Luke 7:31

31 "To what then shall I compare the men of the present generation, and what do they resemble?

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 And all the people, including the tax-gatherers, when they listened to him upheld the righteousness of God, by being baptized with John's baptism.

30 But the Pharisees and expounders of the Law have frustrated God's purpose as to their own lives, by refusing to be baptized.

31 "To what then shall I compare the men of the present generation, and what do they resemble?

32 They are like children sitting in the public square and calling out to one another, `We have played the flute to you, and you have not danced: we have sung dirges, and you have not shown sorrow.'

33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, `He has a demon!'