Matthew 11:9-14

11:9 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more ¹  than a prophet. 11:10 This is the one about whom it is written:

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, ² 

who will prepare your way before you.’ ³ 

11:11 “I tell you the truth, ⁴  among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least ⁵  in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. 11:12 From ⁶  the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. ⁷  11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. ⁸  11:14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come.

John 3:26-30

3:26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, ⁹  about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”

3:27 John replied, ¹⁰  “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 3:28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ ¹¹  but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’ 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly ¹²  when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. ¹³  3:30 He must become more important while I become less important.” ¹⁴ 

John 5:35

5:35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining, ¹⁵  and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time ¹⁶  in his light.

[11:9]  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).

[11:10]  ² tn Grk “before your face” (an idiom).

[11:10]  ³ sn The quotation is primarily from Mal 3:1 with pronouns from Exod 23:20. Here is the forerunner who points the way to the arrival of God’s salvation. His job is to prepare and guide the people, as the cloud did for Israel in the desert.

[11:11]  ⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[11:11]  ⁵ 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.

[11:12]  ⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[11:12]  ⁷ 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.

[11:13]  ⁸ tn The word “appeared” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[3:26]  ⁹ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[3:27]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “answered and said.”

[3:28]  ¹¹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[3:29]  ¹² tn Grk “rejoices with joy” (an idiom).

[3:29]  ¹³ tn Grk “Therefore this my joy is fulfilled.”

[3:30]  ¹⁴ sn Some interpreters extend the quotation of John the Baptist’s words through v. 36.

[5:35]  ¹⁵ sn He was a lamp that was burning and shining. Sir 48:1 states that the word of Elijah was “a flame like a torch.” Because of the connection of John the Baptist with Elijah (see John 1:21 and the note on John’s reply, “I am not”), it was natural for Jesus to apply this description to John.

[5:35]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “for an hour.”