Devine Scripture

Luke 11:30

What does Luke 11:30 mean?

A plain-English look at Luke 11:30 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Luke 11:30 means

Jesus explains the nature of the "sign of Jonah." Just as Jonah's three days in the belly of the great fish and his subsequent emergence served as a miraculous sign to the Ninevites, so too would the "Son of man" (Jesus, referring to Himself) be a sign to "this generation" through His three days in the tomb and His resurrection. This prophecy points to the most significant event in salvation history.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

For even as Jonah became a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

For even as Jonah became a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of man be to this generation.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

for as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also shall the Son of Man be to this generation.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninivites; so shall the Son of man also be to this generation.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninevites, thus shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

Context

This verse elaborates on the "sign of Jonah" introduced in the previous verse, explaining its prophetic significance concerning Jesus. It clarifies how Jonah's experience prefigures Jesus' own death and resurrection. This explanation of the ultimate sign then sets the stage for the comparisons with the Queen of the South and the men of Nineveh, highlighting their responsiveness to a lesser sign.

v.29And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, he began to say, This generation is an evil generation: it seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

v.30This passage

v.31The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Jonah 1:17

    And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

  • Jonah 3:2

    Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

  • Jonah 2:10

    And Jehovah spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

  • Matthew 12:40

    for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

  • Luke 24:46

    and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day;

Related questions readers ask

Keep reading

Want to dig deeper? Explore Luke 11

Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Luke 11.

Keep exploring

Follow this verse across Scripture

Topics, devotionals, original-language word studies, and figures connected to Luke 11:30.

Browse every hub

BibleTopicsBible answersDevotionalsFamous passagesWord studiesPeoplePlacesVerses for…Reading plansCommentary