Matthew 16:3

KJV

And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O [ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not [discern] the signs of the times?

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} in the morning {G4404}, It will be foul weather {G5494} to day {G4594}: for {G1063} the sky {G3772} is red {G4449} and lowring {G4768}. O ye hypocrites {G5273}, ye can {G1097} discern {G1252}{G3303} the face {G4383} of the sky {G3772}; but {G1161} can ye {G1410} not {G3756} discern the signs {G4592} of the times {G2540}?

Complete Jewish Bible

and in the morning you say, `Storm today!' because the sky is red and overcast. You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can't read the signs of the times!

Berean Standard Bible

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.

American Standard Version

And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
In Matthew 16:3, Jesus delivers a scathing rebuke to the Pharisees and Sadducees, exposing their profound spiritual blindness. He contrasts their natural ability to predict weather patterns based on the appearance of the sky with their utter failure to discern the far more significant spiritual "signs of the times" – the undeniable evidence of His messianic presence and the inauguration of God's Kingdom. This verse highlights the hypocrisy of those who claimed spiritual authority yet willfully ignored divine revelation right before their eyes.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is part of a direct confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders immediately after He has miraculously fed the four thousand ([Matthew 15:32-39](/matthew/15-32-39 "Matthew 15:32-39 - Feeding the Four Thousand")). The Pharisees and Sadducees approach Him, demanding a "sign from heaven" to prove His authority ([Matthew 16:1](/matthew/16-1 "Matthew 16:1 - Pharisees and Sadducees Demand a Sign")). Jesus refuses to give them a sign on their terms, except for the "sign of Jonah" ([Matthew 16:4](/matthew/16-4 "Matthew 16:4 - The Sign of Jonah")), which points to His death and resurrection. The rebuke in Matthew 16:3 thus serves as a sharp indictment of their spiritual dullness, setting the stage for Jesus's subsequent warnings to His disciples about the "leaven" of the Pharisees and Sadducees ([Matthew 16:6-12](/matthew/16-6-12 "Matthew 16:6-12 - The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees")).
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient agrarian societies, the ability to read weather signs was crucial for daily life, agriculture, and travel. People observed the sky for indicators of rain, storms, or clear weather. A "red sky in the morning" was a well-known folk saying, indicating impending bad weather. The religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees, were considered the spiritual and intellectual elite, meticulously studying the Law and Prophets. They were expected to be the most discerning regarding God's activity. Jesus's charge of "hypocrisy" (Greek: _hypokritēs_, meaning "actor" or "one who wears a mask") was a severe accusation, implying a fundamental disconnect between their outward religious performance and their inward spiritual state.
* **Key Themes:** Matthew 16:3 powerfully contributes to several key themes in the Gospel of Matthew. It underscores the theme of **spiritual blindness versus natural discernment**, where those adept at earthly observations are utterly incapable of perceiving divine truth. This relates to Jesus's broader critique of the religious establishment's inability to recognize the Kingdom of God's arrival, despite the clear evidence of His miracles and teachings (e.g., [Matthew 11:20-24](/matthew/11-20-24 "Matthew 11:20-24 - Woes to Unrepentant Cities")). The verse also highlights the pervasive **hypocrisy** of the religious leaders, a recurring condemnation throughout Matthew, particularly in [Matthew 23](/matthew/23 "Matthew 23 - Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees"). Finally, it emphasizes the importance of **discerning the "signs of the times,"** which refers not merely to chronological time but to the critical, opportune era of God's redemptive activity, specifically the arrival of the Messiah and the inauguration of His Kingdom (e.g., [Matthew 12:38-42](/matthew/12-38-42 "Matthew 12:38-42 - The Sign of Jonah")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Hypocrites (Greek, _hypokritḗs'_):** (G5273) This term, derived from the Greek word for "actor" or "stage-player," denotes someone who pretends to be what they are not, wearing a mask to conceal their true character. Jesus uses it here to expose the insincerity and pretense of the religious leaders. Despite their outward show of piety and spiritual knowledge, they lacked genuine spiritual insight and were unwilling to acknowledge the truth of Jesus's identity and mission.
* **Discern (Greek, _diakrínō'_):** (G1252) From a root meaning "to separate thoroughly," this word implies the ability to distinguish, judge, or evaluate something accurately. Jesus acknowledges their natural ability to "discern" the weather, but then charges them with failing to apply this same discriminative faculty to the spiritual realities unfolding before them. It highlights a willful inability or refusal to make a correct judgment about divine matters.
* **Times (Greek, _kairós'_):** (G2540) This word refers to a specific, opportune, or decisive moment, a "due season" or "critical time," as opposed to _chronos_, which denotes general chronological time. The "signs of the times" therefore refer to the indicators of God's decisive, redemptive activity—the arrival of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God. The religious leaders could read the signs of the physical weather, but they were blind to the profound spiritual significance of the era they were living in.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring."**: This clause describes the common, observable wisdom of the day. People knew that a red and ominous-looking sky in the morning typically signaled a coming storm or bad weather. Jesus acknowledges their practical, earthly discernment, showing that they possessed the capacity for observation and interpretation in mundane matters.
* **"O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky;"**: Here, Jesus directly confronts the religious leaders with a sharp accusation of "hypocrisy." He affirms their proficiency in interpreting natural phenomena, highlighting their skill in reading the "face of the sky" – its appearance and implications for the weather. This sets up the stark contrast that follows.
* **"but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"**: This is the core of Jesus's rebuke. It is a rhetorical question that functions as a powerful condemnation. Despite their ability to interpret natural signs, they were utterly incapable or unwilling to interpret the spiritual signs of the current era – the miracles, teachings, and very presence of Jesus, which heralded the arrival of the Kingdom of God and the fulfillment of prophecy. Their spiritual blindness was not due to a lack of evidence, but a willful refusal to see.

#### Literary Devices
Matthew 16:3 is rich in literary devices that amplify Jesus's message. The most prominent is **Irony**, as Jesus highlights the absurd contrast between the religious leaders' mundane wisdom and their spiritual ignorance. They are adept at predicting earthly weather but completely fail to recognize the divine "weather patterns" of God's redemptive plan unfolding before them. Jesus also employs a powerful **Rhetorical Question** ("but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"), which is not meant to elicit an answer but to underscore their profound failure and expose their hypocrisy. Furthermore, the "signs of the times" serves as a **Metaphor**, where natural weather indicators are implicitly compared to the spiritual indicators of the Messiah's advent. The phrase "face of the sky" is an example of **Personification**, giving the sky a human-like countenance that can be "read."

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 16:3 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of spiritual discernment and the dangers of willful blindness. It underscores that God's revelation is not always spectacular or on human terms, but it is always discernible to those with open hearts and minds. The religious leaders' failure was not intellectual but spiritual and moral; they were unwilling to humble themselves and accept Jesus's authority, preferring their own interpretations and traditions. This passage challenges believers across all ages to cultivate a spirit of discernment, to actively seek to understand God's ongoing work in the world, and to avoid the hypocrisy of outward religiosity without inward spiritual reality. It reminds us that true wisdom comes from God and requires a humble, receptive heart.

* [1 Corinthians 2:14](/1_corinthians/2-14 "The Natural Person Does Not Accept the Things of the Spirit of God")
* [Luke 12:54-56](/luke/12-54-56 "Discerning the Times")
* [John 5:39-40](/john/5-39-40 "You Search the Scriptures Because You Think That in Them You Have Eternal Life")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jesus's sharp rebuke in Matthew 16:3 resonates deeply with believers today, serving as a timeless warning against spiritual complacency and willful ignorance. We, too, can become so accustomed to our routines, traditions, or even our own intellectual prowess that we miss the profound ways God is moving in our lives and in the world around us. Are we so focused on earthly concerns and practical matters that we fail to perceive the spiritual "weather patterns" of our age—the signs of God's ongoing work, the needs of a broken world, or the subtle promptings of the Holy Spirit? This passage calls us to a deeper, more intentional spiritual discernment, urging us to look beyond the superficial and to cultivate a heart that is sensitive to divine truth. It challenges us to examine whether our outward religious observance is matched by an inward spiritual reality, ensuring we are not "hypocrites" in our own walk with God.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be adept at discerning natural or worldly signs, but spiritually blind to God's activity?**
* **What "signs of the times" in our contemporary world might God be calling me to discern and respond to?**
* **How can I cultivate a more discerning heart and mind, sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading, rather than relying solely on my own understanding?**
* **Am I truly seeking God's will and truth, or am I prone to hypocrisy, prioritizing outward appearances over genuine spiritual transformation?**

### FAQ
**What exactly are the "signs of the times" that Jesus refers to?**

Answer: The "signs of the times" (Greek: _kairoi_) refer to the specific, opportune, and decisive moments of God's redemptive plan unfolding in history. In Jesus's context, these signs were His very presence, His miraculous works (healing the sick, casting out demons, feeding multitudes), His authoritative teaching, and His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. These were not mere chronological events, but clear indicators that the long-awaited Messiah had arrived and that the Kingdom of God was breaking into the world. The religious leaders were blind to these profound spiritual realities, even though they were happening right before their eyes.

**Why does Jesus call the religious leaders "hypocrites"?**

Answer: Jesus calls them "hypocrites" because their outward religious observance and claims of spiritual authority did not align with their inward spiritual condition. They meticulously followed the Law and traditions, and were skilled at interpreting natural signs, but they lacked genuine faith, humility, and the spiritual insight to recognize God's decisive action in Jesus. Their pretense of piety masked a deep-seated spiritual blindness and an unwillingness to submit to God's truth, especially when it challenged their established power and beliefs. This term exposed their insincerity and the chasm between their public persona and their true spiritual state.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 16:3, with its sharp indictment of spiritual blindness, powerfully points to Christ as the ultimate "sign of the times" that the religious leaders tragically missed. Jesus Himself is the definitive revelation of God's redemptive purpose, the very embodiment of the Kingdom breaking into human history. His miracles were not mere parlor tricks but "signs" (Greek: _sēmeia_) pointing to His divine authority and the inauguration of God's reign (e.g., [John 2:11](/john/2-11 "John 2:11 - The First Sign at Cana")). His teachings were the very words of God, bringing light and truth to a darkened world ([John 8:12](/john/8-12 "John 8:12 - Jesus, the Light of the World")). The greatest sign, however, was the "sign of Jonah" ([Matthew 12:39-40](/matthew/12-39-40 "Matthew 12:39-40 - The Sign of Jonah")) – Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection, which validated His claims and ushered in the new covenant. The religious leaders, by failing to discern these signs, rejected the very Christ who stood before them, fulfilling prophecies of their spiritual dullness ([Isaiah 6:9-10](/isaiah/6-9-10 "Isaiah 6:9-10 - Blindness and Deafness")). For believers today, discerning the "signs of the times" means recognizing Christ's ongoing work through His Spirit, anticipating His return ([Matthew 24:32-33](/matthew/24-32-33 "Matthew 24:32-33 - The Parable of the Fig Tree")), and living in light of His accomplished salvation and coming Kingdom.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Luke 12:56

[Ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

1 Chronicles 12:32

And of the children of Issachar, [which were men] that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them [were] two hundred; and all their brethren [were] at their commandment.

Matthew 11:5

The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Luke 13:15

The Lord then answered him, and said, [Thou] hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or [his] ass from the stall, and lead [him] away to watering?

Matthew 15:7

[Ye] hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

Matthew 4:23

¶ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matthew 23:13

¶ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.