The Meaning of Luke 11:31 Explained

Luke 11:31

KJV: The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

YLT: 'A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and lo, greater than Solomon here!

Darby: A queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, more than Solomon is here.

ASV: The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

What is the context of Luke 11:31?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The queen  of the south  shall rise up  in  the judgment  with  the men  of this  generation,  and  condemn  them:  for  she came  from  the utmost parts  of the earth  to hear  the wisdom  of Solomon;  and,  behold,  a greater than  Solomon  [is] here. 

What does Luke 11:31 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 11:27-32 - "the Sign Of Jonah"
What a tribute this woman paid our Lord! He was full of grace as well as truth; and those who, with unbiased and unprejudiced minds, saw Him moving among men, were constrained to confess His inimitable beauty. Notice that the simplest soul that hears and obeys God's Word is equally beatified with His mother, Luke 11:28.
Men will be judged by the opportunities they have had. Every age and every race and every individual on which the sun has ever shone has had a chance. Not our chance, but a chance suited to the spiritual vision of each, John 1:9; Romans 1:20; Romans 2:5, etc. So God will be able to judge all men. But in how many cases will they who have not had our advantages be found in a higher class in the great University of Heaven than some of us who have lived amid the light of Christ! [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 11

1  Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11  assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him
14  He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27  and shows who are blessed;
29  preaches to the people;
37  and reprimands the outward show of holiness

Greek Commentary for Luke 11:31

With the men of this generation [μετα των ανδρων της γενεας ταυτης]
Here Matthew 12:42 has simply “with this generation,” which see. [source]
Shall rise up [ἐγερθήσεται]
From the dead. [source]
A greater [πλεῖον]
Lit., something more. See on Matthew 12:6. Wyc.,here is more than Solomon. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 11:31

Luke 11:32 At the preaching of Jonah [εις το κηρυγμα Ιωνα]
Note this use of εις — eis as in Matthew 10:41; Matthew 12:41. Luke inserts the words about the Queen of the South (Luke 11:31) in between the discussion of Jonah (Luke 11:29., Luke 11:32). Both Σολομωνος — Solomōnos (Luke 11:31) and Ιωνα — Iōnā (Luke 11:32) are in the ablative case after the comparative πλειον — pleion (more, something more). [source]
Acts 4:4 Men [ανδρων]
Strictly, men and not women, for αντρωπος — anthrōpos is the term for both men and women. But in Luke 11:31 ανδρες — andres seems to include both men and women and that is possible here, though by no means certain, for see note on Matthew 14:21 where the women and children are expressly excepted. [source]
Hebrews 11:4 A more excellent sacrifice [πλείονα θυσίαν]
Greater in value in God's eyes. For πλείων in this sense, see Hebrews 3:3; Matthew 6:25; Luke 11:31; Luke 12:23. In Paul never in this sense. Others explain a more abundant sacrifice, referring to the material character of the offerings. See Genesis 4:4. But the difference between the offerings of Abel and Cain, considered in themselves, is largely a matter of speculation, and, as Lünemann justly remarks, such an interpretation accentuates unduly a purely external feature. [source]
1 John 4:17 The day of judgment [τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως]
Lit., the day of judgment. The exact phrase occurs here only. Ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως dayof judgment, without the articles, is found Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:22, Matthew 11:24; Matthew 12:36; 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 3:7. The day is called the great day of their wrath (Revelation 6:17); the day of wrath and of revelation of the righteous judgement of God (Romans 2:5); the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:12); the last day (John 6:39, John 6:40, John 6:44, John 6:54); that day (Matthew 7:22; Luke 6:23; Luke 10:12). The judgment is found Matthew 12:41, Matthew 12:42; Luke 10:14; Luke 11:31, Luke 11:32. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 11:31 mean?

The Queen of [the] South will rise up in the judgment with the men of the generation this and will condemn them For she came from the ends earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon behold greater than Solomon here
Βασίλισσα νότου ἐγερθήσεται ἐν τῇ κρίσει μετὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης καὶ κατακρινεῖ αὐτούς ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν περάτων γῆς ἀκοῦσαι τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶνος ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶνος ὧδε

Βασίλισσα  The  Queen 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: βασίλισσα  
Sense: queen.
νότου  of  [the]  South 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: νότος  
Sense: the south wind.
ἐγερθήσεται  will  rise  up 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐγείρω  
Sense: to arouse, cause to rise.
κρίσει  judgment 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: κρίσις  
Sense: a separating, sundering, separation.
ἀνδρῶν  men 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀνήρ  
Sense: with reference to sex.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
γενεᾶς  generation 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: γενεά  
Sense: fathered, birth, nativity.
ταύτης  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
κατακρινεῖ  will  condemn 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κατακρίνω  
Sense: to give judgment against, to judge worthy of punishment.
ἦλθεν  she  came 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
περάτων  ends 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: πέρας  
Sense: extremity, bound, end.
γῆς  earth 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: γῆ  
Sense: arable land.
ἀκοῦσαι  to  hear 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
σοφίαν  wisdom 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: σοφία  
Sense: wisdom, broad and full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters.
Σολομῶνος  of  Solomon 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Σαλωμών 
Sense: the son of David and was the wisest and richest king that ever lived.
ἰδοὺ  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
πλεῖον  greater 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular, Comparative
Root: πολύς  
Sense: greater in quantity.
Σολομῶνος  than  Solomon 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Σαλωμών 
Sense: the son of David and was the wisest and richest king that ever lived.
ὧδε  here 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὧδε  
Sense: here, to this place, etc.