Focused Passage

Matthew 12:38-42

The Lord of the Sabbath, the Servant of the Lord, and the Crisis of Unbelief

Matthew moves from Sabbath controversy in the grainfields, to Sabbath healing in the synagogue, to Isaiah’s Servant fulfillment, to the Beelzebul accusation and Jesus’ warning about blasphemy against the Spirit, to teaching on words and the heart, to the sign of Jonah and judgment against the generation, to the danger of empty reform, and finally to the true family of Jesus.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

39Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 38

Original words

ThenΤότεG5119AdverbsomeτινεςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Pluralof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralscribesγραμματέωνG1122Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionPhariseesΦαρισαίωνG5330Noun - Genitive Masculine Pluralsaid to HimἀπεκρίθησανG611Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural. . .αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular. . .λέγοντεςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralTeacherΔιδάσκαλεG1320Noun - Vocative Masculine Singularwe wantθέλομενG2309Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Pluralto seeἰδεῖνG3708Verb - Aorist Infinitive Activea signσημεῖονG4592Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularfromἀπὸG575PrepositionYouσοῦG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Verse 39

Original words

-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular[Jesus] repliedἀποκριθεὶςG611Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular-εἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralA wickedπονηρὰG4190Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionadulterousμοιχαλὶςG3428Noun - Nominative Feminine SingulargenerationΓενεὰG1074Noun - Nominative Feminine SingulardemandsἐπιζητεῖG1934Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara signσημεῖονG4592Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular[but]καὶG2532ConjunctionnoneοὐG3756Adverb. . .σημεῖονG4592Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularwill be givenδοθήσεταιG1325Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularitαὐτῇG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person SingularexceptεἰG1487Conjunction. . .μὴG3361AdverbtheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularsignσημεῖονG4592Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularprophetπροφήτουG4396Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularJonahἸωνᾶG2495Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 40

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionasὥσπερG5618AdverbJonahἸωνᾶςG2495Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularwasἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularthreeτρεῖςG5140Adjective - Accusative Feminine PluraldaysἡμέραςG2250Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionthreeτρεῖςG5140Adjective - Accusative Feminine PluralnightsνύκταςG3571Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularbellyκοιλίᾳG2836Noun - Dative Feminine Singularof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singulargreat fishκήτουςG2785Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularsoοὕτωςG3779AdverbtheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularSonΥἱὸςG5207Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof ManἀνθρώπουG444Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularwill beἔσταιG1510Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularthreeτρεῖςG5140Adjective - Accusative Feminine PluraldaysἡμέραςG2250Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionthreeτρεῖςG5140Adjective - Accusative Feminine PluralnightsνύκταςG3571Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularheartκαρδίᾳG2588Noun - Dative Feminine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 41

Original words

The menἌνδρεςG435Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralof NinevehΝινευῖταιG3536Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralwill standἀναστήσονταιG450Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person PluralatἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularjudgmentκρίσειG2920Noun - Dative Feminine SingularwithμετὰG3326PrepositionthisταύτηςG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulargenerationγενεᾶςG1074Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctioncondemnκατακρινοῦσινG2632Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralitαὐτήνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person SingularforὅτιG3754Conjunctionthey repentedμετενόησανG3340Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralatεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularpreachingκήρυγμαG2782Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularof JonahἸωνᾶG2495Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionnowἰδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular[One] greater thanπλεῖονG4119Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - ComparativeJonahἸωνᾶG2495Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularis hereὧδεG5602Adverb
Verse 42

Original words

The QueenβασίλισσαG938Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularof [the] SouthνότουG3558Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularwill riseἐγερθήσεταιG1453Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularatἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularjudgmentκρίσειG2920Noun - Dative Feminine SingularwithμετὰG3326PrepositionthisταύτηςG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulargenerationγενεᾶςG1074Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctioncondemnκατακρινεῖG2632Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularitαὐτήνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person SingularforὅτιG3754Conjunctionshe cameἦλθενG2064Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularfromἐκG1537PrepositiontheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralendsπεράτωνG4009Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluralof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularto hearἀκοῦσαιG191Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivetheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularwisdomσοφίανG4678Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof SolomonΣολομῶνοςG4672Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionnowἰδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular[One] greater thanπλεῖονG4119Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - ComparativeSolomonΣολομῶνοςG4672Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularis hereὧδεG5602Adverb

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.