^11:29As⁸⁹ the crowds were increasing, Jesus⁹⁰ began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign,⁹¹ but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.⁹²^11:30For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh,⁹³ so the Son of Man will be a sign⁹⁴ to this generation.⁹⁵^11:31The queen of the South⁹⁶ will rise up at the judgment⁹⁷ with the people⁹⁸ of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon—and now,⁹⁹ something greater¹⁰⁰ than Solomon is here! ^11:32The people¹⁰¹ of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them¹⁰²—and now,¹⁰³ something greater than Jonah is here!

Internal Light

^11:33“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place¹⁰⁴ or under a basket,¹⁰⁵ but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. ^11:34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy,¹⁰⁶ your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased,¹⁰⁷ your body is full of darkness. ^11:35Therefore see to it¹⁰⁸ that the light in you¹⁰⁹ is not darkness. ^11:36If¹¹⁰ then¹¹¹ your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark,¹¹² it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”¹¹³

Read in Logos

Luke 11:34: Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.

Footnotes

89 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
90 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
91 The mention of a sign alludes back to Luke 11:16. Given what Jesus had done, nothing would be good enough. This leads to the rebuke that follows.
92 As the following comparisons to Solomon and Jonah show, in the present context the sign of Jonah is not an allusion to Jonah being three days in the belly of the fish, but to Jesus’ teaching about wisdom and repentance.
93 Grk “to the Ninevites.” What the Ninevites experienced was Jonah’s message (Jonah 3:4, 10; 4:1).
94 The repetition of the words “a sign” are not in the Greek text, but are implied and are supplied here for clarity.
95 Only the Western D and a few Itala add here a long reference to Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days and nights and the Son of Man being three days in the earth, apparently harmonizing the text to the parallel in Matt 12:40.
96 On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1–3 and 2 Chr 9:1–12, as well as Josephus, 8.6.5–6 (8.165–175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
97 For the imagery of judgment, see Luke 10:13–15 and 11:19. The warnings are coming consistently now.
98 Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anēr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as is the case here (cf. 1, 2). The same term, translated the same way, occurs in v. 32.
99 Grk “behold.”
100 The message of Jesus was something greater than what Solomon offered. On Jesus and wisdom, see Luke 7:35; 10:21–22; 1 Cor 1:24, 30.
101 See the note on the word “people” in v. .
102 Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.” The phrase repented when Jonah preached to them confirms that in this context the sign of Jonah (v. 30) is his message.
103 Grk “behold.”
104 Or perhaps “in a cellar” (L&N 28.78). The point is that the light of Jesus’ teaching has been put in public view.
105 The phrase “or under a basket” is lacking in some important and early (𝔓45, 75 L Γ Ξ 070 f1 700* 1241 2542 sys sa). It is hard to decide in this case, since the inclusion of “or under a basket” is widely attested by some early and decent witnesses, as well as the overwhelming majority of (א A B C D W Θ Ψ f13 𝔐 latt). The parallel passage in Luke 8:16 does not include “under a basket.” If the phrase “under a basket” were added as a harmonization with Mark 4:21 and Matt 5:15, it is perhaps surprising that scribes did not add the phrase at Luke 8:16 as well. It seems somewhat more likely that a scribe copying Luke would be inclined to harmonize 11:33 with 8:16 by omitting the phrase here. Thus, the words “or under a basket” seem to have the marks of authenticity. Or “a bowl”; this refers to any container for dry material of about eight liters (two gallons) capacity. It could be translated “basket, box, bowl” (L&N 6.151).
106 Or “sound” (so L&N 23.132 and most scholars). A few scholars take this word to mean something like “generous” here (L&N 57.107), partly due to the immediate context of this saying in Matt 6:22 which concerns money, in which case the “eye” is a metonymy for the entire person (“if you are generous”).
107 Or “when it is sick” (L&N 23.149). There may be a slight wordplay here, as this term can also mean “evil,” so the figure uses a term that points to the real meaning of being careful as to what one pays attention to or looks at.
108 This is a present imperative, calling for a constant watch (L&N 24.32; ).
109 Here you is a singular pronoun, individualizing the application.
110 This is a first class condition in the Greek text, so the example ends on a hopeful, positive note.
111 Grk “Therefore”; the same conjunction as at the beginning of v. 35, but since it indicates a further inference or conclusion, it has been translated “then” here.
112 Grk “not having any part dark.”
113 Grk “it will be completely illumined as when a lamp illumines you with its rays.”