EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Matthew 16:4
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 16:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
- New International Version (NIV)A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
- English Standard Version (ESV)An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed.
- New King James Version (NKJV)A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
Context of Matthew 16:4
2Jesus answered them, ‘Sometimes the sky is red in the evening. Then you say, “Tomorrow the weather will be good.” 3Sometimes in the morning the sky is red and there are dark clouds. Then you say, “Today there will be a storm.” So you look at the sky and you know what the weather will be. But special things are happening now. And you do not understand what they mean. The 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. 5Jesus and his disciples sailed over to the other side of the lake. His disciples forgot to take any bread with them. 6Jesus said to them, ‘Be careful! Do not accept the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.’
Read all of Matthew 16Matthew 16:4 word by word
γενεὰ πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ· καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ καὶ καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς ἀπῆλθεν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- A wickedπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- adulterousμοιχαλίςmoichalis · adulterousG3428
- generationγενεάgenea · generationG1074
- seeketh afterἐπιζητέωepizēteō · to seek afterG1934
- a signσημεῖονsēmeion · signG4592
- there shallδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- noοὐou · noG3756
- unto itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- ·εἰei · if: notG1487
- butμήmē · notG3361
- the signὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- of the prophetπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
- JonasἸωνᾶςIōnas · JonahG2495
- he leftκαταλείπωkataleipō · to leave behindG2641
- and departedἀπέρχομαιaperchomai · to go awayG565
Cross-references for Matthew 16:4
- 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.
- Mark 8:12Jesus cried with a low, sad sound. He said, ‘People who are alive today want God to show them something powerful. But I tell you this: God will not do the powerful thing for them that they want.’
- Acts 2:40Peter also told them many other things. He continued to speak strongly to them. He told them to be careful and he said, ‘People who are alive today do not do what is right. Save yourselves from the punishment that God will send on them.’
- Jonah 1:17But the Lord sent a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish's stomach for three days and three nights.
- Luke 11:29The crowd around Jesus was growing very large, so he began to speak to them. ‘The people that are alive today are very bad,’ he said. ‘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.
- Matthew 15:14Do not listen to what the Pharisees say. They are blind, but they try to show people which way to go. A blind person cannot lead another blind person. If he does, then both of them will fall into a deep hole.’
- Genesis 6:3The Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not give life to humans for ever. One day they will die. I will not let them live for more than 120 years. Then they will die.’
- Hosea 4:17The people of Israel enjoy their idols. Do not go near them!
- Hosea 9:12But even if they do have children, I will cause them all to die so that none are still alive. It will be a terrible time for the Israelites, because I will turn away from them.
- Mark 5:17Then the people who lived there said to Jesus, ‘Please go away. Leave this place.’
- Acts 18:6The Jews did not agree with Paul and they insulted him. So he shook the dirt off his clothes at them. He said to them, ‘If God punishes you, then you have caused it to happen. It will not be because of me. Now I will go to the Gentiles and I will teach them God's message.’
Commentaries on Matthew 16:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Wicked and adulterous generation - The Jewish people are represented in the Sacred Writings as married to the Most High; but, like a disloyal wife, forsaking their true husband, and uniting themselves to Satan and sin. Seeketh after a sign, , seeketh sign upon sign, or, still another sign. Our blessed Lord had already wrought miracles sufficient to demonstrate both his Divine mission and his divinity; only one was farther necessary to take away the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-4Verses 1-4 See also Mark 8:11-12. The Pharisees also, and the Sadducees - See the notes at Matthew 3:7. Tempting - That is, trying him - feigning a desire to see evidence that he was the Messiah, but with a real desire to see him make the attempt to work a miracle and fail, so that they might betray him and ruin him. A sign from heaven - Some miraculous appearance in the sky. Such appearances had been given by the prophets; and they supposed, if he was…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-12After being welcomed among the Gentiles (non-Jews), Jesus returned to his own people. There he faced rejection again.Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 16:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 16
- 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
EasyEnglish Bible 2018 — Copyright © MissionAssist 2018
Commentaries