He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Parallel Translations
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He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
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And he sygthed in his sprete and sayde: why doth this generacion seke a signe? Verely I saye vnto you ther shall no signe be geven vnto this generacion.
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Then hee sighed deepely in his spirit, and saide, Why doeth this generation seeke a signe? Verely I say vnto you, a signe shall not be giuen vnto this generation.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Mark 8:12 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Matthew 12:39-40 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- Matthew 16:4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” He left them, and departed.
- Mark 7:34 Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
- John 12:37-43 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again, “He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.” Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him. Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.
- Luke 11:29-30 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. For even as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will also be to this generation.
- Mark 3:5 When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other.
- Luke 22:67-70 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe, and if I ask, you will in no way answer me or let me go. From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say it, because I am.”
- Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
- Mark 6:6 He marveled because of their unbelief. He went around the villages teaching.
- Mark 9:19 He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”
- Luke 16:29-31 “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’ ”
- Luke 19:41 When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it,
- John 11:33-38 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!” Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?” Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain These sighs came even from the heart root, for…
These sighs came even from the heart root, for the Lord was very much moved with these men’s so great infidelity.
Word for word, If a sign be given: It is a cut kind of speech very common among the Hebrews: wherein some such words as these must be understood. Let me be taken for a liar, or some such like. And when they speak out the whole, they say, The Lord do thus and thus by me.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and…
12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
Ver. 12. And he sighed deeply] His heart was straitened (as the word αναστεναξας signifies) and would have burst, but for a vent.
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" Expletur lachrymis egeriturque dolor."
So those marked mourners sighed and cried for others, who were altogether insensible of their own miseries, Eze 9:4. So Habakkuk trembled and quivered for the Chaldeans’ calamities, Hab 3:16.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he sighed deeply in his Spirit,.... In his…
And he sighed deeply in his Spirit,.... In his human soul; and which shows that he had one, and was subject to grief and sorrow, and all passions and infirmities, excepting sin. This deep sigh was on account of the hardness of their hearts, the malignity of their minds, and insincerity of their intentions; who had no view to come at truth by this inquiry, but to ensnare him:
and saith, why doth this generation seek after a sign? when so many have been shown among them, and they will not believe:
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verily I say unto you, there shall no sign be given to this generation: such as they desired; namely, one from heaven. The Evangelist Matthew adds, "but the sign of the Prophet Jonas"; See Gill on Mat 16:4, Mat 12:40.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Matt. xvi, 4.
Matt. xvi, 4.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 12. And he sighed deeply in his spirit]…
Verse 12. And he sighed deeply in his spirit] Or having deeply groaned - so the word αναστεναξας properly means. He was exceedingly affected at their obstinacy and hardness of heart. See Mt 16:1-4.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Jesus Christ fetches a deep sigh on account of…
Jesus Christ fetches a deep sigh on account of their obduracy, and says; why do these ask for a miracle to confirm their belief, when they resist the authority of so many miracles, which are daily performed under their eyes? (Bible de Vence) --- A sign shall not be given. But by a Hebrew form of speech, if divers times is put for a negative. (Witham)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 12. he sighed deeply in his spirit] Not merely,…
12. he sighed deeply in his spirit] Not merely, we may conclude, at their hardened disbelief, but also with the feeling that the decisive crisis of the severance from the ruling powers had come. “For the demand for a sign from heaven was a demand that He should, as the Messiah of their expectation, accredit Himself by a great overmastering miracle; thus it was fundamentally similar to the temptation in the wilderness, which He had repelled and overcome.” Lange.
There shall no sign be given] Literally, If a sign shall be given to this generation, a Hebrew form of strong abjuration. Comp. Heb_3:11, where see the margin; Mar_4:3; Mar_4:5; Gen_14:23; Num_14:30. St Mark does not mention the sign of “Jonah the prophet” mentioned by St Matthew (Mat_16:4).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (12) There shall no sign be given.—We note the…
(12) There shall no sign be given.—We note the omission of “the sign of the prophet Jonas,” as given in Mat_16:4.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain He sighed deeply in his spirit (anastenaxav) Another graphic…
He sighed deeply in his spirit (anastenaxav) Another graphic touch of this evangelist; such as he had learnt in all probability from St. Peter. The word occurs nowhere but here. It is the outcome of grief and indignation, in which, however, grief predominates. There shall no sign be given unto this generation (ei doyhsetai shmeion). This is a Hebrew idiom, based upon a form of taking an oath which prevailed amongst the Jews. The full form would be, "God do so and so to me, if so and so." Hence the hypothetical part of the clause came to be used alone, expressing a very strong form of denial or refusal.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 8:12 I tell you the truth: Jesus’ response was…
8:12 I tell you the truth: Jesus’ response was as strong as an oath meaning, “[May God’s judgment fall upon me] if I give this generation any such sign.” Such oaths express an unbending commitment (see Gen 14:22-23; Num 32:10-11; Ruth 1:17; 1 Sam 3:17; 20:13; 2 Sam 3:35; 19:13). • Jesus elsewhere describes this generation as “adulterous and sinful” (Mark 8:38) and “faithless” (9:19).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.