11:30a–b
For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces an explanation. Verse 11:30a–b explains what Jesus meant when he used the phrase “sign of Jonah” in 11:29d. Other ways to introduce this explanation are:
What I mean is
-or-
In other words
Some English versions do not translate this word. For example:
As Jonah was a sign for those people who lived in Nineveh (New Century Version)
as…so…: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as as…so… indicate a comparison. Jesus compared himself to Jonah. He said that he would be the same kind of sign to the people of his time as Jonah was to the people who lived in Nineveh.
11:30a
Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites: This clause probably means that what happened to Jonah proved to the people of Nineveh that his message was from God.
the Ninevites: The phrase the Ninevites means “the people who lived in the city of Nineveh.” Nineveh was the capital of Assyria.
11:30b
so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation: This clause means “in the same way, the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.” Jesus said that he was going to be the same kind of sign that Jonah was to the people of his time. God saved Jonah from dying, and God was going to save Jesus from death by causing him to live again. These miracles were signs that proved that Jonah and Jesus spoke with the authority of God.
the Son of Man: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Son of Man is literally “the Son of the human/person.” It is a title that Jesus often used to refer to himself. It implies that:
(a) he was a true human being, and he represented all people
(b) he came from God and had authority from God
Some ways to translate this title are:
the Man whom God Sent
-or-
the True Man from God/Heaven
-or-
the Representative of Mankind
-or-
The Older Brother of All People
In some languages it may be necessary to indicate explicitly that Jesus was referring to himself here. For example:
I, the Son of Man
This term also occurs in 9:22a.
this generation: As in 11:29b, this generation refers to the people who were living at the same time that Jesus was living on earth.
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