Matthew 12:38

In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort, this verse is:

Τότε ἀπεκρίθησάν τινες τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, λέγοντες, Διδάσκαλε, θέλομεν ἀπὸ σοῦ σημεῖον ἰδεῖν.

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

The New International Version translates the passage as:

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."

Note Luke (11:16) includes, [a sign] from Heaven. The scribes and Pharisees mentioned here are the ones which previously stated that Christ had cast out devils by the help of Beelzebub. Now they ask for a heavenly sign. According to Lapide the meaning of the scribes is as follows: "O Christ, are in the earth and of the earth, but we wish to see celestial miracles in Heaven. For God, Whom You assert to be the Author of these miracles, dwells in Heaven. Cause, therefore, that fire may come down from Heaven, as Elijah did; or that the sky may flash with new and marvellous thunders and lightnings, as Samuel did (1 Sam. 7:10); or that the sun should stand still, as Joshua did."[1]

Similarities of this verse and the next one with Matthew 16:1–4 (and also the parallel passages in Mark 8:11-13; Luke 11:16, 29-32) are noted; the comparison of the passages in Matthew 12 and Matthew 16 is as follows.[2]

Chrysostom: " Because the Lord had so oft repressed the shameless tongue of the Pharisees by His sayings, they now turn to His works, whereat the Evangelist wondering, says, Then certain of the Scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign of thee; and that at a time when they should have been moved, when they should have wondered, and been dumb with astonishment; yet even at such time they desist not from their malice. For they say, We would see a sign of thee, that they may take Him as in a snare."[3]

Jerome: "They require a sign of Him, as though what they had seen were not signs; and in another Evangelist what they required is more fully expressed, We would see of thee a sign from heaven. Either they would have fire from heaven as Elias did; or after the example of Samuel they would that in summer-time, contrary to the nature of the climate, thunder should be heard, lightnings gleam, and rain descend; as though they could not have spoken falsely even against such miracles, and said that they befel by reason of divers hidden motions in the air. For if thou cavillest against what thou not only beholdest with thine eyes, but feelest with thine hand, and reapest the benefit of, what wilt thou do in those things which come down from heaven. You might make answer, that in Egypt the magi also had given many signs from heaven."[3]

Chrysostom: "But their words are full of hypocrisy and irony. But now they were railing against Him, saying that He had a dæmon; now they fawn upon Him, calling Him, Master. Wherefore the Lord rebukes them severely; He answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. When they railed on Him, He had answered them mildly; now they approached Him with smooth and deceitful words, He rebukes them sharply; showing that He was above either affection, and was neither moved to anger by evil speaking, nor was to be gained by flattery. What He says is this; What wonder that ye do thus to Me who am unknown to you, when you have done the same to the Father, of whom ye have had such large knowledge, in that, despising Him ye went after dæmons? He calls them an evil generation, because they have ever been ungrateful to their benefactors, and were made worse when they received benefits, which is the extreme of wickedness."[3]

• Other translations of Matthew 12:38 at BibleHub