Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 11:9
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
9. more than a prophet ] Other prophets foresaw the Messiah, the Baptist beheld Him, and ushered in His kingdom: he was the herald of the King. Further, John was himself the subject of prophecy.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A prophet? – He next asks whether they went to see a prophet. They had regarded him as such, and Jesus tells them that in this their apprehensions of him were correct.
More than a prophet – Sustaining a character more elevated and sacred than the most distinguished of the ancient prophets. Those had been regarded as the most eminent of the prophets who had most clearly predicted the Messiah. Isaiah had been distinguished above all others for the sublimity of his writings, and the clearness with which he had foretold the coming of Christ. Yet John surpassed even him. He lived in the time of the Messiah himself. He predicted his coming with still more clarity. He was the instrument of introducing him to the nation. He was, therefore, first among the prophets.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. A prophet? yea – and more than a prophet] That is, one more excellent () 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 Christ, but saw him, and had the honour of dying for that sacred truth which he steadily believed and boldly proclaimed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
But what went ye out for to see?…. Since it was not any thing so mean as a shaking reed, or so grand as a man in gay clothing, pray what was it you went out to see?
A prophet? This was the truth of the matter, they expected to see a prophet, and they believed he was one; this was the common voice of the people; all held John to be a prophet. This made Herod afraid to put him to death, and the Pharisees to speak against his baptism: now, though this was giving him a great character, to believe and own him to be a prophet, yet it did not come up to his full character.
Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet; when they saw him, they saw not only a prophet, but one that was greater, and more excellent than any of the prophets that went before him: they prophesied of the Messiah at a distance, and in words not so clear, and easy to be understood; they spoke of him as to come, but he pointed him out with his finger, and declared that he was come; he saw him himself, and showed him to others; he saw the Spirit of God descending on him, and he himself baptized him; his office, as the harbinger of Christ, and the administrator of the ordinance of baptism to him, gave him a preference to all the prophets; and was such an one, as never any man was vested with but himself.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And much more than a prophet ( ). Ablative of comparison after itself comparative though meaning exceeding (surrounded by, overflowing). John had all the great qualities of the true prophet: “Vigorous moral conviction, integrity, strength of will, fearless zeal for truth and righteousness” (Bruce). And then he was the Forerunner of the Messiah (Mal 3:1).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “But what went ye out to see?” (alla ti ekselthate; prophete edein) “But why went ye out? Was it to see a prophet?” Or seriously was it not to see a prophet? Yes, and more than just a mere prophet, Luk 7:26.
2) “Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.” (nai lego humin kai perissoteron prophetou) “Yes, I certify (to) you all, and more than a prophet he was,” a special preacher from God, an appointed and commissioned herald of the Messiah Joh 1:6; Joh 1:30-33; Luk 1:76; Mat 14:5; Mat 21:26; Isa 40:3; Mat 3:1-3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(9) What went ye out for to see? A prophet?The words again throw the hearers back upon the impressions made on them when they first saw and heard the Baptist. They then went out to see a prophet, and they were not, disappointed. Nothing that they had seen or heard since was to lead them to think less worthily of him now. He was indeed a prophet, taught by the Spirit of Jehovah, predicting the glory of the kingdom; but he was also something more than thisa worker in the fulfilment of what he thus proclaimed.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. A prophet They went to find something better than kings or courtiers, namely, a prophet of God. And our Lord assures them, with an emphasis, that they were not mistaken.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet.”
Why then did they go out into the wilderness? Was it to see a prophet? Yes, it was. And indeed it was to see more than a prophet, it was to see the special prophet whom God had sent to prepare the way for God to finally act to bring about the consummation.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
Ver. 9. And more than a prophet ] Because he pointed out Christ with the finger, whom they only saluted afar off. , Heb 11:13 Chrysologus calleth him, legis et gratiae fibulam. The hinge of law and grace. Another resembleth him to the angel, that had one foot in the sea and another on the land. The law he resembleth to the sea, which is rough and movable. The gospel to the laud, which is firm and stable, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9. ] We read, ch. Mat 21:26 , that ‘all accounted John as a prophet.’
is neuter (as always in N.T.), not masculine; as , ch. Mat 12:41-42 . E. V. rightly, more than a prophet.
John was more than a prophet, because he did not write of, but saw and pointed out , the object of his prophecy; and because of his proximity to the Kingdom of God. He was moreover more than a prophet, because he himself was the subject as well as the vehicle of prophecy. But with deep humility, he applies to himself only that one, of two such prophetic passages, which describes him as , and omits the one which gives him the title of , here cited by our Lord.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 11:9 . .: one more question, shorter, abrupt, needing to be supplemented by another (Weiss-Meyer) why then, seriously, went ye out? ; to see a Prophet ? , yea l right at last; a prophet, indeed, with all that one expects in a prophet vigorous moral conviction, integrity, strength of will, fearless zeal for truth and righteousness; utterly free from the feebleness and time-serving of those who bend like reeds to every breath of wind, or bow obsequiously before greatness. ., a prophet and more, something above the typical prophet ( vide on Mat 5:47 ). The clause introduced by , as shows, expresses Christ’s own opinion, not the people’s (Weiss).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
prophet. See App-49.
more than = far more than.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9. ] We read, ch. Mat 21:26, that all accounted John as a prophet.
is neuter (as always in N.T.), not masculine; as , ch. Mat 12:41-42. E. V. rightly, more than a prophet.
John was more than a prophet, because he did not write of, but saw and pointed out, the object of his prophecy;-and because of his proximity to the Kingdom of God. He was moreover more than a prophet, because he himself was the subject as well as the vehicle of prophecy. But with deep humility, he applies to himself only that one, of two such prophetic passages, which describes him as , and omits the one which gives him the title of , here cited by our Lord.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 11:9. , a prophet) For a long time they had had no prophets.[517]-, yea) A prophet, I say unto you, and something greater than a prophet.-more) Neuter, as in , what: sc. when ye went out ye saw something more, etc., although ye did not know it.-, than a prophet) For a prophet announces only distant events.
[517] He cannot be accounted as such, unless he were one far removed from (reed-like) fickleness and (courtier-like) effeminacy.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
A prophet: Mat 11:13, Mat 11:14, Mat 14:5, Mat 17:12, Mat 17:13, Mat 21:24-26, Mar 9:11-13, Luk 1:15-17, Luk 1:76
Reciprocal: Num 12:7 – My servant Zec 13:4 – wear Luk 7:26 – General Luk 16:16 – Law Joh 1:21 – Art thou that 1Ti 6:1 – servants Jam 2:2 – goodly
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
11:9
Coming more specifically to the office of John, the subject of a prophet was mentioned. The ordinary prophet was a man who wrote and/or spoke general predictions that would have widespread fulfillment. John had himself been the fulfiller of other prophecies and hence he was more than a prophet.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 11:9. To see a prophet. To this the crowd would answer yes (comp. ch. Mat 21:26). But our Lord adds, Yea, most certainly, I say unto you, I who can speak with authority on the subject, and much more than a prophet. John saw and pointed out Him whom the prophets only predicted, and he was himself the subject of prophecy.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The people had gone out into the wilderness to hear John because they believed he was a prophet. Jesus affirmed that identification. He was the first true prophet who had appeared in hundreds of years. However, John was an unusual prophet. He was not only a spokesman from and for God, as the other prophets were, but He was also the fulfillment of prophecy himself. He was the one predicted to prepare for Messiah’s appearing.
The passage Jesus quoted is Mal 3:1, and His quotation reflects an allusion to Exo 23:20. The changes Jesus made in His quotation had the effect of making Yahweh address Messiah (cf. Psa 110:1). This harmonizes with the spirit of Malachi’s context (cf. Mat 4:5-6). By quoting this passage Jesus was affirming His identity as Messiah. [Note: R. T. France, Jesus and the Old Testament, p. 155.] He viewed John as potentially fulfilling the prophecy about Elijah preparing the way for Yahweh and the day of the Lord. Whether John really did fulfill it depended on Israel’s acceptance of her Messiah then (cf. Mat 11:14). In either case John fulfilled the spirit of the prophecy because he came in the spirit and power of Elijah.
Jesus called John the greatest human being because he served as the immediate forerunner of Messiah. This was a ministry no other prophet enjoyed. Yet, Jesus added, anyone in the kingdom will be greater than John.
Scholars have offered many different explanations of the last part of Mat 11:11. Some translate "the least" as "the younger" and believe Jesus was contrasting Himself as younger than John with John who was older. [Note: E.g., Fenton, p. 179.] However this is an unusual and unnecessary translation. Others believe that even the least in the kingdom will be able to point unambiguously to Jesus as the Messiah, but John’s testimony to Jesus’ messiahship was not persuading many who heard it. [Note: E.g., Carson, "Matthew," p. 265.] The best explanation, I believe, is that John then only anticipated the kingdom whereas participants will be in it.
". . . possession of a place in the kingdom is more important than being the greatest of the prophets." [Note: Marshall, p. 296.]
Jesus did not mean that John would fail to participate in the kingdom. All true prophets will be in it (Luk 13:28). He was simply contrasting participants and announcers of the kingdom.