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.

MATTHEW 16:4KJV
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Matthew 16:4 (KJV)

What does Matthew 16:4 mean?

In Matthew 16:4, Jesus answers people who demand a sign from heaven by exposing the unfaithfulness behind their request. He says that the sign of Jonas, or Jonah, is the sign they will be given, and then he leaves them.

Jesus is speaking to Pharisees and Sadducees who have come to test him. His phrase “adulterous generation” uses the picture of an unfaithful spouse to describe people who have turned away from God.

The Greek behind Matthew 16:4

  • “generation” — γενεά (genea): This word can refer to people living at the same time. Here Jesus addresses the people represented by those testing him, rather than naming a particular age group.
  • “sign” — σημεῖον (sēmeion): A sign is something that points beyond itself. In this exchange, the visitors want a sign from heaven, while Jesus points them to the sign of Jonah.

Why Matthew 16:4 matters

  • The request is presented as a test, not simply a question. Matthew 16:1 says the Pharisees and Sadducees came “tempting” Jesus—that is, testing him—and asked for a sign from heaven.
  • Jesus has already connected Jonah with his own death and return to life. In Matthew 12:40, Jesus compares Jonah’s three days and nights in the great fish with the Son of man’s three days and nights in the heart of the earth.
  • Jesus ends the exchange by leaving. The words “he left them, and departed” mark his answer as the end of his response to their demand.

Where else these words appear

“adulterous” Greek G3428 · used in 6 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:
  • Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
  • James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

“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:
  • Luke 11:29 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.
  • 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.

“after” Greek G1934 · used in 13 verses

  • Matthew 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
  • Luke 12:30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
  • Romans 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

“left” Greek G2641 · used in 25 verses

  • Matthew 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
  • Luke 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
  • Acts 25:14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: