Luke 11:32
What does Luke 11:32 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 11:32 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 11:32 means
Just as the Queen of the South will condemn the generation, so too will "the men of Nineveh." They repented at the preaching of Jonah, a human prophet whose message was primarily one of impending judgment. Jesus reminds His hearers that One "greater than Jonah" is present among them, yet they refuse to repent. Their obduracy reveals a profound spiritual hardness, even in the face of superior revelation.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
KJV
King James Version · 1611The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949The men of Nineveh will come up in the day of judging and give their decision against this generation: for they were turned away from their sins at the preaching of Jonah; but now something greater than Jonah is here.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they reformed at the proclamation of Jonah; and lo, greater than Jonah here!
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The men of Ninive shall rise in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it; Because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold more than Jonas here.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, more than Jonas is here.
Context
This verse continues the theme of judgment from the previous verse, drawing another powerful parallel to condemn the unbelieving generation. It builds on the comparison with the Queen of the South, intensifying the indictment by referencing the Ninevites' repentance at Jonah's preaching. This leads to Jesus' subsequent teaching about light, which emphasizes the importance of perceiving and responding to the truth.
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.
v.32This passage
v.33No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, putteth it in a cellar, neither under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see the light.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Luke 11:31
The 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.
- Jonah 3:5
And the people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
- Jonah 4:9
And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
- Hebrews 7:26
For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
- Jonah 1:2
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
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