KJV: A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
YLT: 'A generation evil and adulterous doth seek a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet;' and having left them he went away.
Darby: A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it save the sign of Jonas. And he left them and went away.
ASV: An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. And he left them, and departed.
| γενεὰ | A generation |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: γενεά Sense: fathered, birth, nativity. |
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| πονηρὰ | evil |
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Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: πονηρός Sense: full of labours, annoyances, hardships. |
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| μοιχαλὶς | adulterous |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: μοιχαλίς Sense: an adulteress. |
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| σημεῖον | a sign |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: σημεῖον Sense: a sign, mark, token. |
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| ἐπιζητεῖ | seeks |
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Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἐπιζητέω Sense: to enquire for, seek for, search for, seek diligently. |
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| σημεῖον | a sign |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular Root: σημεῖον Sense: a sign, mark, token. |
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| δοθήσεται | will be given |
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Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: διδῶ Sense: to give. |
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| αὐτῇ | to it |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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| σημεῖον | sign |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular Root: σημεῖον Sense: a sign, mark, token. |
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| Ἰωνᾶ | of Jonah |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: Ἰωνᾶς Sense: the fifth minor prophet, the son of Amittai, and a native of Gath-hepher and lived during the reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel. |
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| καταλιπὼν | having left |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: καταλείπω Sense: to leave behind. |
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| ἀπῆλθεν | He went away |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἀπέρχομαι Sense: to go away, depart. |
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Greek Commentary for Matthew 16:4
Same words in Matthew 12:39 except του προπητου tou prophētou a real doublet. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 16:4
Matthew 16:4 has simply ου δοτησεται ou dothēsetai plain negative with the future passive indicative. Mark has ει ei instead of ου ou which is technically a conditional clause with the conclusion unexpressed (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1024), really aposiopesis in imitation of the Hebrew use of ιμ im This is the only instance in the N.T. except in quotations from the lxx (Hebrews 3:11; Hebrews 4:3, Hebrews 4:5). It is very common in the lxx. The rabbis were splitting hairs over the miracles of Jesus as having a possible natural explanation (as some critics do today) even if by the power of Beelzebub, and those not of the sky (from heaven) which would be manifested from God. So they put up this fantastic test to Jesus which he deeply resents. Matthew 16:4 adds “but the sign of Jonah” mentioned already by Jesus on a previous occasion (Matthew 12:39-41) at more length and to be mentioned again (Luke 11:32). But the mention of the sign of Jonah was “an absolute refusal of signs in their sense” (Bruce). And when he did rise from the dead on the third day, the Sanhedrin refused to be convinced (see Acts 3 to 5). [source]