For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

LUKE 11:30KJV
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Luke 11:30 (KJV)

What does Luke 11:30 mean?

Luke 11:30 means that just as Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh, showing them something important from God, Jesus (the "Son of man") will be a sign to the people of his own time. The verse compares Jonah’s experience with how Jesus will be a message or warning to his generation.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to a crowd that is asking him for a sign. He points back to the story of Jonah, who was sent to the city of Nineveh and whose presence and message were a sign from God. Jesus is saying that his own life and actions are a similar sign to the people listening to him, calling them to pay attention to what God is doing.

The Greek behind Luke 11:30

  • σημεῖον (sēmeion) — "sign": This Greek word often means a miraculous or meaningful event that points to something greater. Here, it highlights that both Jonah and Jesus serve as clear messages from God, not just ordinary people.
  • υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (huios tou anthrōpou) — "Son of man": This phrase is how Jesus often refers to himself, connecting to both his humanity and a figure in Jewish prophecy. It signals that Jesus is talking about himself in a special, meaningful way.
  • γενεᾷ ταύτῃ (genea tautē) — "this generation": The Greek word for "generation" can mean the people living at that time. Jesus is directly addressing the people around him, not just speaking in general terms.

Why Luke 11:30 matters

  • Luke 11:30 clarifies that Jesus is not just performing miracles for show; his whole life and message are meant to be a sign, just as Jonah’s story was for Nineveh.
  • The verse connects Jesus’ mission to the Old Testament, showing continuity in how God sends warnings and messages to people.
  • By referencing Jonah, Jesus sets up a comparison that challenges his audience to recognize the importance of his presence and respond as the Ninevites did.

Where else these words appear

“Ninevites” Greek G3536 · used in 2 verses

  • 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.

“Jonas” Greek G2495 · used in 11 verses

  • 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:
  • Matthew 16:4 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.
  • John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

“generation” Greek G1074 · used in 37 verses

  • Matthew 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
  • Mark 9:19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
  • Luke 17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

“sign” Greek G4592 · used in 69 verses

  • Matthew 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
  • Luke 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
  • Acts 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.