Luke 7 · Verse 31

Luke 7:31

And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
Luke 7:31, King James Version

Luke 7:31 in other translations

BSB“To what, then, can I compare the men of this generation? What are they like?
WEB“To what then should I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?
ASVWhereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like?
YLTAnd the Lord said, ‘To what, then, shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
DARBYTo whom therefore shall I liken the men of this generation, and to whom are they like?
BBEWhat comparison am I to make of the men of this generation? what are they like?
WebsterAnd the Lord said, To what then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?

What does Luke 7:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Luke 7:31-35
31-35. the Lord said, &c.--As cross, capricious children, invited by their playmates to join them in their amusements, will play with them neither at weddings nor funerals (juvenile imitations of the joyous and mournful scenes of life), so that generation rejected both John and his Master: the one because he was too unsocial--more like a demoniac than a rational man; the other, because He was too much the reverse, given to animal indulgences, and consorting with the lowest classes of society. But the children of Wisdom recognize and honor her, whether in the austere garb of the Baptist or in the more attractive style of his Master, whether in the Law or in the Gospel, whether in rags or in royalty, for "the full soul loatheth an honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet" (Pr 27:7).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 31. See this passage explained in the Notes on Mt. 11:16-19. Mt 11:16; Mt 11:17; Mt 11:18; Mt 11:19.

(w) "Whereunto then shall I" Mt 3:4, Mk 1:6, Lk 1:15

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 31 And the Lord said - Almost every MS. of authority and importance, with most of the versions, omit these words. As the Evangelistaria (the books which contained those portions of the Gospels which were read in the Churches) began at this verse, the words were probably at first used by them, to introduce the following parable. There is the fullest proof that they never made a part of Luke's text. Every critic rejects them. Bengel and Griesbach leave them out of the text.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 7:19-35

To his miracles in the kingdom of nature, Christ adds this in the kingdom of grace, To the poor the gospel is preached. It clearly pointed out the spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, that the messenger he sent before him to prepare his way, did it by preaching repentance and reformation of heart and life. We have here the just blame of those who were not wrought upon by the ministry of John Baptist or of Jesus…

Read the full comment on Luke 7:19-35 →

Luke 7:31 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΕἶπενEipensaidG2036
δὲdenowG1161
ὁho<the>G3588
κύριος,kuriosLordG2962
τίνιtiniTo whatG5101
οὖνounthereforeG3767
ὁμοιώσωhomoiōsōwill I likenG3666
τοὺςtoustheG3588
ἀνθρώπουςanthrōpousmenG444
τῆςtēsof theG3588
γενεᾶςgeneasgenerationG1074
ταύτηςtautēsthisG3778
καὶkaiAndG2532
τίνιtinito whatG5101
εἰσὶνeisinare theyG1510
ὅμοιοι;homoioilike?G3664

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 7:31

  • Matthew 11:16-19

    But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

  • Lamentations 2:13

    What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?

  • Mark 4:30

    And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Whereunto.
La 2:13; Mt 11:16-19; Mr 4:30

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 7:30

    But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

  • Luke 7:31

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

  • Luke 7:32

    They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

Read all of Luke 7

Luke 7:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y dice el Señor: ¿A quién, pues, compararé los hombres de esta generación, y á qué son semejantes?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		À qui donc comparerai-je les hommes de cette génération, et à qui ressemblent-ils?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wem soll ich nun die Menschen dieses Geschlechts vergleichen? und wem sind sie gleich?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ait autem Dominus: Cui ergo similes dicam homines generationis hujus? et cui similes sunt?