1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities. 2 Now when John heard in the prison the works of the Christ, he sent by his disciples, 3 and said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go your way and tell John the things which ye do hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of stumbling in me. 7 And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? a man clothed in soft [raiment]? Behold, they that wear soft [raiment ]are in kings’ houses. 9 But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. 10 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee. 11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye are willing to receive [it], this is Elijah, which is to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the marketplaces, which call unto their fellows, 17 and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn. 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom is justified by her works. 20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Howbeit I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And thou, Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? thou shalt go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in thee, it would have remained until this day. 24 Howbeit I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. 25 At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: 26 yea, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. 27 All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal [him]. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew · Revised Version with Apocrypha
Matthew 11 Revised Version with Apocrypha
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
Places
Capernaum
A fishing and customs town on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus healed, taught, and called disciples. Its ruins include a 4th–5th c. synagogue built over an earlier one.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:13; Mark 2:1; Matthew 11:23
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Isaiah 61:1–3; Acts 10:38; Matthew 9:35; Luke 8:1; Luke 4:15–21
- 2 Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17; Matthew 4:12; Luke 7:18–35; Matthew 9:14
- 3 John 11:27; Malachi 3:1; Hebrews 10:37; Deuteronomy 18:15–18; Micah 5:2
- 5 Isaiah 35:4–6; Isaiah 61:1–3; Isaiah 42:6–7; Luke 4:18; Isaiah 29:18
- 6 Isaiah 8:14–15; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Matthew 26:31; John 6:66; Luke 11:27–28
- 7 James 1:6; John 5:35; Luke 8:18; Luke 7:24–30; Ephesians 4:14
- 8 Matthew 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8; 2 Corinthians 11:27; Zechariah 13:4; Isaiah 20:2
- 9 Luke 1:76; Matthew 14:5; Mark 9:11–13; Matthew 17:12–13; Matthew 21:24–26
- 10 Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 4:5; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:26–27
- 11 Luke 7:28; Ephesians 3:8; Matthew 3:11; John 1:15; Matthew 5:19
- 12 Luke 16:16; Luke 13:24; Ephesians 6:11–13; Philippians 2:12; John 6:27
- 13 Matthew 5:17–18; Romans 3:21; Acts 3:22–24; Acts 13:27; Luke 24:44
- 14 Malachi 4:5; Mark 9:11–13; Matthew 17:10–13; Luke 1:17; John 1:21–23
- 15 Matthew 13:9; Luke 8:8; Mark 4:23; Matthew 13:43; Mark 4:9
- 16 Luke 7:31–35; Matthew 23:36; Mark 4:30; Matthew 12:34; Luke 13:18
- 17 Isaiah 28:9–13; Jeremiah 9:17–20; Isaiah 30:29; Matthew 9:15; Jeremiah 31:4
- 18 Matthew 3:4; Luke 1:15; John 10:20; Matthew 10:25; John 8:48
- 19 Matthew 9:10–11; Luke 7:34–36; Luke 15:1–2; Luke 19:7; Luke 5:29–30
- 20 Luke 10:13–15; 2 Timothy 2:25–26; Jeremiah 8:6; Isaiah 1:2–5; Revelation 9:20–21
- 21 Ezekiel 3:6–7; Matthew 15:21; Acts 12:20; Luke 9:10; John 12:21
- 22 Matthew 11:24; Matthew 10:15; Hebrews 10:26–31; Luke 12:47–48; Matthew 12:36
- 23 Isaiah 14:13–15; John 4:46–54; Matthew 4:13; Genesis 13:13; Revelation 11:8
- 24 Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:22; Mark 6:11; Lamentations 4:6; Luke 10:12
- 25 Matthew 21:16; Psalm 8:2; Matthew 16:17; Luke 10:21–24; 1 Corinthians 1:18–29
- 26 Isaiah 46:10; Ephesians 3:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; Luke 10:21; Romans 9:18
- 27 John 14:6–9; Matthew 28:18; Luke 10:22; 2 John 9; John 17:25–26
- 28 Matthew 11:29; John 7:37; John 6:37; Galatians 5:1; Isaiah 55:1–3
- 29 Jeremiah 6:16; 1 John 2:6; Philippians 2:7–8; John 13:15; Luke 6:46–48
- 30 1 John 5:3; John 16:33; Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10; Galatians 5:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The lesson of the Holy Gospel has set before us a question touching John the Baptist. May the Lord assist me to resolve it to you, as He hath resolved it to us.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
That is, after He had sent them, He proceeded to withdraw Himself, to give them room and opportunity to do what He had enjoined. For while He was present and healing, no one would be willing to approach them.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… the Christ, because the Jews knew not what the Father was, and what the Son, in like manner accused them; and Himself said, "No one knoweth the Father, but the Son; nor the Son, but the Father, and they to whom the Son revealeth Him." Now the Word of God is His Son, as we have before said.
And again, when He said, "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, and learn of Me," He announced the Father of truth.
"Because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;" that they "that labour and are heavy laden" might "come" unto Him and He might refresh them, because He is "meek and lowly in heart." "The meek will He guide in judgment; and the meek will He teach His way;" looking upon our …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)