Luke 11:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

NIV: The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here.

NASB: The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

CSB: The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look—something greater than Solomon is here.

NLT: The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here — but you refuse to listen.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

In Luke 10:12–15, Jesus compared Israelites of His time who denied Him to the Gentiles in nearer cities. This included Chorazin, Tyre, and Sidon, regions which Jesus said would have readily repented had they seen the signs the Jews did (Luke 10:13). Old Testament stories confirm this. Nineveh, capital of the infamously evil Assyrian empire, repented of their sin after Jonah spent one day warning them of God's coming judgment (Jonah 3; Luke 11:30). Now, Jesus adds the "queen of the South:" the Queen of Sheba who came to meet Solomon (1 Kings 10:1–13). When she had experienced examples of his wisdom, she declared, "Blessed be the Lᴏʀᴅ your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lᴏʀᴅ loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness" (1 Kings 10:9).

Jesus is taking jabs at the Pharisees and lawyers. They have requested more miraculous signs to prove He is the Messiah after ignoring how He fulfills specific Messianic prophecies, particularly in the book of Isaiah, that no other prophet has performed (Isaiah 35:5–6; Luke 11:14–16; Matthew 12:38). The queen of the South had no such definitive proof. She heard a rumor that a king far away had extraordinary wisdom and traveled to see it for herself. She experienced Solomon's wisdom and saw his riches and immediately determined that he was blessed by His God.

The lawyers, on the other hand, see "something greater:" the miraculous things Jesus is doing and the wisdom He preaches. Yet they respond by declaring His power comes from Satan (Luke 11:14–15). These religious leaders, responsible for leading God's chosen people into proper worship, reject the evidence before their eyes. A Gentile queen, however, became a God-worshiper. Whether literally or rhetorically, she will stand at the last judgment and rightfully declare that her actions were righteous, and the unrepentant lawyers and Pharisees deserve God's wrath. Even more shockingly, she will be joined by the Ninevites who repented of their cruelty when Jonah warned them of coming judgment (Luke 11:32).

Luke 11:29–32 returns to Jewish religious leaders' continued failure to accept the evidence that Jesus is working with God, not Satan. Some had claimed Jesus cast out demons through Satan's power, a claim Jesus proved ridiculous (Luke 11:14–20). Now some demand more miraculous proofs. Less obvious signs and less powerful prophets brought Gentiles to worship God in the Old Testament. Jews who claim to know Scripture should be more observant and believing. Matthew 12:38–42 records the same event.

In what some scholars refer to as "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27), Jesus prepares His disciples for His crucifixion and resurrection and the establishment of the church. The description begins with Christ teaching the disciples how to spread the news of the kingdom of God and reaffirming how they will be blessed, culminating in the Lord's Prayer (Luke 9:51—11:13). Luke 11 finishes with accounts of leaders who reject Jesus. The remainder of the travelogue gives a pattern of teaching on the kingdom of God, miracles, and explanations of salvation. Then Jesus enters Jerusalem to face the cross.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.