Keraia
Matthew 11

Matthew 11:12

Jesus Testifies about John · Matthew 11:7–19
Read Matthew 11

Translations

Modern
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.
Traditional
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Literal
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens is subject to violence, and the violent seize it.
Latin
A diebus autem Joannis Baptistæ usque nunc, regnum cælorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud.

Original

Greek
English
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.

Notes

Matthew 11:12

  • The kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence: The Greek verb can mean either that the kingdom suffers violence (negative) or that it forcefully advances (positive). In Luke 16:16, a different verb (“preached”) makes the statement clearly positive.

  • the violent lay claim to it: This phrase can also have either a negative or positive sense. Negatively, it may point to those who opposed John (see Matthew 11:2; 14:1–12) and persecuted the kingdom’s messengers. Positively, it may refer to people “forcing their way in” (see Luke 16:16), urgently pressing into the kingdom through radical trust and obedience.

Matthew 11:2–19

This section starts with John the Baptist’s doubt. It ends by honoring his faith and his work (Matthew 11:7–19). The people's rejection of John (11:16–19) hints at their future rejection of Jesus.

Events

Parallels

Malachi 3:1–5 Luke 7:24–35

People

John: The Baptist, a prophet who prepared the way for Jesus

Glossary

Faith Gospel of Matthew Jesus Christ Jesus Christ, Teachings of John the Baptist

Topics

Jesus, the Christ: Receives the Message from John the Baptist (In Galilee) John: Jesus Discourses Upon