For the Son of Man was a sign to that generation, not only in His sepulchre, but most especially in His passion ; see John viii. 28. In this manner, the three days and three nights are ex actly completed from the dawn of Thursday to the dawn of Sunday. The time of the death of the two witnesses is exactly defined, Rev. xi., to be three and a half days; therefore we ought to consider that the three days and three nights of our Lord's remaining in the middle of the earth have been also ex-
actly defined. The middle, or heart, of the earth should not be precisely sought for ; but these phrases are opposed to the earth itself, on the surface of which Christ dwelt for more than thirty years.
41. "Avdptg N/vsu/ra/, men of Nineveh) whose example was fol lowed by their wives and children. In the following verse, the example of one woman is added, who heard a wise man, though it might seem more natural for the weaker sex to seek prophecy than wisdom. — ai<a<rrj;<rovra;, shall rise) In the next verse, we find eytpdfiaerai, shall be raised up; cf. in Luke xi. 32, 31 ; shall rise of their own accord, shall be raised up by the Divine volition. The force of each word is contained in the other. — /ura, ivith — xaraxpivotaiv, shall condemn) Cf. Rom. ii. 27. Therefore, at the Last Judgment, those whose conduct is similar or opposite,1 will be pitted in turn against each other. — tlg} at) The faith of the Ninevites is hereby2 asserted (proprie dicitur). — See Jonah iii. 5. Cf. the use of slg, in Rom. iv. 20. — xf/pvyfta, preaching) without miracles.3 — 'luvu, of Jonah) who was mentioned also in ver. 39. The messengers of salvation are prophets, wise men, and scribes; see ch. xxiii. 34. It did not become the Lord to act the Scribe ; see John vii. 15, and cf. Gnomon on Luke iv. 16 : but He, the greatest Prophet, from the race of prophets selects him who best suited this occasion, namely Jonah; and, being wisdom itself, He, from the race of wise men, selects that distinguished wise man, Solomon ; and declares that Something Greater than either of them was then present. Both of them had been believed
1 •• Quorum par aut opposita est ratio," — who stand on a like, or a con trasted and opposite footing, in relation to the judgment. — ED.
2 The tig implies the faith whereby they turned to, and believed in, the preaching of Jonah. — ED.
3 As in the case of Solomon, ver. 42. — V. g