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 ¹  to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ² 

Matthew 12:20

12:20 He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,

until he brings justice to victory.

Matthew 27:48

27:48 Immediately ³  one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, ⁴  put it on a stick, ⁵  and gave it to him to drink.

[11:7]  ¹ tn Or “desert.”

[11:7]  ² 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.

[27:48]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[27:48]  ⁴ sn Sour wine refers to cheap wine that was called in Latin posca, a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.

[27:48]  ⁵ tn Grk “a reed.”