Luke 11 30

Luke 11:30 kjv

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

Luke 11:30 nkjv

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

Luke 11:30 niv

For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.

Luke 11:30 esv

For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

Luke 11:30 nlt

What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.

Luke 11 verses

Luke 11 30 Meaning

Luke 11:30 conveys that Jesus' identity and mission, particularly His death, burial, and resurrection, will serve as the conclusive divine authentication for "this generation," just as Jonah's experience—his miraculous survival and subsequent preaching—served as a definitive sign for the Ninevites. This sign is primarily understood as Jesus' resurrection, confirming His unique status as the Messiah and Son of God, offering an opportunity for repentance, yet also portending judgment for those who reject Him.

Luke 11 30 Context

Luke 11:30 immediately follows Jesus' pronouncement to the crowds that "this generation" is evil and seeks a sign, yet no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah (Lk 11:29). This is a response to those who demanded miraculous proofs from Him, despite His many miracles already performed. The verse serves as a crucial explanation of what "the sign of Jonah" entails, setting the stage for comparisons with the Queen of the South and the Ninevites in the subsequent verses (Lk 11:31-32), highlighting the culpability of those who reject the greater light now present in Jesus. Historically, Jewish leaders and people frequently looked for a conclusive sign to authenticate messianic claims, often interpreting prophecy with a desire for a dramatic, nationalistic display. Jesus reframes their expectation, redirecting them from outward spectacle to a deeper spiritual reality connected to His identity and ultimate sacrifice, a profound challenge to contemporary beliefs about what a Messiah would be or do.

Luke 11 30 Word analysis

• For as (Greek: καθὼς γὰρ, kathōs gar): Kathōs indicates "just as," drawing a direct, precise comparison or analogy. Gar is a connective particle, meaning "for" or "because," explaining or giving the reason for the preceding statement (Lk 11:29's "no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah"). It establishes a firm, illustrative parallel.
• Jonah (Greek: Ἰωνᾶς, Ionas): The Hebrew prophet, whose story is detailed in the book of Jonah. His unique experience of being swallowed by a great fish and surviving three days and nights, followed by his effective preaching in Nineveh, provides the typology.
• became (Greek: ἐγένετο, egeneto): Aorist tense of ginomai, meaning "to come into being," "to happen," "to become." It emphasizes a completed past event that transformed Jonah's situation and status for the Ninevites.
• a sign (Greek: σημεῖον, sēmeion): From sēmainō, "to give a sign, signify." A sēmeion is not merely a wonder or miracle (δύναμις, dynamis), but an extraordinary occurrence pointing beyond itself, serving as a token, mark, or indication of divine authority and truth. Here, it functions as both a prefigurative event and a warning/judgment sign.
• to the Ninevites (Greek: τοῖς Νινευΐταις, tois Nineuïtais): The inhabitants of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, a prominent Gentile city and an enemy of Israel. That God sent His prophet to gentiles and they repented underscores their spiritual responsiveness compared to "this generation" of Israel.
• so also will (Greek: οὕτως ἔσται, houtōs estai): Houtōs means "thus" or "in this manner," highlighting the same type of consequence or fulfillment. Estai is the future indicative of eimi ("to be"), confirming a definite future event. The structure "just as... so also..." highlights the undeniable parallelism.
• the Son of Man (Greek: ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ho huios tou anthrōpou): Jesus' primary self-designation. This title links back to Daniel 7:13-14, depicting a divinely appointed figure coming with clouds of heaven, granted everlasting dominion and a kingdom. In the Gospels, Jesus imbues it with both His authoritative divine nature and His human experience, especially His suffering, death, and resurrection.
• be to this generation (Greek: ταύτῃ τῇ γενεᾷ, tautē tē genea): Genos or genea refers to a group of people, a race, a family, or an age/era. Here, it specifically refers to the contemporary generation of Jews during Jesus' earthly ministry, characterized by unbelief, spiritual blindness, and resistance to God's redemptive work. This implies a pronouncement of judgment if they do not repent.

Words-group analysis:

• "For as Jonah became a sign...": Establishes the type and pattern of the sign—an event directly tied to Jonah's physical experience of death and resurrection, and his subsequent message of repentance. The miraculous preservation in the fish's belly and his emergence serve as a type of resurrection, validating his divine commission to the Ninevites.
• "...so also will the Son of Man be...": Draws the prophetic parallel directly from Jonah to Jesus. The manner in which Jesus will be a sign is analogous to Jonah: a dramatic, God-orchestrated experience involving death and subsequent emergence/resurrection, which then validates Jesus' message and person. This highlights the resurrection as the definitive divine authentication for "this generation."
• "...to the Ninevites...to this generation": This contrasts the Gentile Ninevites' readiness to repent at Jonah's preaching (even given the Ninevites' reputation for brutality and their status as Israel's enemy) with the hardness of heart of "this generation" in Israel, who possessed God's law, prophets, and now Jesus Himself. This contrast foreshadows the judgment upon the unbelieving Jewish generation, condemned by the repentance of the gentiles.

Luke 11 30 Bonus section

The "sign of Jonah" carries a dual emphasis: first, the prefiguration of Jesus' resurrection validating His person and authority, and second, the effect of Jonah's sign on the Ninevites, leading to repentance. The implication is that if "this generation" does not repent in response to the far greater Son of Man, they face judgment that will be worse than Nineveh's. Jesus emphasizes the internal spiritual readiness rather than an external magical display. Furthermore, some interpretations see Jonah’s time in the fish also symbolizing the deep and desperate state of Israel during its exile or the darkness into which the Messiah descended on behalf of sinful humanity, making His emergence a powerful sign of God's redemptive work. The comparison serves not only as prophecy but as a severe warning of imminent judgment for unbelief.

Luke 11 30 Commentary

Luke 11:30 serves as Jesus' direct response to a generation seeking validating "signs" but unwilling to recognize the signs already manifest in His works and teaching. The "sign of Jonah" is not another outward display, but Jesus' own death and resurrection—His descent into the "heart of the earth" and subsequent emergence on the third day, mirroring Jonah's three days in the great fish. This single, greatest sign transcends mere spectacle, demonstrating His unique identity as the Son of God, validating His words, and providing the means of salvation. Just as Jonah's preaching prompted Nineveh's repentance, so Jesus' resurrection authenticates His gospel message, demanding a decision for or against Him. It reveals God's profound grace in offering this ultimate sign for repentance, but simultaneously seals the condemnation of those who reject it, demonstrating their spiritual blindness is greater than the Gentile Ninevites'.