Luke 11:29
New International Version
As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.

New Living Translation
As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah.

English Standard Version
When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

Berean Standard Bible
As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.

Berean Literal Bible
And of the crowds being pressed around together, He began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah.

King James Bible
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

New King James Version
And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

New American Standard Bible
Now as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it demands a sign, and so no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

NASB 1995
As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

NASB 1977
And as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

Amplified Bible
Now as the crowds were increasing [in number], He began to say, “This [present] generation is a wicked generation; it seeks a sign (attesting miracle), but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah [the prophet].

Christian Standard Bible
As the crowds were increasing, he began saying, “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
As the crowds were increasing, He began saying: “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

American Standard Version
And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, he began to say, This generation is an evil generation: it seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when the crowds were assembling he began to say, “This wicked generation seeks for a sign and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the Prophet.”

Contemporary English Version
As crowds were gathering around Jesus, he said: You people of today are evil! You keep looking for a sign from God. But what happened to Jonah is the only sign you will be given.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the multitudes running together, he began to say: This generation is a wicked generation: it asketh a sign, and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

English Revised Version
And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, he began to say, This generation is an evil generation: it seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
As the people were gathering around him, Jesus said, "The people living today are evil. They look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will get is the sign of Jonah.

Good News Translation
As the people crowded around Jesus, he went on to say, "How evil are the people of this day! They ask for a miracle, but none will be given them except the miracle of Jonah.

International Standard Version
Now as the crowds continued to throng around Jesus, he went on to say, "This people living today are an evil generation. It craves a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah,

Literal Standard Version
And the multitudes crowding together on Him, He began to say, “This generation is evil, it seeks after a sign, and a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet,

Majority Standard Bible
As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It seeks a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

New American Bible
While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.

NET Bible
As the crowds were increasing, Jesus began to say, "This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

New Revised Standard Version
When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

New Heart English Bible
When the crowds were gathering together to him, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the people were assembled in crowds, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Weymouth New Testament
Now when the crowds came thronging upon Him, He proceeded to say, "The present generation is a wicked generation: it requires some sign, but no sign shall be given to it except that of Jonah.

World English Bible
When the multitudes were gathering together to him, he began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Young's Literal Translation
And the multitudes crowding together upon him, he began to say, 'This generation is evil, a sign it doth seek after, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Sign of Jonah
28But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” 29As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 24:24
Thus Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Lord GOD.'

Jonah 1:1
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,

Matthew 12:38
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."

Matthew 12:39
Jesus replied, "A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Matthew 16:4
A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Then He left them and went away.

Mark 8:12
Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, "Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."

Luke 11:16
And others tested Him by demanding a sign from heaven.


Treasury of Scripture

And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

when.

Luke 12:1
In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Luke 14:25,26
And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, …

This is.

Luke 11:50
That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

Luke 9:41
And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

Isaiah 57:3,4
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore…

they.

Matthew 12:38,39
Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee…

Matthew 16:1-4
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven…

Mark 8:11,12
And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him…

Jump to Previous
Assembled Crowds Evil Except Gathered Gathering Generation Great Increased Jesus Jonah Jonas Miraculous Multitudes Present Proceeded Prophet Requires Seek Seeketh Seeks Sign Thick Thronging Together Wicked
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Assembled Crowds Evil Except Gathered Gathering Generation Great Increased Jesus Jonah Jonas Miraculous Multitudes Present Proceeded Prophet Requires Seek Seeketh Seeks Sign Thick Thronging Together Wicked
Luke 11
1. Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11. assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him.
14. He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27. and shows who are blessed;
29. preaches to the people;
37. and reprimands the outward show of holiness.














(29-32) This is an evil generation: they seek a sign.--See Notes on Matthew 12:38-42. The words here spoken are clearly an answer to the demand for a sign in Luke 11:16. In St. Matthew the demand and the answer appear in close sequence.

The variations in St. Luke are (1) the omission of the explanation of the manner in which the sign of the prophet Jonah was to be fulfilled by the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth; (2) the position of the reference to the queen of the south, as coming between the sign of Jonah and the rising of the men of Nineveh. In other respects the agreement is more than usually complete.

Verses 29, 30. - And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. Jesus now proceeds - the crowd was, we read, become denser - to reply to the unbelieving suggestion that he should show by a sign from heaven that it was not by the help of Satan and the powers of hell that he was enabled to exercise so mighty a power over the spirits of evil. No sign of the startling nature demanded would be given to the Jews of his day. Evidence in support of his high claims and lofty assertions was then in process of being supplied. What were their eyes beholding day by day, and their ears hearing? Evidence still more complete would vet be given them, but it would avail nothing! Lo, the solemn sign of the Prophet Jonas, who preached to wicked Nineveh after his strange resurrection - that would be given them. It is clear that St. Luke's account of our Lord's words is abbreviated. To make the symbolism of the resurrection-sign complete, we must compare St. Matthew's report (Matthew 12:39, 40), where in plain terms the Lord's death, and the resting in the tomb, and subsequent resurrection is foretold, and compared to the well-known story of the entombment of Jonah at sea for three days. This simile of the Master's was no doubt one repeated on several occasions. It is likely enough that it was so well-known a comparison when St. Luke wrote his memoir of the life that the evangelist felt it was not needful to go into all the details of the comparison; to mention the simile was enough; no Christian individual, household, or congregation but could at once fill up the details originally spoken by the Lord here. In the catacombs the Jonah-story is, owing to its use by our Lord, an oft-repeated and very favourite representation on those long galleries of tombs of Christian men and women of the first three centuries.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
As
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

the
Τῶν (Tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

crowds
ὄχλων (ochlōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3793: From a derivative of echo; a throng; by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot.

were increasing,
ἐπαθροιζομένων (epathroizomenōn)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 1865: To gather together, pass: I crowd upon (some one), press around. From epi and athroizo; to accumulate.

[Jesus] said,
λέγειν (legein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“This
αὕτη (hautē)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

a wicked
πονηρά (ponēra)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4190: Evil, bad, wicked, malicious, slothful.

generation.
γενεὰ (genea)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1074: From genos; a generation; by implication, an age.

It demands
ζητεῖ (zētei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2212: To seek, search for, desire, require, demand. Of uncertain affinity; to seek; specially, to worship, or to plot.

a sign,
σημεῖον (sēmeion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4592: Neuter of a presumed derivative of the base of semaino; an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally.

but
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

none
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

will be given
δοθήσεται (dothēsetai)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

it
αὐτῇ (autē)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

except
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sign
σημεῖον (sēmeion)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4592: Neuter of a presumed derivative of the base of semaino; an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally.

of Jonah.
Ἰωνᾶ (Iōna)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2495: (Hebrew), Jonah, the Hebrew prophet. Of Hebrew origin; Jonas, the name of two Israelites.


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NT Gospels: Luke 11:29 When the multitudes were gathering together (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 11:28
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