Behold, I send my messenger - A fifth excellency of the Baptist was, his preparing the way of the Lord; being the instrument, in God's hand, of preparing the people's hearts to receive the Lord Jesus; and it was probably through his preaching that so many thousands attached themselves to Christ, immediately on his appearing as a public teacher. read more
A greater than John the Baptist - A sixth excellency of the Baptist - he was greater than any prophet from the beginning of the world till that time: - 1st. Because he was prophesied of by them, Isaiah 40:3 , and Malachi 3:1 , where Jesus Christ himself seems to be the speaker. read more
The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence - The tax-gatherers and heathens, whom the scribes and Pharisees think have no right to the kingdom of the Messiah, filled with holy zeal and earnestness, seize at once on the proffered mercy of the Gospel, and so take the kingdom as by force from those learned doctors who claimed for themselves the chiefest places in that kingdom. Christ himself said, The tax-gatherers and harlots go before you into the kingdom of God. See the parallel place, Luke... read more
All the prophets and the law prophesied until John - I believe προεφητευσαν means here, they taught, or continued to instruct. They were the instructers concerning the Christ who was to come, till John came and showed that all the predictions of the one, and the types and ceremonies of the other were now about to be fully and finally accomplished; for Christ was now revealed. The word is taken in this sense, Matthew 7:22 . read more
This is Elias, which was for to come - This should always be written Elijah, that as strict a conformity as possible might be kept up between the names in the Old Testament and the New. The Prophet Malachi, who predicted the coming of the Baptist in the spirit and power of Elijah, gave the three following distinct characteristics of him. First, That he should be the forerunner and messenger of the Messiah: Behold I send my messenger before me, Malachi 3:1 . Secondly, That he should appear... read more
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear - As if our Lord had said, These things are so clear and manifest that a man has only to hear them to be convinced and fully satisfied of their truth. But neither the Jews of that time nor of the succeeding times to the present day, have heard or considered, these things. When spoken to on these subjects, their common custom is to stop their ears, spit out, and blaspheme; this shows not only a bad, but a ruined cause. They are deeply and willfully... read more
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? - That is, the Jewish people - την γενεαν ταυτην , this race: and so the word γενεα is often to be understood in the evangelists. In the markets - Or, places of concourse, αγοραις , from αγειρω , I gather together; not a market-place only, but any place of public resort: probably meaning here, places of public amusement. Calling unto their fellows - Or, companions. Instead of εταιροις , companions, many of the best MSS. have ... read more
We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced - We have begun the music, which should have been followed by the dance, but ye have not attended to it. We have mourned - and ye have not lamented - Ye have not smote the breast: ουκ εκοψασθε , from κοπτομαι , to strike, or beat the breasts with the hands, particularly in lamentation. So used, Nahum 2:7 ; Luke 18:13 ; Luke 23:48 , and by the best Greek and Roman writers. There is an allusion here to those funeral lamentations... read more
For John came neither eating nor drinking - Leading a very austere and mortified life: and yet, he did not receive him. A sinner will not be persuaded that what he has no mind to imitate can come from God. There are some who will rather blame holiness itself, than esteem it in those whom they do not like. He hath a devil - He is a vile hypocrite, influenced by a demon to deceive and destroy the simple. read more
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Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 11:9
A prophet? yea - and more than a prophet - That is, one more excellent ( περισσοτερον ) than a prophet; one greatly beyond all who had come before him, being the immediate forerunner of Christ, (see below), and who was especially commissioned to prepare the way of the Lord. This was a fourth excellency: he was a prophet, a teacher, a man divinely commissioned to point out Jesus and his salvation; and more excellent than any of the old prophets, because he not only pointed out this... read more