Matthew 11

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 30 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

Structure

This chapter can be grouped (with cross references to the other gospels):

The New King James Version organises this chapter as follows:

John the Baptist

Verses 2 to 6 relate to John the Baptist's enquiry about Jesus, relayed by his messengers. Verses 7 to 19 relate Jesus' assessment of John's ministry.

Verses 2–3
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?[1]

Some translations use descriptive words to refer to the expected Messiah: "the one who is to come" (English Standard Version, New Heart English Bible), or "the one we are waiting for" (Living Bible), whereas other translations render the Greek: ο ερχομενος, ho erchomenos, as a title: "the Expected One" (New American Standard Bible), "the Coming One" (Weymouth New Testament, New King James Version).

Verses 20-24
Main article: Woes to the unrepentant cities

Having set out in verse 1 "to teach and to preach in their cities", verses 20-24 give an account of Jesus' condemnation of the cities of Galilee for their refusal to repent. Jesus worked most of his miracles or "deeds of power" in these cities.[2]

Verse 25
At that time, Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes[3]

German Protestant theologian Karl Theodor Keim called this text a "pearl of the sayings of Jesus".[4] Pope Francis has noted with support that Pope Benedict XVI "often pointed out that the theologian must remain attentive to the faith lived by the humble and the small, to whom it pleased the Father to reveal that which He had hidden from the learned and the wise”.[5]

Verse 27
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.[6]

The Jerusalem Bible suggests that this verse has "a Johannine flavour", observing that "awareness of Christ's divine sonship exists in the deepest stratum of the synoptic tradition as well as in [John]."[7]

Verse 28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.[8]

"Come unto me" (Greek: δεῦτε πρός με, deute pros me): also in Matthew 4:19, where the Greek: δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, deute opiso mou, is often translated as "follow me".[9] In verse 28 there is less thought of the process of coming than in the very similar invitation in John 7:37.[10]

Verse 29
Take 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]

Verse 30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.[12]

Old manuscripts

Papyrus 62 (4th century)
  • Mat 11.25-30 recto 1 3 5 7
  • Mat 11.25-30 verso 2 4 6 8
  • Mat 11.25-30 recto 9 11 13 15
  • Mat 11.25-30 verso 10 12 14 16
  • Mat 11.25-30 recto 17 19 21 23
  • Mat 11.25-30 verso 18 20 22 24
  • Mat 11.25-30 recto 25
  • Mat 11.25-30 verso 26

See also

References
  1. Matthew 11:2-3 KJV
  2. Matthew 11:20: NRSV
  3. Matthew 11:25 NKJV
  4. Quoted by Heinrich Meyer, Meyer's NT Commentary on Matthew 11, accessed 7 January 2017
  5. Harmon, C., Francis to theologians: Don’t confuse “sensus fidelium” with majority opinion, 9 December 2013, accessed 7 January 2017
  6. Matthew 11:27 NKJV
  7. Jerusalem Bible (1966), footnote j at Matthew 11:27
  8. Matthew 11:28: KJV
  9. e.g. King James Version, Revised Standard Version
  10. Joseph S. Exell; Henry Donald Maurice Spence-Jones (Editors). The Pulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. Matthew 11:29
  12. Matthew 11:30
Preceded by
Matthew 10		 Chapters of the New Testament
Gospel of Matthew		 Succeeded by
Matthew 12
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