Where a verse leads
Matthew 12:40: Where It Appears, and Where It Leads to Christ
“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”Matthew 12:40
Matthew 12:40 is one of the verses The Living Bread keeps returning to. It anchors 6 different readings across the site, from reading it well to the people and wonders of scripture. Each is listed below, with an honest note on how directly it is read of Christ. Read the verse first, then follow it wherever it leads.
Read it in its place
38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Matthew 12 · King James Version
Every collection that stands on this verse
Reading it well
Shadows and types
- Jonah and the Sign of the Resurrection (Direct New Testament link)
- Jonah, Three Days in the Deep
- The Fish
The people and wonders of Scripture
Questions people ask
What does Matthew 12:40 mean?
Matthew 12:40 is one of the verses The Living Bread returns to again and again, because it opens onto Christ from several directions at once. Read it in its passage above, then follow the collections below to see how it is read across Scripture, each honestly labeled for how directly it speaks of Jesus.
Where is Matthew 12:40 in the Bible?
Matthew 12:40 is found in the book and chapter named in the reference. You can read the whole chapter, in the King James Version, on The Living Bread.
How does Matthew 12:40 point to Jesus?
Follow the collections gathered on this page. Each one opens Matthew 12:40 from a different angle, and together they show how the verse, read in its place, leads to Christ, who said that all the Scriptures speak of Him.