This commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1And 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.
2Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5The 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.
6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7And 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?
8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11Verily 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.
12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Is Jesus calling for physical violence here? The following scriptures make it clear our war or violence we carry out is not physical, we are not to fight or become physically violent but rather we fight spiritually, through prayer etc.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 we clearly see Jesus does not speak of phyiscal violence as Paul says: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,”
Ephesians 6:12 says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Jesus is directly commanding people to listen. This parallels the parable of the sower, where only those with good soil hear and keep the word. In the Old Testament, this “good soil” is something the person themselves is responsible to prepare: “Break up your fallow ground” (Jer 4:3; Hos 10:12). God commands the hearer to respond; He does not irresistibly cause it.
The Greek grammar makes this unmistakable. All three verbs are active and present:
“ha“hath”(ἔχει) — present active: the person already possesses ears.
“to hear” — present active.
“let him hear” (ἀκουέτω) — present active imperative: a direct command.
Jesus is not saying, “Let God cause him to hear,” but directly commanding the listener to hear.
This fits the consistent biblical pattern: people are commanded to hear (Matt 13:9), faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17), some refuse to hear (Acts 28:27), and some actively resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). Scripture never presents hearing or believing as something irresistibly done to a person, but as a response they themselves must make. Grace is offered, the word is preached, and people are called to hear, yet many refuse.
16But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19The 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.
20Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21Woe 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.
22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23And 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.
24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
25At 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.
“Wise and prudent”vs“babes”
There are two groups in this verse and throughout scripture we are told to humble ourselves and that God is not interested in revealing truth to the prideful person. Jesus tell us we must become like little children, babes (Matthew 18:3). This teaches us that the truth can be revealed if the person humbles themself (James 4:10):
“the wise and prudent”= proud, self-reliant, hardened
God resists the proud
James 4:6 “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
See also Proverbs 3:34, Luke 18:9–14
“babes”= humble, teachable, receptive
God looks to the humble
Isaiah 66:2 ”but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word”
See also 1 Peter:5:5, James 4:6, Matthew 18:3–4
The “hiding” is judicial, not arbitrary
This is crucial. God “hides” truth after people reject it and He gives them up, exactly as happened with Israel and was prophesied (Psalm 81:11–12; Ezekiel 3:7–9; Zechariah 7:11–12):
Hear — Matthew 13:15, Acts 28:27 — they closed their eyes and shut their ears
Refuse — Zechariah 7:11–12 — they refused to hear and hardened their hearts
Judgment — John 12:37–40 — they first refused to believe, then in judgment could not believe
Hidden — Matthew 13:13 — the truth is hidden in parables
We see the same exact pattern here in the context of Matthew 11. Jesus rebukes the cities Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernuam because “they repented not” (v20). So the sequence is yet again:
They hear — by seeing His works (Matthew 11:20-21)
They refuse — don’t receive, hear and repent (Matthew 11:14-15;20)
Judgment is pronounced — woes to the cities (Matthew 11:21–24, Luke 10:13–15)
Truth is hidden — Jesus speaks of things being hidden. (Matthew 11:25–26)
The cause comes before hiding, not the other way around. God commands hearing, some refuse, and only then does He judicially allow blindness.
26Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
We see Paul state the same principle: it pleased God to save people by what the world considers foolish, preaching. This is received only by those who are humble, lowly, and often poor, already in a heart of humility:
1 Corinthians 1:19–21 “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
27All 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.
Jesus tells us that “neither knoweth any man the Father”.
In order for a person to know the Father they must go through the Son:
John 14:6 ”Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The Son will reveal him, the Father, to those who are humble.
In Matthew 13:11–13; 34–35 we read that Jesus chose not to reveal the Father fully, speaking in parables instead. This judicial hiding arose from the people’s initial refusal and hardness of heart, stemming from pride and lack of humility (cf. Acts 28:27; Isaiah 6:9–10; Psalm 81:11–12; Zechariah 7:11–12; John 12:37–40). But even so, we read in Acts 2 that those who had killed their Messiah were given a chance to believe and repent.
In context, Matthew 11:25–26 (also see Luke 10:21) shows Jesus thanking the Father for hiding truth from the “wise and prudent” but revealing it to “babes”, those with humble, teachable hearts. Jesus commands people to listen (vs 15) and gives them a choice to receive: “And if ye will receive it” (vs 14). But because they did not repent, they missed the opportunity expressed in “Whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” Repentance, and thus receiving revelation of the Father, is conditioned on humility, hearing, and willing response, not on arbitrary selection.
John 6:45 says ”Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me”
Therefore, if you listen to the word that the Father has sent throughout time, you come to Jesus because they both have the same voice (John 10:30; 12:49–50; 14:10; Deuteronomy 18:18–19). When you come to Him, He will reveal the Father to you (John 14:6).
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Again, we see that Jesus calls out the beat-down, the humble, those who admit they need help. He came to seek those who need a physician (Matthew 9:12), those who recognize their own weakness and dependence.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
11
Matthew 11 — Forever Word commentary
King James VersionThis commentary is a work in progress and may be revised as study continues. If you have a question, spot an error, or want to discuss a passage, please reach out.
1And 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.
2Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5The 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.
6And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7And 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?
8But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11Verily 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.
12And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Is Jesus calling for physical violence here? The following scriptures make it clear our war or violence we carry out is not physical, we are not to fight or become physically violent but rather we fight spiritually, through prayer etc.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 we clearly see Jesus does not speak of phyiscal violence as Paul says: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,”
Ephesians 6:12 says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Jesus is directly commanding people to listen. This parallels the parable of the sower, where only those with good soil hear and keep the word. In the Old Testament, this “good soil” is something the person themselves is responsible to prepare: “Break up your fallow ground” (Jer 4:3; Hos 10:12). God commands the hearer to respond; He does not irresistibly cause it.
The Greek grammar makes this unmistakable. All three verbs are active and present:
“ha“hath” (ἔχει) — present active: the person already possesses ears.
“to hear” — present active.
“let him hear” (ἀκουέτω) — present active imperative: a direct command.
Jesus is not saying, “Let God cause him to hear,” but directly commanding the listener to hear.
This fits the consistent biblical pattern: people are commanded to hear (Matt 13:9), faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17), some refuse to hear (Acts 28:27), and some actively resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). Scripture never presents hearing or believing as something irresistibly done to a person, but as a response they themselves must make. Grace is offered, the word is preached, and people are called to hear, yet many refuse.
16But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19The 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.
20Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21Woe 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.
22But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23And 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.
24But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
25At 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.
“Wise and prudent” vs “babes”
There are two groups in this verse and throughout scripture we are told to humble ourselves and that God is not interested in revealing truth to the prideful person. Jesus tell us we must become like little children, babes (Matthew 18:3). This teaches us that the truth can be revealed if the person humbles themself (James 4:10):
“the wise and prudent” = proud, self-reliant, hardened
God resists the proud
James 4:6 “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
See also Proverbs 3:34, Luke 18:9–14
“babes” = humble, teachable, receptive
God looks to the humble
Isaiah 66:2 ”but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word”
See also 1 Peter:5:5, James 4:6, Matthew 18:3–4
The “hiding” is judicial, not arbitrary
This is crucial. God “hides” truth after people reject it and He gives them up, exactly as happened with Israel and was prophesied (Psalm 81:11–12; Ezekiel 3:7–9; Zechariah 7:11–12):
Hear — Matthew 13:15, Acts 28:27 — they closed their eyes and shut their ears
Refuse — Zechariah 7:11–12 — they refused to hear and hardened their hearts
Judgment — John 12:37–40 — they first refused to believe, then in judgment could not believe
Hidden — Matthew 13:13 — the truth is hidden in parables
We see the same exact pattern here in the context of Matthew 11. Jesus rebukes the cities Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernuam because “they repented not” (v20). So the sequence is yet again:
They hear — by seeing His works (Matthew 11:20-21)
They refuse — don’t receive, hear and repent (Matthew 11:14-15;20)
Judgment is pronounced — woes to the cities (Matthew 11:21–24, Luke 10:13–15)
Truth is hidden — Jesus speaks of things being hidden. (Matthew 11:25–26)
The cause comes before hiding, not the other way around. God commands hearing, some refuse, and only then does He judicially allow blindness.
26Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
We see Paul state the same principle: it pleased God to save people by what the world considers foolish, preaching. This is received only by those who are humble, lowly, and often poor, already in a heart of humility:
1 Corinthians 1:19–21 “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
27All 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.
Jesus tells us that “neither knoweth any man the Father”.
In order for a person to know the Father they must go through the Son:
John 14:6 ”Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
The Son will reveal him, the Father, to those who are humble.
In Matthew 13:11–13; 34–35 we read that Jesus chose not to reveal the Father fully, speaking in parables instead. This judicial hiding arose from the people’s initial refusal and hardness of heart, stemming from pride and lack of humility (cf. Acts 28:27; Isaiah 6:9–10; Psalm 81:11–12; Zechariah 7:11–12; John 12:37–40). But even so, we read in Acts 2 that those who had killed their Messiah were given a chance to believe and repent.
In context, Matthew 11:25–26 (also see Luke 10:21) shows Jesus thanking the Father for hiding truth from the “wise and prudent” but revealing it to “babes”, those with humble, teachable hearts. Jesus commands people to listen (vs 15) and gives them a choice to receive: “And if ye will receive it” (vs 14). But because they did not repent, they missed the opportunity expressed in “Whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” Repentance, and thus receiving revelation of the Father, is conditioned on humility, hearing, and willing response, not on arbitrary selection.
John 6:45 says ”Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me”
Therefore, if you listen to the word that the Father has sent throughout time, you come to Jesus because they both have the same voice (John 10:30; 12:49–50; 14:10; Deuteronomy 18:18–19). When you come to Him, He will reveal the Father to you (John 14:6).
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Again, we see that Jesus calls out the beat-down, the humble, those who admit they need help. He came to seek those who need a physician (Matthew 9:12), those who recognize their own weakness and dependence.
29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.