Commentaries:
People's Commentary (NT)
Matthew 12:40
As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly. See
Jonah 1:17. The great fish was probably not a whale (the Greek is
"ketos", "sea monster"), but a white shark, which abounds in the
Mediterranean, and is said to swallow a horse whole. The miracle was
the preservation of the life of Jonah during his living burial. This
was a type of the burial and resurrection of Christ.
So shall the Son of man be three days and three nights. Jesus says
that he will "be raised again the third day" (Matthew 16:21). Hence, in
Jewish usage "the third day" must mean the same as "three days and
three nights". It was and is customary with the Orientals to make any
part of the day stand for the whole twenty-four hours. Compare
Matthew 16:21 Mr 8:31 2Ch 10:5 10:12 Es 4:16 Ge 7:4,12 Ex 24:18 34:28.
A traveler in the East writes:
``At length the tenth morning arrived--the tenth morning
because, though we performed nominally ten days quarantine,
yet it was, really, only eight days. We landed at nine
o'clock in the evening of the first day, and were liberated
at six o'clock in the morning of the tenth day, but it was
held to be ten days according to the custom of the East.'
Christ was buried Friday evening, lay in the grave Saturday, and rose
Sunday, parts of three days, rose "on the third day", and was in the
grave the space of time meant in eastern usage by three days and three
nights.
In the heart of the earth. In the sepulcher.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Matthew 12:39
Matthew 12:40
Luke 11:14-26
Luke 11:29-32
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