Matthew 11:11

Matthew 11:11. Verily I say unto you. Only One could thus speak concerning the greatest ‘born of women.'

There hath not risen; been raised into prominence by God.

Bora of women. Among mankind in general. Christ was ‘born of a woman' (Galatians 4:4), but this differs from the phrase here used as ‘Son of man' does from ‘men.'

A greater. No one, patriarch or prophet, king or priest, was greater; for John was the forerunner of Christ. Relation to Christ is the true measure of greatness.

But he that is least, lit. ‘less,' either less than John or less than others. The latter seems preferable, and is really equivalent to ‘least.'

In the kingdom of heaven, i.e., the new dispensation of grace which Christ introduces. Not ‘in the preaching of the kingdom of heaven.' John on the threshold of the kingdom, was in position the greatest of all Old Testament prophets and saints, but the least Christian, being in the kingdom, is as to position (not personal merit) greater than he. Those born of the Spirit are greater than the greatest born of women. The relation to Christ is still more intimate, and that determines the relative greatness. John is regarded as still outside the kingdom into which he may have afterwards entered. If ‘less' be understood as meaning ‘less than John,' then the reference is to relative position, i.e., one lower in position or dignity in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John, who occupied the highest place in the old dispensation. But this is indefinite. The Fathers referred ‘He that is less' to Christ, but Christ is not in the kingdom (the kingdom is in Him), and such a comparison is scarcely admissible after the application of prophecy made in Matthew 11:10.