Luke 7:31
What does Luke 7:31 mean?
A plain-English look at Luke 7:31 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Luke 7:31 means
Jesus then posed a question to His listeners: 'Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like?' This rhetorical inquiry serves to introduce a parable or analogy that exposes the inconsistent and critical nature of His contemporaries. He aimed to illustrate their arbitrary rejection of both John's ascetic ministry and His own inclusive approach, revealing their underlying spiritual unwillingness to respond to God's messengers.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like?
KJV
King James Version · 1611And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like?
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949What comparison am I to make of the men of this generation? what are they like?
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And the Lord said, `To what, then, shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the Lord said: Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like?
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890To whom therefore shall I liken the men of this generation, and to whom are they like?
Context
This verse directly follows the contrasting responses to John's ministry, setting the stage for Jesus to explain the spiritual blindness of 'this generation.' It acts as an introductory question for the parable that immediately follows, which will vividly illustrate their critical and unyielding nature.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Mark 4:30
And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth?
- Lamentations 2:13
What shall I testify unto thee? what shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?
- Matthew 11:16
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, who call unto their fellows
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