Luke 11:16

Others, to test ¹  him, ²  began asking for ³  a sign ⁴  from heaven.

Mt 12:38,39; Mt 16:1-4; Mr 8:11,12; Joh 6:30; 1Co 1:22

¹ tn Grk “testing”; the participle is taken as indicating the purpose of the demand.

² tn The pronoun “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

³ tn Grk “seeking from him.” The imperfect ἐζήτουν (ezhtoun) is taken ingressively. It is also possible to regard it as iterative (“kept on asking”).

⁴ sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.