Luke 11:16
New International Version
Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.

New Living Translation
Others, trying to test Jesus, demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

English Standard Version
while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.

Berean Standard Bible
And others tested Him by demanding a sign from heaven.

Berean Literal Bible
And others, testing, were seeking from Him a sign from heaven.

King James Bible
And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

New King James Version
Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.

New American Standard Bible
Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

NASB 1995
Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

NASB 1977
And others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

Legacy Standard Bible
And others, testing Him, were seeking from Him a sign from heaven.

Amplified Bible
Others, trying to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

Christian Standard Bible
And others, as a test, were demanding of him a sign from heaven.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And others, as a test, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.

American Standard Version
And others, trying him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

Contemporary English Version
Others wanted to put Jesus to the test. So they asked him to show them a sign from God.

English Revised Version
And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Others wanted to test Jesus and demanded that he show them some miraculous sign from heaven.

Good News Translation
Others wanted to trap Jesus, so they asked him to perform a miracle to show that God approved of him.

International Standard Version
Others, wanting to test Jesus, kept asking him for a sign from heaven.

Majority Standard Bible
And others tested Him by demanding a sign from heaven.

NET Bible
Others, to test him, began asking for a sign from heaven.

New Heart English Bible
Others, testing him, sought from him a sign from heaven.

Webster's Bible Translation
And others tempting him, sought from him a sign from heaven.

Weymouth New Testament
Others, to put Him to the test, asked Him for a sign in the sky.

World English Bible
Others, testing him, sought from him a sign from heaven.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and others, tempting, were asking [for] a sign out of Heaven from Him.

Berean Literal Bible
And others, testing, were seeking from Him a sign from heaven.

Young's Literal Translation
and others, tempting, a sign out of heaven from him were asking.

Smith's Literal Translation
And others, tempting, sought a sign of him from heaven.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And others tempting, asked of him a sign from heaven.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And others, testing him, required a sign from heaven of him.

New American Bible
Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

New Revised Standard Version
Others, to test him, kept demanding from him a sign from heaven.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And others, tempting him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But others were testing him, and they were asking him for a sign from Heaven.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And others, that they might tempt him, asked of him a sign from heaven.

Godbey New Testament
And others tempting, continued to seek with Him a sign from heaven.

Haweis New Testament
But others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

Mace New Testament
others, to try him, desir'd he would show some miraculous sign in the heaven.

Weymouth New Testament
Others, to put Him to the test, asked Him for a sign in the sky.

Worrell New Testament
And others, tempting, were seeking of Him a sign from heaven.

Worsley New Testament
and others, to try Him, desired of Him a sign from heaven.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A House Divided
15but some of them said, “It is by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, that He drives out demons.” 16And others tested Him by demanding a sign from heaven. 17Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and a house divided against a house will fall.…

Cross References
Matthew 12:38-42
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” / Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. / For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ...

Mark 8:11-12
Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven. / Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

John 6:30
So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?

1 Corinthians 1:22
Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,

Matthew 16:1-4
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. / But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’ / and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times. ...

John 2:18
On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

Exodus 7:9-10
“When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.” / So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, / and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” / you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Isaiah 7:11-14
“Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.” / But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.” / Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? ...

1 Kings 13:3-5
That day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “The LORD has spoken this sign: ‘Surely the altar will be split apart, and the ashes upon it will be poured out.’” / Now when King Jeroboam, who was at the altar in Bethel, heard the word that the man of God had cried out against it, he stretched out his hand and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward him withered, so that he could not pull it back. / And the altar was split apart, and the ashes poured out, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.

2 Kings 20:8-11
Now Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the house of the LORD on the third day?” / And Isaiah had replied, “This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: Would you like the shadow to go forward ten steps, or back ten steps?” / “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps,” answered Hezekiah, “but not for it to go back ten steps.” ...

Judges 6:36-40
Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, / then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” / And that is what happened. When Gideon arose the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. ...

Isaiah 38:7-8
This will be a sign to you from the LORD that He will do what He has promised: / I will make the sun’s shadow that falls on the stairway of Ahaz go back ten steps.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had descended.

Numbers 14:11
And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?

Psalm 95:9
where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen My work.


Treasury of Scripture

And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

Matthew 12:38,39
Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee…

Matthew 16:1-4
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven…

Mark 8:11,12
And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him…

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Demanding Heaven Others Sign Sky Sought Tempting Test Tested Testing Trying
Luke 11
1. Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11. assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him.
14. He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27. and shows who are blessed;
29. preaches to the people;
37. and reprimands the outward show of holiness.














And others
This phrase indicates a distinct group separate from those who were already present. In the context of Jesus' ministry, "others" often refers to those who were skeptical or opposed to His teachings. Historically, this could include Pharisees, Sadducees, or other religious leaders who were threatened by Jesus' growing influence. The Greek word for "others" (ἄλλοι) suggests a division among the people, highlighting the varied responses to Jesus' message.

tested Him
The Greek word used here is "πειράζω" (peirazō), which can mean to test, tempt, or try. This word is significant because it implies a challenge to Jesus' authority and divinity. In a broader biblical context, testing God is often seen as an act of unbelief or rebellion, as seen in the Israelites' wilderness experiences. This testing was not a genuine search for truth but a way to undermine Jesus' credibility.

by demanding
The act of demanding, as opposed to requesting, indicates a sense of entitlement and arrogance. The Greek word "ζητέω" (zēteō) can mean to seek or demand, but in this context, it carries a connotation of insistence and pressure. This reflects the hardened hearts of those who were not open to Jesus' message and were instead looking for ways to discredit Him.

a sign
In biblical terms, a "sign" (σημεῖον, sēmeion) is a miraculous event that points to a divine truth or authority. Throughout Scripture, signs are used by God to confirm His word and His messengers. However, the demand for a sign here is not out of faith but skepticism. Jesus had already performed many miracles, yet their demand for a sign reveals their unwillingness to believe.

from heaven
This phrase suggests a desire for a supernatural event that would unmistakably prove Jesus' divine authority. In Jewish thought, a sign "from heaven" would be a direct act of God, such as the manna provided in the wilderness or the fire from heaven in Elijah's time. The demand for such a sign reflects a misunderstanding of Jesus' mission, which was not to perform grandiose miracles on demand but to reveal the kingdom of God through His teachings and actions.

Verse 16. - And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. As in the case of Manoah or Elijah. Some such sign as the pillar of fire these cavilling Jews probably referred to. No doubt, in the course of the public teaching, in the presence of his mighty acts, Jesus was asked for such a sign on several occasions. His questioners would argue after this fashion: "We suspect that these great works of yours, especially your strange power over spirits of evil, are derived from the realm of darkness; now, show us that our suspicion is baseless by some splendid sign of the visible approval of Heaven."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

others
ἕτεροι (heteroi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2087: (a) of two: another, a second, (b) other, different, (c) one's neighbor. Of uncertain affinity; other or different.

tested
πειράζοντες (peirazontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3985: To try, tempt, test. From peira; to test, i.e. Endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline.

Him
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

by demanding
ἐζήτουν (ezētoun)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2212: To seek, search for, desire, require, demand. Of uncertain affinity; to seek; specially, to worship, or to plot.

a sign
σημεῖον (sēmeion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4592: Neuter of a presumed derivative of the base of semaino; an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally.

from
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

heaven.
οὐρανοῦ (ouranou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.


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