Matthew 11 KJV
Jesus and John the Baptist
Matthew Chapter 11: Jesus and John the Baptist
Jesus' reference to the kingdom suffering violence alludes to the aggressive inbreaking of God's reign, possibly evoking Zealot imagery or the forceful opposition faced by John and Jesus, marking a shift from prophetic expectation to realized eschatology.
1nd it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
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.
6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kingsโ houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Words in red are the direct words of Jesus Christ.
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Did You Know?
Jesus' reference to the kingdom suffering violence alludes to the aggressive inbreaking of God's reign, possibly evoking Zealot imagery or the forceful opposition faced by John and Jesus, marking a shift from prophetic expectation to realized eschatology.
The woes against Chorazin and Bethsaida invoke the Sodom and Tyre judgment traditions from Genesis and Ezekiel, underscoring greater accountability for those who witnessed miracles yet rejected the message, inverting typical Gentile judgment motifs.
Christ's thanksgiving to the Father for revealing truths to babes rather than the wise echoes Daniel's apocalyptic reversals, positioning Jesus as the mediator of hidden divine wisdom in a manner that anticipates later Trinitarian relational language.
The 'easy yoke' invitation draws on Sirach 51's personified Wisdom offering rest, casting Jesus as divine Sophia who fulfills and transforms Torah observance into relational discipleship rather than legal burden.
John's prison-borne question and Jesus' Elijah identification subvert standard messianic expectations by blending Malachi's messenger prophecy with a suffering forerunner role, highlighting the paradoxical nature of the kingdom's arrival through apparent weakness.
Commentary & Study Notes Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) ยท Public Domain And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciple โ rather, "the twelve disciples," he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities โ Thisโฆ
Classic verse-by-verse commentary on Matthew 11 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: The imprisoned baptist's message to his master--the reply, and discourse, on the departure of the messengers, regarding john and his mission. ( = lu 7:18-35); Outburst of feeling suggested to the mind of Jesus by the result of his labors in galilee.
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- And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciple โ rather, "the twelve disciples," he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities โ This was scarcely a fourth circuit โ if we may judge from the less formal way in which it was expressed โ but, perhaps, a set of visits paid to certain places, either not reached at all before, or too rapidly passed through, in order to fill up the time till the return of the Twelve. As to their labors, nothing is said of them by our Evangelist. But Luke (Lu 9:6) says, "They departed, and went through, the towns," or "villages," "preaching the Gospel, and healing everywhere." Mark (Mr 6:12, 13), as usual, is more explicit: "And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils (demons) and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them." Though this "anointing with oil" was not mentioned in our Lord's instructions โ at least in any of the records of them โ we know it to have been practiced long after this in the apostolic Church (see Jas 5:14, and compare Mr 6:12, 13) โ not medicinally, but as a sign of the healing virtue which was communicated by their hands, and a symbol of something still more precious. It was unction, indeed, but, as BENGEL remarks, it was something very different from what Romanists call extreme unction. He adds, what is very probable, that they do not appear to have carried the oil about with them, but, as the Jews used oil as a medicine, to have employed it just as they found it with the sick, in their own higher way.
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- Now when John had heard in the prison โ For the account of this imprisonment, see on Mr 6:17-20. the works of Christ, he sent, &c. โ On the whole passage, see on Lu 7:18-35.
Read all 13 notes on Matthew 11 โ