Matthew 12:41

Matthew 12:41 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
• New International Version (NIV)The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Context of Matthew 12:41

39Jesus replied, ‘The people who are alive today are very bad. They do not obey God, but they want God to show them something powerful. But God will not do this for them. They will only see the same powerful thing that God did for his prophet Jonah. 40Jonah stayed inside a big fish for three days and three nights. In the same way, the Son of Man will remain in the ground for three days and three nights. When God judges everyone, the people who lived in Nineveh will be there. They will stand up and they will speak against you. They will show that the people who are alive today are bad. When Jonah spoke to the people in Nineveh long ago, they stopped doing bad things. But look! There is someone here now who is greater than Jonah was. 42Also, the Queen of Sheba travelled a long way to meet King Solomon. She wanted to hear his wise words. When God judges everyone, she will stand up. She will speak against you who are alive today. She will show that you are bad people. She listened to King Solomon. But look! There is someone here now who is greater than Solomon was. But you are not listening to me.’ 43Jesus then said, ‘When a bad spirit leaves a person, it travels through dry places. It looks for a new place to live. But maybe it does not find anywhere.

Matthew 12:41 word by word

Ἄνδρες Νινευῖται ἀναστήσονται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης καὶ κατακρινοῦσιν αὐτήν, ὅτι μετενόησαν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰωνᾶ· καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ὧδε.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The menἀνήρanēr · manG435
• of NinevehΝινευΐτηςNineuitēs · NineviteG3536
• shall riseἀνίστημιanistēmi · to ariseG450
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• judgmentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• judgmentκρίσιςkrisis · judgmentG2920
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• generationγενεάgenea · generationG1074
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• shall condemnκατακρίνωkatakrinō · to condemnG2632
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• they repentedμετανοέωmetanoeō · to repentG3340
• atεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the preachingκήρυγμαkērugma · preachingG2782
• of JonasἸωνᾶςIōnas · JonahG2495
• beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• a greaterπλείων, πλεῖονpleiōn pleion pleon · greaterG4119
• hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602

Cross-references for Matthew 12:41

• Luke 11:32When God judges everyone, the people who lived in Nineveh will be there. They will stand up and they will speak against you. They will show that the people who are alive today are bad. When Jonah spoke to the people in Nineveh long ago, they stopped doing bad things. But look! There is someone here now who is greater than Jonah was.’
• Matthew 12:42Also, the Queen of Sheba travelled a long way to meet King Solomon. She wanted to hear his wise words. When God judges everyone, she will stand up. She will speak against you who are alive today. She will show that you are bad people. She listened to King Solomon. But look! There is someone here now who is greater than Solomon was. But you are not listening to me.’
• Isaiah 54:17But nobody can make a weapon that will beat you, when your enemies attack you. If people accuse you of bad things, you will show that they are wrong. That is what the Lord will do as a gift for his servants. Yes, I will show that they are right.’ That is what the Lord says.
• Jeremiah 3:11The Lord said to me, ‘It is true that Israel's people have not been faithful to me. But Judah's people are even more guilty than them.
• Ezekiel 16:51Samaria's people did less than half as many sins as you have done. You have done many more disgusting things than they did. The many wicked things that you have done make your sisters seem righteous!
• Romans 2:27In that way, even Gentiles will show that you who are Jews are wrong. God's Law was written to help you Jews. They circumcised you to show that you belong to God. But if you refuse to obey God's Law, then God will punish you. The Gentiles who do obey God's Law will show that God is right to punish you.
• Hebrews 11:7Noah believed God too. God told Noah about bad things that would happen. Nobody could see what would happen, but Noah believed God's message. He was careful to do exactly what God told him. He built a large ship to save his family. As a result of his faith, Noah showed that everyone else in the world was wrong. Noah himself became one of those people that God accepted as right with him. They are right with God because they trust him.
• Matthew 12:39Jesus replied, ‘The people who are alive today are very bad. They do not obey God, but they want God to show them something powerful. But God will not do this for them. They will only see the same powerful thing that God did for his prophet Jonah.
• Matthew 16:4The people who are alive today are very bad. They do not obey God. They want God to show them something powerful. But God will not do this for them. They will only see the same powerful thing that God did for Jonah.’ Then Jesus went away and left them.
• Matthew 17:17Jesus replied, ‘You people today still do not believe in God. You have turned away from him. I have been with you for a long time and still you do not believe. It is difficult for me to be patient with you.’ Then Jesus said to the man, ‘Bring the boy here to me.’
• Matthew 23:36Yes, I tell you this: God will punish the people who are alive today for all those murders.
• Jonah 3:5The people who lived in Nineveh believed God's message. They told everyone that they must not eat any food for several days. Everyone had to wear sackcloth to show that they were sorry. The most important people and the ordinary people all did that.
• Matthew 12:6But I tell you this. There is someone here now who has greater authority even than the temple.
• John 3:31The one who comes from above is greater than all things. A person who comes from the earth belongs to the earth. A person like that speaks only about things that belong to the earth. But the one who comes from heaven is greater than all things.
• John 4:12Jacob, our ancestor, gave this well to us. He, his sons and his sheep, goats and cows all drank its water. Are you saying that you are greater than Jacob?’
• John 8:53You cannot be greater than our father Abraham, and he died! You cannot be greater than the prophets, and they all died! Who do you think that you are?’

Commentaries on Matthew 12:41

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 41The men of Nineveh shell rise in judgment - The voice of God, threatening temporal judgments, caused a whole people to repent, who had neither Moses nor Christ, neither the law nor the prophets; and who perhaps never had but this one preacher among them. What judgment may not we expect, if we continue impenitent, after all that God has bestowed upon us? A greater than Jonas is here - , for , something more. The evidence offered by Jonah sufficed to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38-42Verses 38-42 We would see a sign from thee - See Luke 11:16, Luke 11:29-32. A “sign” commonly signifies a miracle - that is, a sign that God was with the person or had sent him. Compare the notes at Isaiah 7:11. Luke adds that this was done “tempting him;” that is, trying him, doubting if he had the power to do it. If these persons had been present with him for any considerable time, they had already seen sufficient proofs that he was what he claimed to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 38-45Verses 38-45 Though Christ is always ready to hear and answer holy desires and prayers, yet those who ask amiss, ask and have not. Signs were granted to those who desired them to confirm their faith, as Abraham and Gideon; but denied to those who demanded them to excuse their unbelief. The resurrection of Christ from the dead by his own power, called here the sign of the prophet Jonah, was the great proof of Christ's being the Messiah. As Jonah was three…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 41-42One greater: Jesus is greater than the temple (Matthew 12:6), the prophet Jonah, and King Solomon. So, rejecting him brings more severe judgment on this "wicked and adulterous generation" (12:39).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4141. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, &c.--The Ninevites, though heathens, repented at a man's preaching; while they, God's covenant-people, repented not at the preaching of the Son of God--whose supreme dignity is rather implied here than expressed.Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 12:41

• Conviction
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Jonah
• Judgment
• Responsibility

In the dictionaries

• Nineveh
• Nineveh, Ninevite
• Adulterous
• Condemn
• Desolation
• Idle
• Jonas
• Judgment
• Restore
• Sin

Commentaries on Matthew 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings