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Texts -- Matthew 12:38-42 (NET)
Pericope
NET
- Mat 12:38-42 -- The Sign of Jonah
Bible Dictionary
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Sheba
[ebd] an oath, seven. (1.) Heb. shebha, the son of Raamah (Gen. 10:7), whose descendants settled with those of Dedan on the Persian Gulf. (2.) Heb. id. A son of Joktan (Gen. 10:28), probably the founder of the Sabeans. (3.) Heb. i...
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RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, THE
[isbe] RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, THE - || 1. First Proof: The Life of Jesus 2. Second Proof: The Empty Grave 3. Third Proof: Transformation of the Disciples 4. Fourth Proof: Existence of the Primitive Church 5. Fifth Proof: The...
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Pharisees
[ebd] separatists (Heb. persahin, from parash, "to separate"). They were probably the successors of the Assideans (i.e., the "pious"), a party that originated in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes in revolt against his heathenizing p...
[nave] PHARISEES A sect of the Jews, Acts 15:5. Doctrines of, Matt. 15:9; concerning the resurrection, Acts 23:6, 8; association with tax collectors and siers, Matt. 9:11-13. Traditions of, in regard to fasting, Matt. 9:14; Luke ...
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PUNISHMENT, EVERLASTING
[isbe] PUNISHMENT, EVERLASTING - pun'-ish-ment: I. PRELIMINARY ASSUMPTIONS 1. Survival after Death 2. Retribution for Sin 3. Conscious Suffering in Future II. SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT 1. Old Testament and Jewish Conceptions 2. New Testam...
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PERSON OF CHRIST, 4-8
[isbe] PERSON OF CHRIST, 4-8 - VI. Teaching of Jesus. 1. The Johannine Jesus: The Gospel narratives not only present us, however, with dramatizations of the God-man, according to their authors' conception of His composite person. T...
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Nineveh
[ebd] First mentioned in Gen. 10:11, which is rendered in the Revised Version, "He [i.e., Nimrod] went forth into Assyria and builded Nineveh." It is not again noticed till the days of Jonah, when it is described (Jonah 3:3; 4:11)...
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Miracle
[ebd] an event in the external world brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God, operating without the use of means capable of being discerned by the senses, and designed to authenticate the divine commiss...
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Matthew, Gospel according to
[ebd] The author of this book was beyond a doubt the Matthew, an apostle of our Lord, whose name it bears. He wrote the Gospel of Christ according to his own plans and aims, and from his own point of view, as did also the other "e...
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Kings, The Books of
[ebd] The two books of Kings formed originally but one book in the Hebrew Scriptures. The present division into two books was first made by the LXX., which now, with the Vulgate, numbers them as the third and fourth books of Kings...
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Jonah, Book of
[ebd] This book professes to give an account of what actually took place in the experience of the prophet. Some critics have sought to interpret the book as a parable or allegory, and not as a history. They have done so for variou...
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Jonah
[isbe] JONAH - jo'-na (yonah, "dove"; 'Ionas): (1) According to 2 Ki 14:25, Jonah, the son of Amittai, of Gath-hepher, a prophet and servant of Yahweh, predicted the restoration of the land of Israel to its ancient boundaries throu...
[smith] (dove), the fifth of the minor prophets, was the son of Amittai, and a native of Gath-hepher. (2Â Kings 14:25) He flourished in or before the reign of Jeroboam II., about B.C. 820. Having already, as it seems, prophesied to...
[nave] JONAH, called also Jonas. A prophet of Israel, 2 Kin. 14:25. Sent by God to warn Nineveh, Jonah 1:1, 2. Disobedience and punishment of, Jonah 1:3-17. Repentance and deliverance of, Jonah 2; Matt. 12:40. Brought Ninevites ...
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Jesus, The Christ
[nave] JESUS, THE CHRIST. Index of Sub-topics History of; Miscellaneous Facts Concerning; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Ascension of; Atonement by; Attributes of; Compassion of; Confessing; Creator; Death of; Design of His...
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JONAS (2)
[isbe] JONAS (2) - jo'-nas (yonah, or yochanan; Iona): (1) The name given in Mt 12:39-41; 16:4; Lk 11:29-32 the King James Version to the Old Testament prophet Jonah (the Revised Version (British and American) renders "Jonah"). See...
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JONAS
[ebd] (1.) Greek form of Jonah (Matt. 12:39, 40, 41, etc.). (2.) The father of the apostles Peter (John 21:15-17) and Andrew; but the reading should be (also in 1:42), as in the Revised Version, "John," instead of Jonas.
[smith] (a dove). The prophet Jonah. (Matthew 12:39,40,41; 16:4) Father of Peter. (John 21:15-17) [JONA]
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JONAH, THE BOOK OF
[isbe] JONAH, THE BOOK OF - This little roll of four short chapters has given rise to almost as much discussion and difference of opinion as the first four chapters of Genesis. It would be presumptuous to think that one could, in a...
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JESUS CHRIST, 4C1
[isbe] JESUS CHRIST, 4C1 - C. THE GALILEAN MINISTRY AND VISITS TO THE FEASTS 1. The Scene: Galilee was divided into upper Galilee and lower Galilee. It has already been remarked that upper Galilee was inhabited by a mixed populatio...
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DISCREPANCIES, BIBLICAL
[isbe] DISCREPANCIES, BIBLICAL - dis-krep'-an-siz, bib'-li-kal: 1. Definition: By this term should be understood substantial disagreements in the statements of Biblical writers. Such disagreements might subsist between the, stateme...
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Chronicles, Books of
[ebd] The two books were originally one. They bore the title in the Massoretic Hebrew Dibre hayyamim, i.e., "Acts of the Days." This title was rendered by Jerome in his Latin version "Chronicon," and hence "Chronicles." In the Sep...
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CONDEMN; CONDEMNATION
[isbe] CONDEMN; CONDEMNATION - kon-dem', kon-dem-na'-shun: 1. In the Old Testament: (1) The causative stem of rasha` "to declare (or make) wrong," "to condemn," whether in civil, ethical or religious relations. Taken in this sense ...
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Adultery
[ebd] conjugal infidelity. An adulterer was a man who had illicit intercourse with a married or a betrothed woman, and such a woman was an adulteress. Intercourse between a married man and an unmarried woman was fornication. Adult...
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Questions
- In a very general way, I think I can say that one could come to faith in Christ for salvation without believing in the inerrancy of the Word of God, but I am doubtful that one could stay that way for long. The disciples of ou...
- What we see going on today in the charismatic movement needs to be critiqued on the basis of Scripture and never by our own experiences which are never reliable unless judged by the Word of God. We are so easily deceived and ...
- The following material from The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia should be helpful here: III. Significant numbers Numbers are also used with a symbolical or theological significance. One is used to convey th...
- There has been a long standing debate over the meaning of Matthew 12:40, "for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart ...
- Nowhere in the book of Jonah are we told that the fish that swallowed Jonah was a whale. In Matt 12:40 the word "whale" is used, but the revised version gives "sea monster" in the margin. There is absolute proof that sea mons...
- In Matthew 12:40 he said that he would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The passage has long perplexed Biblical students. The most probable explanation is that Christ adopted a mode of expression comm...
- Good question. The Matthew text certainly seems to square with the Book of Jonah. In chapter 1 the pagan sailors become worshippers of God (1:16). In chapter 3 we see the whole city of Nineveh repenting (the sackcloth and ash...
- It is supposed by well-informed authorities that she came from Yemen, in Arabia Felix. In Matthew 12:42 she is referred to as the "Queen of the South," who came from "the uttermost parts of the earth," a term applied by the a...
Sermon Illustrations
Resources/Books
Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)
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Nob stood one and one-half miles northeast of Jerusalem and two and one-half miles southeast of Gibeah. There Ahimelech served as high priest. Priestly activity and evidently the tabernacle were now there (cf. 17:54). It is s...
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The writer seems to have included this event here to support his claim that Solomon's reign was so glorious that rulers came from all over the world to meet him (4:34; cf. 3:16-18). It also shows that some of Solomon's wealth...
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On the basis of all that precedes Solomon exhorted his sons to live by his words and thereby gain wisdom. Again wisdom leads to life, but those who lack wisdom begin to die."Many have equated wisdom in this chapter with Jesus...
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Since the rise of critical scholarship in the nineteenth century, many writers and teachers now believe that the events recorded in this book were not historical.8They interpret this book as an allegory or as a parable.The al...
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For the second time in this incident God took the initiative to move His prophet to carry out His will (cf. v. 1). This time Jonah turned to the Lord.1:17 The identity of the great fish remains a mystery since the only record...
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Matthew often grouped his material into sections so that three, five, six, or seven events, miracles, sayings, or parables appear together.27Jewish writers typically did this to help their readers remember what they had writt...
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I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17B. The King's birth 1:18-25C. The King's childhood 2:1-231. The prophecy about Bethlehem 2:1-122. The prophecies about Egypt 2:13-183. The prophecies about...
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Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
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Chapters 11-13 record Israel's rejection of her Messiah and its consequences. Opposition continued to build, but Jesus announced new revelation in view of hardened unbelief."The Evangelist has carefully presented the credenti...
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Jesus proceeded to describe the Jews' reaction to John and Himself more fully to clarify their opposition.11:16-17 The generation Jesus spoke of consisted of the Jews to whom He offered the kingdom (cf. vv. 20-24; 12:39, 41-4...
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The immediate connection between this section and what precedes is twofold. The first is the theme of rising opposition (11:2-13:53), and the second is the heavy yoke of Pharisaic tradition that made the Israelites weary and ...
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12:22 "Then"(Gr. tote) does not demand a close chronological connection with what precedes (cf. 2:7; 11:20). The Greek text describes the man's afflictions in terms that show that his demon possession produced his blindness a...
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12:25-26 Probably Jesus' knew His critics' thoughts as anyone else who had suffered such an attack would (cf. 9:4). Alternatively this may be a statement of Jesus' omniscience. Any kingdom, city, or household that experiences...
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The fourth incident and the third type of conflict concerned a sign that Jesus' critics requested.12:38 Matthew's connective again was weak. This incident was not a continuation of the preceding controversy chronologically bu...
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"The die is cast. The religious leaders have openly declared their opposition to their Messiah. The people of Israel are amazed at the power of Jesus and His speech, but they fail to recognize Him as their King. Not seeing th...
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Matthew linked this parabolic teaching with the controversy in chapter 12 by using the phrase "on that day"(NASB) or "that same day"(NIV, Gr. en te hemera ekeine). These parables were a response to Israel's rejection of her K...
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Matthew leaves the reader with the impression from this concluding transition, as well as from the structure of the discourse, that Jesus related all the preceding parables at one time. This was apparently the case. Jesus now...
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16:1 Matthew introduced the Pharisees and Sadducees with one definite article in the Greek text. Such a construction implies that they acted together. That is remarkable since they were political and theological enemies (cf. ...
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16:18 "I say to you"(cf. 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 8:10) may imply that Jesus would continue the revelation the Father had begun. However the phrase occurs elsewhere where that contrast is not in view. Undoubtedly it ...
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16:21 This is only the second time in the Gospel that Matthew used the phrase apo tote erxato, "from that time"(cf. 26:16). The first time was in 4:17 where Jesus began to present Himself to Israel as her Messiah. Here it ann...
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Jesus next gave His disciples His second clear announcement of His passion (cf. 16:21-24).682He had alluded to it in veiled terms before He articulated it clearly (cf. 9:15; 10:38; 12:40).17:22 Matthew's reference to time was...
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Matthew evidently included this instruction because the marriage relationships of His disciples were important factors in their effective ministries. Jesus clarified God's will for His disciples that was different from the co...
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There is a theological connection between this section and the former one. The death of Jesus provided the basis for God's gracious dealings with believers in His Son. This connection is clear to Matthew's readers because Mat...
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Matthew's Gospel is the only one that includes this pericope. It is a witness to the falsehood of the chief priests and elders' claim that someone stole Jesus' body (28:11-15).27:62 The day to which Matthew referred was the S...
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28:11 Some of the guards left the others at the tomb and reported the earthquake, the angel, and the empty tomb to the chief priests.28:12-14 The action of these Sanhedrin members proves that their promise to believe in Jesus...
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Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1937.Albright, W. F. and Mann, C. S. Matthew. The Anchor Bible series. Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.Alford, Henry. The Greek Testa...
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Jesus apparently taught these parables shortly after the incident Mark just finished recording (3:20-35; cf. Matt. 13:1). This was a very busy day in Jesus' ministry that evidently included all the events in 3:19-4:41 (cf. Ma...
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Apparently Luke moved this teaching from Jesus' earlier controversy with the Pharisees over His authority to provide a conclusion for this section of teaching (cf. Matt. 12:22-50; Mark 3:19-35). It continues the theme of the ...
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This teaching responded to the request of Jesus' critics for a sign (v. 16; cf. Matt. 16:1-4). It is the second main part of His answer to these opponents.11:29-30 Luke's reference to the crowds increasing ties this verse in ...
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11:45-46 The lawyers (or scribes) were a distinct group, though most of them were Pharisees. The scribes and Pharisees often acted together. The lawyer who spoke up wanted to distinguish his group from the Pharisees, but Jesu...
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These inflammatory words of criticism and condemnation fanned the embers of Pharisaic hostility into an inferno of hatred and hostility. Luke wrote that these religious leaders now questioned Him closely on many subjects. He ...
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This is another incident that only Luke recorded. It reflects his interest in needy people receiving salvation from Jesus. This is such a dominent theme in Luke's Gospel that one commentator concluded that this incident is th...
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The Synoptics record Jesus' cleansing of the temple after His triumphal entry (Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-16; Luke 19:45-46). Only John noted this cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The differences b...
Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)
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Matthew 9-28
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Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synago...
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A greater than Jonas is here.'--Matt. 12:41.THERE never was any man in his right mind, still more of influence on his fellows, who made such claims as to himself in such unmistakable language as Jesus Christ does. To say such...
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A greater than Solomon is here.'--Matt. 12:42.IT is condescension in Him to compare Himself with any; yet if any might have been selected, it is that great name. To the Jews Solomon is an ideal figure, who appealed so strongl...
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The second section (Matt. 16:21-23) contains the startling new revelation of the suffering Messiah, and the disciples' repugnance to it. The Gospel has two parts; Jesus is the Christ, and the Christ must suffer and enter into...
