Luke 7:31

31 And the Lord said, `To what, then, shall I liken the men of this generation? and to 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 And all the people having heard, and the tax-gatherers, declared God righteous, having been baptized with the baptism of John,

30 but the Pharisees, and the lawyers, the counsel of God did put away for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

31 And the Lord said, `To what, then, shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

32 they are like to children, to those sitting in a market-place, and calling one to another, and saying, We piped to you, and ye did not dance, we mourned to you, and ye did not weep!

33 `For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye say, He hath a demon;