Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 11].
[Table of Contents]
[Previous] [Next]
11:1 {He departed thence to teach and preach} (\meteb• ekeithen
tou didaskein kai k•russein\). In five instances (7:28; 11:1;
13:53; 19:1; 26:1) after great discourses by Jesus "the
transition to what follows is made with the formula, 'And it came
to pass when Jesus had ended'" (McNeile). This is a wrong chapter
division, for 11:1 belongs with the preceding section.
"{Commanding}" (\diatass•n\, complementary participle with
\etelesen\), means giving orders in detail (\dia-\) for each of
them. Note both "teach and preach" as in 4:23. Where did Jesus
go? Did he follow behind the twelve as he did with the seventy
"whither he himself was about to come" (Lu 10:1)? Bruce holds
with Chrysostom that Jesus avoided the places where they were,
giving them room and time to do their work. But, if Jesus himself
went to the chief cities of Galilee on this tour, he would be
compelled to touch many of the same points. Jesus would naturally
follow behind at some distance. At the end of the tour the
apostles come together in Capernaum and tell Jesus all that they
had done and that they had taught (Mr 6:30). Matthew follows
the general outline of Mark, but the events are not grouped in
chronological order here.
11:2 {John heard in the prison} (\ho de I•an•s akousas en t•i
desm•t•ri•i\). Probably (Lu 7:18) the raising of the son of the
widow of Nain. The word for prison here is the place where one
was kept bound (Ac 5:21,23; 16:26). See Mt 4:12. It was in
Machaerus east of the Dead Sea which at this time belonged to the
rule of Herod Antipas (Jos. _Ant_. XVIII. v.2). John's disciples
had access to him. So he sent word by (\dia\, not \duo\ as in Lu
7:19) them to Jesus.
11:3 {He that cometh} (\ho erchomenos\). This phrase refers to
the Messiah (Mr 11:9; Lu 13:35; 19:38; Heb 10:37; Ps 118:26; Da
7:13). Some rabbis applied the phrase to some forerunner of the
kingdom (McNeile). Was there to be "another" (\heteron\) after
Jesus? John had been in prison "long enough to develop a _prison
mood_" (Bruce). It was once clear enough to him, but his
environment was depressing and Jesus had done nothing to get him
out of Machaerus (see chapter IX in my _John the Loyal_). John
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/MT11.RWP.html (1 of 6) [28/08/2004 09:03:06 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Matthew: Chapter 11)