Matthew 11:17

_AND SAID UNTO HIM, ART THOU HE THAT SHOULD COME, OR DO WE LOOK FOR ANOTHER?_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

16-24 Christ reflects on the scribes and Pharisees, who had a proud conceit of themselves. He likens their behaviour to children's play, who being out of temper without reason, quarrel with all the attempts of their fellows to please them, or to get them to join in the plays for which they used to assemble. The cavils of worldly men are often very trifling and show great malice. Something they have to urge against every one, however excellent and holy. Christ, who was undefiled, and separate from sinners, is here represented as in league with them, and polluted by them. The most unspotted innocence will not always be a defence against reproach. Christ knew that the hearts of the Jews were more bitter and hardened against his miracles and doctrines, than those of Tyre and Sidon would have been; therefore their condemnation would be the greater. The Lord exercises his almighty power, yet...

Verse Matthew 11:17. _WE HAVE PIPED UNTO YOU, AND YE HAVE NOT DANCED_] We have begun the music, which should have been followed by the dance, but ye have not attended to it. _WE HAVE MOURNED - AND YE HAVE NOT LAMENTED._] _Ye have not smote_ _the breast_: ουκ εκοψασθε, from κοπτομαι, _to strike_, or _beat_ _the breasts with the hands_, particularly in _lamentation_. So used, Nahum 2:7; Luke 18:13; Luke 23:48, and by the best Greek and Roman writers. There is an allusion here to those funeral lamentations explained...

BUT WHEREUNTO SHALL I LIKEN ... - Christ proceeds to reprove the inconsistency and fickleness of that age of people. He says they were like children - nothing pleased them. He refers here to the “plays” or “sports” of children. Instrumental music, or piping and dancing, were used in marriages and festivals as a sign of joy. See the notes at Isaiah 5:11. Compare Job 21:11; 2 Samuel 6:14; Judges 11:34; Luke 15:25. Children imitate their parents and others, and act over in play what they see done by others. Among their childish sports, t

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 11:1 Matthew only. AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN JESUS HAD MADE AN END. The same formula recurs in Matthew 7:28; Matthew 13:53; Matthew 19:1; Matthew 26:1. In all five cases it marks the end of important speeches. (1) The sermon on the mount (Mt 5-7:27); (2) the charge to the disciples (Matthew 10:5); (3) the parables ...

AND SAYING, WE HAVE PIPED UNTO YOU, AND YE HAVE NOT DANCED,.... The allusion is to Jewish children, who having seen their parents and friends at their festivals and weddings, some play upon the pipe, and others dance to them, mimicked the same in their diversions; and also having observed, at funerals, the mourning women, making their doleful ditties, and others answering to them, acted the part of these persons, expecting their fellows would make their responses, but did not: hence the complaint, WE HAVE MOURNED UNTO YOU, AND YE HAVE NOT LAMENTED. The different characters of John and Christ, are here set forth, by "piping" and "mourning". The character and ministry of Christ and his disciples, by "piping"; by which is meant, the clear, comfortable, and joyful ministry of the Gospel; which is delightful music to a sensible sinner; and may be compared to it, for distinction of sounds, ha...

Matthew 11:1. _And 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._ Whatever he commanded, he himself did. He was always the example as well as the legislator of his people. How well it will be for us who are called upon to teach others, if we can teach them as much by what we do as by what we say! «When Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.» Matthew 11:2. _Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?_ Poor John! His spirit was brave enough amid the wilds when he was by the riversi

MATTHEW 11:17 evqrhnh,samen {B} After repeated discussion the Committee decided that copyists were more likely to insert u`mi/n for the sake of parallelism with the preceding strophe than to delete it as unnecessary. Furthermore, the shorter text is supported by representatives of widely diversified text-types....

8. THE FORERUNNER IN PRISON. THE KINGDOM PREACHING REJECTED. CHAPTER 11 _ 1. John Imprisoned Sends his Disciples. (Matthew 11:1 .) 2. The King's Testimony Concerning John. (Matthew 11:7 .) 3. The King Announces Judgment. (Matthew 11:20 .) 4. The Greater Invitation. (Matthew 11:25 .)_ The first verse of this chapter belongs to the sending forth of the twelve, and should be put to the previous chapter. “And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding His twelve disciples, He departed thence to teach and preach in their cities.” He took the work upon Himself once more, and with the disciples He had

JOHN THE BAPTIST (Luke 7:18). In place of Mk.'s narrative of John, deferred to ch. 14, Mt. gives material from Q. MATTHEW 11:2. JOHN'S PERPLEXITY. It is a question whether doubt was supervening upon the Baptist's first faith, or whether Matthew 3:14 f. is unhistorical, and John had all along been uncertain. In 2 Cod. Bezæ reads the works of Jesus. In Matthew 11:5 we have to decide whether Jesus refers the embassy to a series of physical miracles ending with the preaching of good tidings to the poor (Harnack, Plummer), or metaphorically (_cf._ Isai