Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 11].
Version here has it better, "he that is least." The article with
the comparative is a growing idiom in the vernacular _Koin•_ for
the superlative as in the modern Greek it is the only idiom for
the superlative (Robertson, _Grammar of the Greek N.T._, p. 668).
The papyri and inscriptions show the same construction. The
paradox of Jesus has puzzled many. He surely means that John is
greater (\meiz•n\) than all others in character, but that the
least in the kingdom of heaven surpasses him in privilege. John
is the end of one age, "until John" (11:14), and the beginning
of the new era. All those that come after John stand upon his
shoulders. John is the mountain peak between the old and the new.
11:12 {Suffereth violence} (\biazetai\). This verb occurs only
here and in Lu 16:16 in the N.T. It seems to be middle in Luke
and Deissmann (_Bible Studies_, p. 258) quotes an inscription
"where \biazomai\ is without doubt reflexive and absolute" as in
Lu 16:16. But there are numerous papyri examples where it is
passive (Moulton and Milligan, _Vocabulary_, etc.) so that "there
seems little that promises decisive help for the difficult Logion
of Mt 11:12; Lu 16:16." So then in Mt 11:12 the form can be
either middle or passive and either makes sense, though a
different sense. The passive idea is that the kingdom is forced,
is stormed, is taken by men of violence like "men of violence
take it by force" (\biastai harpazousin aut•n\) or seize it like
a conquered city. The middle voice may mean "experiences
violence" or "forces its way" like a rushing mighty wind (so Zahn
holds). These difficult words of Jesus mean that the preaching of
John "had led to a violent and impetuous thronging to gather
round Jesus and his disciples" (Hort, _Judaistic Christianity_,
p. 26).
11:14 {This is Elijah} (\autos estin Eleias\). Jesus here
endorses John as the promise of Malachi. The people understood
Mal 4:1 to mean the return of Elijah in person. This John
denied as to himself (Joh 1:21). But Jesus affirms that John is
the Elijah of promise who has come already (Mt 17:12). He
emphasizes the point: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
11:17 {Children sitting in the market places} (\paidiois
kath•menois en tais agorais\). This parable of the children
playing in the market place is given also in Lu 7:31f. Had
Jesus as a child in Nazareth not played games with the children?
He had certainly watched them often since. The interest of Christ
in children was keen. He has really created the modern child's
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