Matthew 12:38-42

The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, ¹we wish to see a sign from you."

39 But he answered them, ²"An evil and ³adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 For ⁴just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, ⁵so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

41 ⁶The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and ⁷condemn it, for ⁸they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, ⁹something greater than Jonah is here.

42 ¹⁰The queen of the South will rise up 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 behold, ¹¹something greater than Solomon is here.

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 16:1; Mark 8:11, 12; Luke 11:16; Luke 23:8; John 2:18; John 4:48; John 6:30; 1 Corinthians 1:22
• 2. Matthew 16:4; For ver. 39-42, see Luke 11:29-32; [Mark 8:11, 12]
• 3. Isaiah 57:3; Mark 8:38; James 4:4
• 4. Jonah 1:17
• 5. [Matthew 17:22, 23]
• 6. Jonah 1:2
• 7. Hebrews 11:7; [Jeremiah 3:11; Ezekiel 16:51, 52; Romans 2:27]
• 8. Jonah 3:5
• 9. ver. 6
• 10. 1 Kings 10:1; 2 Chronicles 9:1
• 11. [See ver. 41 above]