English Standard Version
Matthew 12:40
40For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 12:40 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- New International Version (NIV)For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- New Living Translation (NLT)For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
Context of Matthew 12:40
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." 39But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41The 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. 42The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Read all of Matthew 12Matthew 12:40 word by word
ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, οὕτως ἔσται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- asὥσπερhōsper · just asG5618
- JonasἸωνᾶςIōnas · JonahG2495
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
- daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- nightsνύξnux · nightG3571
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the whale’sὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the whale’sκῆτοςkētos · sea monsterG2785
- bellyκοιλίαkoilia · belly/womb/stomachG2836
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- the heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- of the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
Cross-references for Matthew 12:40
- Jonah 1:17And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
- Matthew 16:21From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
- Matthew 17:23and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.
- Matthew 27:40and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
- John 2:19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
- Psalms 63:9But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
- Jonah 2:2saying, "I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
Commentaries on Matthew 12:40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40Three days and three nights - Our Lord rose from the grave on the day but one after his crucifixion: so that, in the computation in this verse, the part of the day on which he was crucified, and the part of that on which he rose again, are severally estimated as an entire day; and this, no doubt, exactly corresponded to the time in which Jonah was in the belly of the fish. Our Lord says, As Jonah was, so shall the Son of man be, etc. Evening and morning…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. 39-40To demand a sign shows a lack of faith. The sign of the prophet Jonah was his "resurrection" from the large fish after three days and nights. It also referred to his preaching (12:41; Luke 11:32). This was similar to the burial, resurrection, and preaching of Jesus. Jesus compared Jonah's experience to what he would experience. He was not predicting the exact timing of his death and resurrection. Heart of the earth is another way of saying "the grave."Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4040. For as Jonas was--"a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation" (Lu 11:30). For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly--(Jon 1:17). so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth--This was the second public announcement of His resurrection three days after His death. (For the first, see Joh 2:19). Jonah's case was analogous to this, as being a signal judgment of…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 12:40
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries