Matthew 16:3 kjv
And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Matthew 16:3 nkjv
and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.
Matthew 16:3 niv
and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
Matthew 16:3 esv
And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
Matthew 16:3 nlt
red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don't know how to interpret the signs of the times!
Matthew 16 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 12:38 | Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” | Demand for a sign. |
| Matt 12:39 | He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” | Jesus' refusal to give another sign; the sign of Jonah. |
| Luke 12:54-56 | He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does... You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not know how to interpret this present time?" | Direct parallel to Matt 16:3, emphasizing present time. |
| Isa 6:9-10 | He said, “Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’" | Spiritual blindness and inability to perceive God's truth. |
| John 9:39-41 | Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”... | Jesus' ministry exposes spiritual blindness. |
| John 5:39-40 | You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. | Knowing the law but failing to recognize Christ. |
| Hos 6:3 | Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear... | Calls for diligent knowledge of God, contrasting with those who refuse. |
| Jer 8:7 | Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift, and the thrush observe the time of their migration, but my people do not know the requirements of the Lord. | Nature's instinct vs. Israel's spiritual ignorance. |
| Luke 13:15 | The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?" | Exposes the hypocrisy of religious leaders. |
| Matt 23:27-28 | “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." | Hypocrisy, outward show versus inner reality. |
| 1 Sam 2:3 | “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth utter such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed." | God sees beyond outward appearance and knows true motives. |
| Dan 9:24-27 | Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression... until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes... | Prophetic timeline pointing to Messiah's coming. |
| Acts 17:30 | In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. | The coming of Christ marks a new epoch, a "kairos." |
| Eph 5:16 | making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. | Importance of "redeeming the time" or discerning the "kairos." |
| Col 4:5 | Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. | Walk in wisdom and discern the opportunities. |
| 1 Thess 5:1 | Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. | Awareness of prophetic "times" and events. |
| 1 Chr 12:32 | From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do... | Model of understanding the "times" and knowing how to act. |
| Luke 19:41-42 | As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes." | Jerusalem's failure to recognize its "day" of visitation. |
| Rom 1:20-21 | For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen... They are without excuse. | Natural revelation leading to knowledge of God, contrasted with suppression of truth. |
| 2 Cor 4:3-4 | And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers... | Spiritual blindness caused by satanic influence. |
| John 14:11 | Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. | Jesus' works are the very signs they should be recognizing. |
| Isa 35:5-6 | Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. | Prophecies of Messianic works, fulfilled by Jesus' miracles, acting as signs. |
| Heb 1:1-2 | In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son... | God's ultimate revelation in His Son, signaling the climax of God's times. |
Matthew 16 verses
Matthew 16 3 Meaning
Matthew 16:3 recounts Jesus' rebuke to the Pharisees and Sadducees, who, despite their ability to discern natural weather patterns, were unable to recognize the profound spiritual signs evident in His ministry and the historical moment. They could predict a storm by observing a red and ominous sky but were spiritually blind to the true nature and identity of the Messiah standing before them. Jesus highlights their hypocrisy and lack of spiritual insight, emphasizing their failure to interpret the crucial period of God's redemptive work unfolding in their midst, manifested through Him.
Matthew 16 3 Context
Matthew 16:1-4 presents an encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees, religious factions who typically opposed each other but united in their desire to discredit Jesus. They approach Him, "testing" Him by demanding a "sign from heaven." This demand implies a celestial, unambiguous display of divine power to prove His Messiahship, something beyond the miracles Jesus had already performed. These leaders refused to acknowledge the earthly yet divine manifestations of His authority, healing, and teaching, which were already undeniable signs.
Verse 3 follows Jesus' direct quotation of their weather wisdom. Historically, weather discernment was crucial for agriculture and daily life in ancient Judea. A red morning sky, especially if low and ominous ("unhealthy-looking" or "foul weather"), was a common indicator of an approaching storm. Their practical knowledge was commendable within its sphere. The chapter's immediate context then shifts as Jesus condemns their spiritual insensitivity by contrasting their natural sagacity with their spiritual ineptitude. This dialogue occurs after the feeding of the four thousand and shortly before Peter's confession of Christ, underscoring their severe spiritual blindness even as monumental truths were being revealed around them. This encounter also sets the stage for Jesus to warn His disciples about the "yeast" (false teaching) of these religious leaders, signifying the deceptive and harmful nature of their spiritual inability.
Matthew 16 3 Word analysis
- and in the morning: (Greek: prōï) Refers to the early part of the day. Simple temporal marker, but sets up the specific scenario of weather observation.
- 'It will be stormy today': (Greek: cheimōn) Literally "winter," but often used for "bad weather," a "storm," or "tempest." Here it signifies imminent foul weather based on sky observation.
- for the sky is red: (Greek: pyrrazō, to be fire-red) Describes the vivid, fiery color of the morning sky. This is a visual sign they interpreted correctly.
- and unhealthy-looking': (Greek: stugnazō) To have a gloomy, forbidding, or ominous look; to be "foul" or "lowering." This adjective enhances the threat implied by the "red" sky, suggesting bad weather. Their discernment of this visual cue is precise for earthly matters.
- You know how to interpret: (Greek: ginōskō, to know by experience; and dokimazō, to test, examine, discern, approve) Ginōskō implies a familiar, experiential knowledge. Dokimazō speaks to their ability to discern and pass judgment, in this case, a correct assessment. They possess an effective, applied understanding in natural phenomena.
- the appearance of the sky: (Greek: prosōpon tou ouranou, literally "the face of the heaven") Refers to the visible surface or outward aspect of the sky. They are adept at reading physical signs.
- but you cannot interpret: The stark contrast ("but") highlights their profound spiritual deficiency. Their inability is total in this realm. The same discernment (dokimazō) is utterly lacking.
- the signs: (Greek: sēmeion) A critical term. It refers to a mark, token, or portent, often implying a miraculous sign given by God to authenticate a message or person. Here, it signifies divine attestations, wonders, and works performed by Jesus Himself. They had witnessed numerous sēmeia (miracles, teachings with authority) but failed to recognize their divine source and purpose.
- of the times: (Greek: tōn kairōn, genitive plural of kairos) Crucial distinction from chronos (linear, chronological time). Kairos denotes a specific, critical, opportune, or appointed moment in God's redemptive plan; a divinely determined season. This refers to the profound epoch of the Messiah's advent, the in-breaking of God's kingdom, and the culmination of centuries of prophecy. The "signs of the times" were Jesus' very presence, His kingdom message, His authority, His teachings, and His miracles. They were living in the kairos of the Messiah, yet were blind to it.
Matthew 16 3 Bonus section
The contrast between natural discernment and spiritual blindness underscores a recurring theme throughout the Gospels and prophetic literature: God's people, though possessing great light, often fail to recognize divine truth. The men of Issachar in 1 Chr 12:32 are held up as an example of those who did understand their times (kairos) and knew what Israel should do, highlighting what the Pharisees and Sadducees severely lacked. Their spiritual state mirrors the prophetic warnings in Isa 6:9-10, where hearts are made dull, and eyes are closed. Jesus' statement isn't just a critique; it's a lament over their inability to seize the moment of their salvation, as he later wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:42). The phrase "signs of the times" continues to challenge believers today to not merely consume news and discern human events but to prayerfully seek to understand God's current work and prepare for future prophetic fulfillments, particularly concerning the signs pointing towards Christ's return and the ultimate culmination of all times.
Matthew 16 3 Commentary
Matthew 16:3 serves as a sharp indictment of spiritual hypocrisy and willful blindness. Jesus highlights the glaring paradox: those who are acutely sensitive to the natural world and possess the wisdom to predict earthly events remain utterly oblivious to the far more significant spiritual realities unfolding before them. The Pharisees and Sadducees, custodians of the Law and prophets, should have been the first to recognize the signs of the Messiah's advent, as the Scriptures were replete with such prophecies. Yet, their hardened hearts, predetermined expectations of a political deliverer, and love of worldly honor prevented them from seeing God's activity in Jesus. Their demand for a "sign from heaven" was not born of genuine inquiry but out of unbelief and a desire to control the narrative or condemn Jesus. Jesus' response reveals that the greatest "sign" was already among them: His own person and ministry. Their inability to interpret the kairos—the crucial moment of divine visitation—meant they missed their spiritual opportunity, with tragic consequences for themselves and their generation. This passage urges believers of all ages to cultivate true spiritual discernment, lest we, too, become adept at the trivial while remaining blind to God's profound workings in our own time.