Matthew 12:41
What does Matthew 12:41 mean?
A plain-English look at Matthew 12:41 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Matthew 12:41 means
Jesus says the men of Nineveh will rise in judgment and condemn this generation because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, while his hearers do not. He warns that those expected to respond to God’s revelation (Jesus’ contemporaries) will be more culpable for rejecting greater revelation. The verse is an accusation and call to repentance: even notoriously sinful Nineveh responded to Jonah, so how much more should Jesus’ audience respond to him, greater than Jonah.
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 Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because 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: because they were turned from their sins at the preaching of Jonah; and now a 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, for they reformed at the proclamation of Jonah, and lo, a greater than Jonah here!
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Ninevites 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 follows the Jonah sign and contrasts past repentance with present hardness. Jesus uses Nineveh as an example of unexpected humility that will testify against unrepentant Israel. The next verse makes a similar point with another historical example—the queen of the south—pressing the indictment further.
v.40for 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.
v.41This passage
v.42The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: 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.
- Hebrews 3:5
And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken;
- Ezekiel 16:51
Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters by all thine abominations which thou hast done.
- Jeremiah 3:11
And Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath showed herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
- Romans 2:27
and shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who with the letter and circumcision art a transgressor of the law?
- John 8:53
Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died: whom makest thou thyself?
- Matthew 17:17
And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me.
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