Matthew 12 · Verse 41

Matthew 12:41

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.

Matthew 12:41, King James Version

Matthew 12:41 in other translations

BSB	The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.
WEB	The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.
ASV	The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.
YLT	‘Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for they reformed at the proclamation of Jonah, and lo, a greater than Jonah here!
DARBY	Ninevites shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold, more than Jonas is here.
BBE	The men of Nineveh will come up in the day of judging and give their decision against this generation: because they were turned from their sins at the preaching of Jonah; and now a greater than Jonah is here.
Webster	The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

What does Matthew 12:41 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

41. 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.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 41. The men of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire. It was founded by Ashur, Gen 10:11. It was situated on the banks of the river Tigris, to the north-east of Babylon. It is now so completely destroyed that geographers are unable to ascertain whether it was on the eastern or western bank. It was a city of vast extent, and of corresponding wickedness. It was forty-eight miles in circuit; its walls were one hundred feet high, and ten thick, and were defended by fifteen hundred towers, each two hundred feet in height. It contained in the time of Jonah, it is supposed, six hundred thousand inhabitants. The destruction of Nineveh, threatened by Jonah in forty days, was suspended, by their repentance, two hundred years. It was then overthrown by the Babylonians, about six hundred years before Christ. During the siege, a mighty inundation of the river Tigris took place, which threw down a part of the walls, through which the enemy entered, and sacked and destroyed the city. This destruction had been foretold one hundred and fifteen years before, by Nahum, Nah 1:8 "But with an overwhelming flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof." And Nah 2:6: "The gates of the river shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved." The place is completely destroyed. The very situation is unknown. If it seem strange that ancient cities are so completely destroyed that no remains of brick or stone are to be found, it should be remembered that they were built of clay dried only in the sun, and not burned; that frequent rams softened the clay; and that the mighty walls and dwellings, in the lapse of ages, would sink down into an undistinguished heap of ruins.

Shall condemn it. That is, their conduct, in repenting at Jonah's prediction, shall condemn this generation. They, ignorant and wicked heathen, repented when threatened with temporal judgment by a mere man--Jonah; you, Jews, professing to be enlightened, though threatened for your great wickedness with eternal punishment by the Son of God---a far greater Being than Jonah--repent not, and must therefore meet with a far heavier condemnation.

(n) "condemnation" Rom 2:27 (o) "at the preaching" Jonah 3:5

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 41 The 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 - Πλειον, for τι πλειον, something more. The evidence offered by Jonah sufficed to convince and lead the Ninevites to repentance; but here was more evidence, and a greater person; and yet so obstinate are the Jews that all is ineffectual. 1. Christ, who preached to the Jews, was infinitely greater than Jonah, in his nature, person, and mission. 2. Jonah preached repentance in Nineveh only forty days, and Christ preached among the Jews for several years. 3. Jonah wrought no miracles to authorize his preaching; but Christ wrought miracles every day, in every place where he went, and of every kind. And 4. Notwithstanding all this, the people of Judea did not repent, though the people of Nineveh did.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 12:38-45

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…

Read the full comment on Matthew 12:38-45 →

Matthew 12:41 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.

ἌνδρεςAndres[The] menG435

ΝινευῖταιNineuitaiof NinevehG3536

ἀναστήσονταιanastēsontaiwill stand upG450

ἐνeninG1722

τῇtēatheG3588

κρίσειkriseijudgmentG2920

μετὰmetawithG3326

τῆςtēs<the>G3588

γενεᾶςgeneasgenerationG1074

ταύτηςtautēsthisG3778

καὶkaiandG2532

κατακρινοῦσινkatakrinousinwill condemnG2632

αὐτήν,autēnit,G846

ὅτιhotiforG3754

μετενόησανmetenoēsanthey repentedG3340

εἰςeisatG1519

τὸtotheG3588

κήρυγμαkērugmapreachingG2782

Ἰωνᾶ·Iōnaof Jonah;G2495

καὶkaiandG2532

ἰδοὺidoubeholdG2400

πλεῖονpleiongreaterG4119

ἸωνᾶIōnathan JonahG2495

ὧδε.¶hōdehere.G5602

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

Cross references for Matthew 12:41

Matthew 12:42
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Romans 2:27
And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
John 3:31
He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
Matthew 12:6
But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Luke 11:32
The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Jeremiah 3:11
And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
Jonah 1:2
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
Hebrews 3:5-6
And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Ezekiel 16:51-52
Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done. Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.
Matthew 12:39
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
John 4:12
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

men.
Lu 11:32
rise.
42; Isa 54:17; Jer 3:11; Eze 16:51,52; Ro 2:27; Heb 11:7
this.
39,45; 16:4; 17:17; 23:36
because.
Jon 3:5-10
behold.
6,42; Joh 3:31; 4:12; 8:53-58; Heb 3:5,6

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

Context

Matthew 12:40
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.
Matthew 12:41
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.
Matthew 12:42
The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Read all of Matthew 12

Matthew 12:41 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Los hombres de Nínive se levantarán en el juicio con esta generación, y la condenarán; porque ellos se arrepintieron á la predicación de Jonás; y he aquí más que Jonás en este lugar.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Des hommes de Ninive se lèveront au jugement avec cette génération et la condamneront, car ils se sont repentis à la prédication de Jonas, et voici, il y a ici plus que Jonas.
German Elberfelder 1871	Männer von Ninive werden aufstehen im Gericht mit diesem Geschlecht und werden es verdammen, denn sie taten Buße auf die Predigt Jonas; und siehe, mehr als Jonas ist hier.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Viri Ninivitæ surgent in judicio cum generatione ista, et condemnabunt eam: quia pœnitentiam egerunt in prædicatione Jonæ, et ecce plus quam Jonas hic.