Luke 7:31

31 Then Jesus said, "What shall I say about the people of this time? What are they like?

Luke 7:31 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 7:31

And the Lord said
This clause is not in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, nor in some copies, nor in Beza's most ancient copy; and being omitted, more clearly shows, that the two former verses are the words of Christ, and not an observation the evangelist makes, on the different behaviour of Christ's hearers, upon the commendation he had given of John:

whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation;
or "to what men shall I liken them", as the Persic version: the phrase "men of this generation", is Rabbinical; so (yvwa awhh ard) , the men of that "generation", are more beautiful in work than these, says the Targumist on ( Ecclesiastes 7:11 ) . "And to what are they like?" To that which follows.

Luke 7:31 In-Context

29 (When the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they all agreed that God's teaching was good, because they had been baptized by John.

30 But the Pharisees and experts on the law refused to accept God's plan for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)

31 Then Jesus said, "What shall I say about the people of this time? What are they like?

32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace, calling to one another and saying, 'We played music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a sad song, but you did not cry.'

33 John the Baptist came and did not eat bread or drink wine, and you say, 'He has a demon in him.'