Matthew 21:32

ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης : not merely in the sense of being a good pious man with whose life no fault could be found (Meyer; the Fathers, Chrys., Euthy., Theophy.), but in the specific sense of following their own legal way. John was a conservative in religion not less than the Pharisees. He differed from them only by being thoroughly sincere and earnest. They could not, therefore, excuse themselves for not being sympathetic towards him on the ground of his being an innovator, as they could with plausibility in the case of Jesus. The meaning thus is: He cultivated legal piety like yourselves, yet, etc. ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰδόντες, when ye saw how the sinful took John's summons to repent ye did not even late in the day follow their example and change your attitude. They were too proud to take an example from publicans and harlots. τοῦ πιστεῦσαι, inf. of result with τοῦ.