And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Parallel translations
- WEB When the multitudes were gathering together to him, he began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah, the prophet.
- KJV And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
- BSB As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
- NASB Now as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it demands a sign, and so no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.
- NLT As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus calls this an evil generation that seeks a sign, promising only the sign of Jonah. He rebukes unbelief that demands proof.
Overview
Responding to the demand for a sign, Jesus condemns the generation's hardened unbelief. The only sign given will be that of Jonah. This points forward to Jesus' death and resurrection as the decisive vindication of his message.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Mark 8:11–12The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.
- Luke 11:16Others, testing him, sought from him a sign from heaven.
- Matt 12:38–42Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
- 1 Cor 1:22For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom,
- Matt 3:7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
- Luke 12:1Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
- Mark 8:38For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Father’s glory, with the holy angels.”
- John 6:30They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do?
- Acts 7:51–52“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.
- Matt 23:34–36Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;
- Matt 16:1–4The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
- John 8:44You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and its father.
- John 2:18The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”
- Luke 11:50that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
- Isa 57:3–4“But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes.
- Luke 9:41Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”
- Luke 14:25–26Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them,
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 11:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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