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Matthew 12:39
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37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign

38 aThen some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”  
39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and aadulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  
40 aFor as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  
41 aThe men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and bcondemn it, cbecause they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.  
42 aThe queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.  

An Unclean Spirit Returns

43 a“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, bhe goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  
Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
<< Matthew 12:38   Matthew 12:40 >>


Matthew 12:39

An evil and adulterous generation - Or, race of people; for so should be translated here, and in most other places in the Gospels; for our Lord, in general, uses it to point out the Jewish people. This translation is a key to unlock some very obscure passages in the evangelists.

Seeketh after a sign - Or, seeketh another sign, ( ), so I think this word should be translated. Our Lord had already given the Jews several signs; and here they desire sign upon sign.

Our Lord terms the Jews an adulterous race. Under the old covenant, the Jewish nation was represented as in a marriage contract with the Lord of hosts; as believers, in the new covenant, are represented as the spouse of Christ. All unfaithfulness and disobedience was considered as a breach of this marriage contract; hence the persons who were thus guilty are denominated adulterers and adulteresses. But, independently of this, there is the utmost proof, from their own writings, that in the time of our Lord they were most literally an adulterous race of people: for, at this very time, R. Jochanan ben Zacchai abrogated the trial by the bitter waters of jealousy, because so many were found to be thus criminal. See on John 8:3 (note).




Other Adam Clarke entries containing Matthew 12:39:

Luke 11:29
Galatians 3:20
1 John 5:16

 

<< Matthew 12:38   Matthew 12:40 >>

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