# Luke 11.31

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Luke](/codex/luke-the-evangelist/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 29. <span class="rl-speech">And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, he began to say, This generation is an evil generation: it seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah.</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">For even as Jonah became a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span>**
>
> 32. <span class="rl-speech">The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.</span> 33. <span class="rl-speech">No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, putteth it in a cellar, neither under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see the light.</span> (Luke 11:29-33, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 29. <span class="rl-speech">When the multitudes were gathering together to him, he began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah, the prophet.</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will also the Son of Man be to this generation.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">The Queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and will condemn them: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.</span>**
>
> 32. <span class="rl-speech">The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here.</span> 33. <span class="rl-speech">“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light.</span> (Luke 11:29-33, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 29. <span class="rl-speech">And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">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.</span>**
>
> 32. <span class="rl-speech">The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.</span> 33. <span class="rl-speech">No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.</span> (Luke 11:29-33, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 29. <span class="rl-speech">And the multitudes crowding together upon him, he began to say, 'This generation is evil, a sign it doth seek after, and a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of Jonah the prophet,</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">for as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also shall the Son of Man be to this generation.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">'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!</span>**
>
> 32. <span class="rl-speech">'Men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they reformed at the proclamation of Jonah; and lo, greater than Jonah here!</span> 33. <span class="rl-speech">'And no one having lighted a lamp, doth put [it] in a secret place, nor under the measure, but on the lamp-stand, that those coming in may behold the light.</span> (Luke 11:29-33, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Africans in Scripture Argument](/codex/africans-in-scripture-argument/)
- [Gentiles Cannot Be Saved Objection Defeater](/codex/gentiles-cannot-be-saved-objection-defeater/)
- [Jonah Swallowed By A Whale Fiction Defeater](/codex/jonah-swallowed-by-a-whale-fiction-defeater/), via [Luke 11.29-32](/codex/luke-11-29-32/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Luke 11.17-36](/codex/luke-11-17-36/)

**People:**

- [Solomon](/codex/solomon/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.