Matthew 12:39-42

12:39 But he answered them, ¹  “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish ²  for three days and three nights, ³  so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 12:41 The people ⁴  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ⁵  – and now, ⁶  something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South ⁷  will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, ⁸  something greater than Solomon is here!

[12:39]  ¹ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[12:40]  ² tn Grk “large sea creature.”

[12:40]  ³ sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.

[12:41]  ³ tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).

[12:41]  ⁴ tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”

[12:41]  ⁵ tn Grk “behold.”

[12:42]  ⁴ sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.

[12:42]  ⁵ tn Grk “behold.”