινευῖταιNineuitai

Ninevite

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

Where else “Nineuitai” appears

will rise upἀναστήσονταιanastēsontai

rise

To come back to life.

Where else “anastēsontai” appears

the judgmentκρίσειkrisei

judgment

A judge's sentence; above all, the one God will give at the end.

Where else “krisei” appears

generationγενεᾶςgeneas

generation

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

Where else “geneas” appears

condemnκατακρινοῦσινkatakrinousin

condemn

Condemn, pass sentence against someone.

Where else “katakrinousin” appears

they changed their mindsμετενόησανmetenoēsan

change one's mind

Change one's mind: turn around one's way of thinking, and with it one's way of living, to return to God. It is usually translated "repent".

Where else “metenoēsan” appears

the proclamationκήρυγμαkērygma

proclamation

Proclamation, the message announced.

Where else “kērygma” appears

of JonahἸωνᾶIōna

Jonah

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

Where else “Iōna” appears

something greaterπλεῖονpleion

Abundantly, often, or to a still higher degree.

Where else “pleion” appears

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

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.

41 · This verse (above)

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.

Read all of Matthew 12

To study Matthew 12 in a group

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