Matthew 11:9

11:9 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more ¹  than a prophet.

Matthew 12:38

The Sign of Jonah

12:38 Then some of the experts in the law ²  along with some Pharisees ³  answered him, ⁴  “Teacher, we want to see a sign ⁵  from you.”

Matthew 11:8

11:8 What ⁶  did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? ⁷  Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings! ⁸ 

Matthew 26:58

26:58 But Peter was following him from a distance, all the way to the high priest’s courtyard. After ⁹  going in, he sat with the guards ¹⁰  to see the outcome.

Matthew 13:17

13:17 For I tell you the truth, ¹¹  many prophets and righteous people longed to see ¹²  what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

¹ tn John the Baptist is “more” because he introduces the one (Jesus) who brings the new era. The term is neuter, but may be understood as masculine in this context (BDAG 806 s.v. περισσότερος b).

² tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

³ tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.

⁴ tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.

⁵ sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.

³ tn Grk “But what.” Here ἀλλά (alla, a strong contrastive in Greek) produces a somewhat awkward sense in English, and has not been translated. The same situation occurs at the beginning of v. 9.

⁴ sn The reference to fancy clothes makes the point that John was not rich or powerful, in that he did not come from the wealthy classes.

⁵ tn Or “palaces.”

⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

⁵ sn The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.

⁵ tn Grk “truly (ἀμήν, amhn) I say to you.”

⁶ sn This is what past prophets and righteous people had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10-12 or Heb 1:1-2.