Demand for a Sign; Jonah and the Queen of the South
Luke 11:29-32
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Luke.11.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Των: ART,gen,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- οχλων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- επαθροιζομενων: PART,pres,mid/pass,gen,pl,m
- ηρξατο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- λεγειν·Η: VERB,pres,act,inf
- γενεα: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- αυτη: PRON,dat,sg,f
- γενεα: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- πονηρα: ADJ,nom,pl,neut
- εστιν·σημειον: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ζητει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- σημειον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ου: PART,neg
- δοθησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
- αυτη: PRON,dat,sg,f
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- μη: PART
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- σημειον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- Ιωνα: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 12:38-40 (quotation): Jesus replies to a request for a sign with the 'sign of Jonah' language; same wording linking Jonah's three days to Jesus' death and resurrection.
- Matthew 16:1-4 (verbal): A parallel rebuke—'an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign'—and refusal to give a sign except the sign of Jonah in response to demands from Pharisees and Sadducees.
- Mark 8:11-13 (verbal): Pharisees demand a sign; Jesus calls the generation evil for seeking one and refuses, paralleling Luke's rebuke and reference to the sign of Jonah.
- Jonah 1:17; 2:1-10 (allusion): The 'sign of Jonah' alludes to Jonah's three days in the fish and his prayer—Israelite narrative that Jesus uses typologically to prefigure his own three days (death and resurrection).
Alternative generated candidates
- When the crowds were gathering, he began to say, "This generation is wicked; it seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah."
- When the crowd had gathered in great numbers, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, and no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet."
Luke.11.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- καθως: CONJ
- γαρ: PART
- εγενετο: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- Ιωνας: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,n
- Νινευιταις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- σημειον: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ουτως: ADV
- εσται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- υιος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- ανθρωπου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- γενεα: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- ταυτη: PRO,dat,sg,f
Parallels
- Matthew 12:39-41 (quotation): Jesus explicitly cites Jonah as a sign and uses the Nineveh episode to rebuke the generation—same claim that ‘Jonah was a sign… so will the Son of Man be.’
- Matthew 12:40 (verbal): Gives the specific Jonah motif (three days and nights in the fish) that Jesus applies typologically to the Son of Man’s burial/resurrection.
- Matthew 16:4 (verbal): Repeats the rebuke about asking for a sign and states that the only sign to be given is the sign of Jonah—parallel function and wording.
- Jonah 1–2 (thematic): The narrative background: Jonah’s deliverance after being in the sea/fish and his successful preaching to Nineveh provides the historical/theological 'sign' Jesus invokes.
- John 2:18-22 (allusion): Jesus speaks of raising the temple in three days as a sign (understood as his resurrection) and later interprets the Jonah-sign motif in light of his death and rising.
Alternative generated candidates
- For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
- For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
Luke.11.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- βασιλισσα: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- νοτου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εγερθησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- κρισει: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- μετα: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- ανδρων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γενεας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ταυτης: DEM,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- κατακρινει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτους·οτι: PRON,acc,pl,m
- ηλθεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εκ: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- περατων: NOUN,gen,pl,n
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ακουσαι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- σοφιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- Σολομωνος: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ιδου: PART
- πλειον: ADV,comp
- Σολομωνος: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ωδε: ADV
Parallels
- Matthew 12:42 (quotation): Nearly identical saying in Matthew: Jesus cites the 'queen of the South' rising at judgment because she came to hear Solomon's wisdom and contrasts her with the present generation ('something greater than Solomon is here').
- 1 Kings 10:1-9 (allusion): The original narrative of the Queen of Sheba visiting Solomon to test his wisdom; this historical episode is the source behind Jesus' reference to her journey from the ends of the earth.
- 2 Chronicles 9:1-8 (verbal): A close retelling of the Queen of Sheba episode that parallels the language and details found in 1 Kings and so undergirds the Gospel allusion to her seeking Solomon's wisdom.
- Jonah 3:5-10 (thematic): Narrative of Nineveh's repentance at Jonah's preaching; used in Luke's immediate context (cf. Luke 11:32) alongside the Queen of the South to contrast the responsive foreign examples with Jesus' unresponsive contemporaries.
Alternative generated candidates
- The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now someone greater than Solomon is here.
- The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and will condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold — something greater than Solomon is here.
Luke.11.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ανδρες: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- Νινευιται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- αναστησονται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,pl
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- κρισει: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- μετα: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γενεας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ταυτης: DEM,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- κατακρινουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτην·οτι: PRON,acc,sg,f+CONJ
- μετενοησαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- εις: PREP
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- κηρυγμα: NOUN,nom,sg,n
- Ιωνα: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ιδου: PART
- πλειον: ADV,comp
- Ιωνα: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ωδε: ADV
Parallels
- Jonah 3:5-10 (quotation): Describes Nineveh's repentance in response to Jonah's preaching—the OT event Jesus cites as the basis for Nineveh condemning his generation.
- Matthew 12:41 (verbal): Almost identical saying of Jesus in Matthew: the men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment and condemn this generation because they repented at Jonah's preaching; someone greater than Jonah is here.
- Luke 11:31 (structural): Immediately connected context in Luke: the Queen of the South (Sheba) will condemn this generation for seeking a sign, paralleling the Nineveh example as a condemnatory comparison.
- Matthew 12:42 (thematic): Matthew's parallel to Luke 11:31: the Queen of the South's visit condemns the current generation because she responded to Solomon's wisdom—used alongside Nineveh to highlight greater accountability before Jesus.
Alternative generated candidates
- The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at Jonah's preaching, and now someone greater than Jonah is here.
- The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold — something greater than Jonah is here.
And when a great crowd had gathered, he began to say, 'This generation seeks a sign; no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.'
For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon's wisdom, and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.
The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at Jonah's preaching, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.