Matthew 11

King James Version

Full text for Matthew Chapter 11

1¶ And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

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?

4Jesus answered and said unto them, ‹Go and shew John again those 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, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.›

6‹And blessed is [he], whosoever shall not be offended in me.›

7¶ And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, ‹What went ye out into the wilderness to see? 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 [clothing] are in kings' houses.›

9‹But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.›

10‹For this is [he], of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.›

11‹Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least 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 the violent take it by force.›

13‹For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.›

14‹And if ye will receive [it], this is Elias, which was for 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 markets, and calling unto their fellows,›

17‹And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.›

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 man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.›

20Then 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, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.›

22‹But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.›

23‹And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.›

24‹But 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 time Jesus answered and said, ‹I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.›

26‹Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.›

27‹All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will 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.›

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

John the Baptist, from prison, questioned if Jesus was the Messiah, to which Jesus responded by citing his miraculous works as evidence. Jesus then affirmed John as a great prophet, yet lamented the generation's rejection of both John and himself. He pronounced woes upon unrepentant cities for their unbelief despite witnessing mighty works. Finally, Jesus offered an invitation to all who labor and are heavy laden to come unto him for rest, for his yoke is easy and his burden light.

Medium Summary

After commissioning his disciples, Jesus continued teaching and preaching. John the Baptist, imprisoned, sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the expected Messiah. Jesus instructed them to report the miracles they observed—the blind seeing, the lame walking, the dead being raised—as evidence of his identity. He then spoke to the multitudes, praising John as more than a prophet, indeed the messenger foretold to prepare the way, and the greatest born of women, though lesser than the least in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus rebuked the current generation for rejecting both John's austere message and his own inclusive ministry. He then condemned cities like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their lack of repentance despite witnessing numerous mighty works, declaring their judgment would be more severe than that of Tyre, Sidon, or Sodom. Concluding, Jesus thanked the Father for revealing these truths to the humble and extended an invitation to all weary souls to find rest in him, taking his easy yoke.

Long Summary

Following the instruction of his twelve disciples, Jesus departed to teach and preach in various cities. Meanwhile, John the Baptist, from prison, sent two of his disciples to inquire of Jesus, asking directly if He was the Christ who was to come, or if they should await another. Jesus responded by instructing them to return to John and report the miraculous works they had witnessed: the blind receiving sight, the lame walking, lepers being cleansed, the deaf hearing, the dead being raised, and the poor hearing the gospel preached. He added a blessing for those who would not be offended in Him. As John's disciples departed, Jesus addressed the multitudes concerning John, questioning what they had gone into the wilderness to see, affirming John as a prophet, and indeed, more than a prophet. He identified John as the messenger prophesied to prepare the way, declaring that among those born of women, none was greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven was greater than he. Jesus then likened the current generation to children in the marketplace who refuse to respond to either joyful or mournful music, noting their rejection of John's asceticism and His own inclusive ministry, labeling Him a glutton and winebibber. He then began to denounce the cities where most of His mighty works had been performed—Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum—for their failure to repent. Jesus declared that the judgment for these cities would be more severe than for ancient Tyre, Sidon, or Sodom, because if such works had been done there, they would have repented. Subsequently, Jesus offered a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father for hiding these truths from the wise and prudent and revealing them to babes, affirming that all things were delivered to Him by the Father and that only the Son truly knows the Father, and vice versa, with the Son revealing the Father to whomever He wills. The chapter concludes with Jesus's profound invitation: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," promising rest for their souls to those who take His easy yoke and light burden.

Core Concepts

  • John the Baptist's InquiryFrom prison, John sent disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah, demonstrating a moment of doubt or a desire for confirmation for his followers.
  • Evidence of Christ's MinistryJesus responded to John's inquiry by listing His miraculous works—healing the sick, raising the dead, and preaching the gospel to the poor—as undeniable proof of His divine identity and fulfillment of prophecy.
  • John the Baptist's Prophetic RoleJesus affirmed John as a great prophet, more than a prophet, identifying him as the foretold messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord, though noting the kingdom of heaven introduces a new order of greatness.
  • Unbelief and CondemnationJesus rebuked the generation for their inconsistent rejection of both John's austere lifestyle and His own inclusive ministry, and pronounced woes upon cities like Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their lack of repentance despite witnessing His mighty works.
  • Divine RevelationJesus thanked the Father for revealing spiritual truths to the humble ("babes") rather than to the "wise and prudent," emphasizing that knowledge of the Father is uniquely revealed through the Son.
  • The Easy YokeJesus extended a universal invitation to all who are weary and burdened to come to Him, promising rest for their souls by taking His "easy yoke" and "light burden."