Matthew 12:40-42

12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish ¹  for three days and three nights, ²  so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 12:41 The people ³  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ⁴  – and now, ⁵  something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South ⁶  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, ⁷  something greater than Solomon is here!

[12:40]  ¹ tn Grk “large sea creature.”

[12:40]  ² 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Grk “behold.”