Matthew 12:38

The Sign of Jonah

12:38 Then some of the experts in the law ¹  along with some Pharisees ²  answered him, ³  “Teacher, we want to see a sign ⁴  from you.”

Matthew 24:30

24:30 Then ⁵  the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, ⁶  and ⁷  all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They ⁸  will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven ⁹  with power and great glory.

Luke 21:11

21:11 There will be great earthquakes, and famines ¹⁰  and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights ¹¹  and great signs ¹²  from heaven.

Luke 21:25

The Arrival of the Son of Man

21:25 “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, ¹³  and on the earth nations will be in distress, ¹⁴  anxious ¹⁵  over the roaring of the sea and the surging waves.

[12:38]  ¹ tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[12:38]  ² tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.

[12:38]  ³ tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.

[12:38]  ⁴ sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.

[24:30]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[24:30]  ⁶ tn Or “in the sky”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.

[24:30]  ⁷ tn Here τότε (tote, “then”) has not been translated to avoid redundancy in English.

[24:30]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[24:30]  ⁹ sn An allusion to Dan 7:13. Here is Jesus returning with full authority to judge.

[21:11]  ¹⁰ sn See Isa 5:13-14; 13:6-16; Hag 2:6-7; Zech 14:4.

[21:11]  ¹¹ tn This term, φόβητρον (fobhtron), occurs only here in the NT. It could refer to an object, event, or condition that causes fear, but in the context it is linked with great signs from heaven, so the translation “sights” was preferred.

[21:11]  ¹² sn See Jer 4:13-22; 14:12; 21:6-7.

[21:25]  ¹³ sn Signs in the sun and moon and stars are cosmic signs that turn our attention to the end and the Son of Man’s return for the righteous. OT imagery is present: See Isa 13:9-10; 24:18-20; 34:4; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:1, 30-31; 3:15.

[21:25]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “distress of nations.”

[21:25]  ¹⁵ tn Or “in consternation” (L&N 32.9).