Matthew 11:13

11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. ¹ 

Matthew 17:13

17:13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

Matthew 9:14

The Superiority of the New

9:14 Then John’s ²  disciples came to Jesus ³  and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees ⁴  fast often, ⁵  but your disciples don’t fast?”

Matthew 11:7

11:7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness ⁶  to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁷ 

Matthew 11:12

11:12 From ⁸  the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. ⁹ 

Matthew 14:8

14:8 Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”

Matthew 11:11

11:11 “I tell you the truth, ¹⁰  among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least ¹¹  in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.

Matthew 21:25

21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” ¹²  They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

[11:13]  ¹ tn The word “appeared” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[9:14]  ² sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[9:14]  ³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[9:14]  ⁴ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[9:14]  ⁵ sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.

[11:7]  ³ tn Or “desert.”

[11:7]  ⁴ tn There is a debate as to whether one should read this figuratively (“to see someone who is easily blown over?”) or literally (Grk “to see the wilderness vegetation?… No, to see a prophet”). Either view makes good sense, but the following examples suggest the question should be read literally and understood to point to the fact that a prophet drew them to the desert.

[11:12]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[11:12]  ⁵ tn Or “the kingdom of heaven is forcibly entered and violent people take hold of it.” For a somewhat different interpretation of this passage, see the note on the phrase “urged to enter in” in Luke 16:16.

[11:11]  ⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[11:11]  ⁶ sn After John comes a shift of eras. The new era is so great that the lowest member of it (the one who is least in the kingdom of God) is greater than the greatest one of the previous era.

[21:25]  ⁶ tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here (and in v. 26) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).