Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 11:17

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

Verse 17. 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: , from , to strike, or beat the breasts with the hands, particularly in lamentation. So used, Na 2:7; Lu 18:13; Lu 23:48, and by the best Greek and Roman writers. There is an allusion here to those funeral lamentations explained Mt 9:23.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

And saying, we have piped unto you, and ye have not danced,…. The allusion is to Jewish children, who having seen their parents and friends at their festivals and weddings, some play upon the pipe, and others dance to them, mimicked the same in their diversions; and also having observed, at funerals, the mourning women, making their doleful ditties, and others answering to them, acted the part of these persons, expecting their fellows would make their responses, but did not: hence the complaint,

we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. The different characters of John and Christ, are here set forth, by “piping” and “mourning”. The character and ministry of Christ and his disciples, by “piping”; by which is meant, the clear, comfortable, and joyful ministry of the Gospel; which is delightful music to a sensible sinner; and may be compared to it, for distinction of sounds, harmony, and agreement, being charming and delightful; its notes are all grace, mercy, love, liberty, peace, pardon, righteousness, and free salvation; and it is very powerful and engaging, it quickens and animates, attracts, allures and charms. The character and ministry of John, is signified by “mourning”: his life was a very austere one; he and his disciples fasted oft; he appeared in a very coarse habit; his speech was rough, his voice thundering: his doctrine was the doctrine of repentance, and he used very severe threatenings, in case of impenitence: on the other hand, by the “fellows” to whom they piped, or ministered, in their different ministrations, are meant, the Scribes and Pharisees; who were neither affected to, nor with, either of them: as for John, he was too austere for them; they did not like his garb, nor his diet; nor did his doctrine, or baptism please them; nor were they wrought upon, or brought to repentance by his ministry; they did not lament, weep, or shed one tear, but sat unmoved, like stocks and stones, under those awful striking discourses, on mournful subjects, delivered by him: nor were they pleased with the free conduct, and pleasant conversation of Christ; nor did they dance, or rejoice, at the good news and glad tidings of grace, and salvation, which were brought by him: of such froward, peevish spirits they were, that neither John, nor Christ, could please them: they were a true picture and emblem of many persons, who like neither law nor Gospel, but are morose, sullen, and quarrelsome, let them hear what they will; as Solomon says,

“If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest”, Pr 29:9. Upon which the Talmudists i comment, and illustrate it in this manner, and produce a proverbial saying, much like this in the text.

“Says God, I was angry with Ahaz, and I delivered him into the hands of the kings of Damascus; he sacrificed and burnt incense to their gods, 2Ch 28:22. I played with Amaziah, and I gave the king of Edom into his hands; he brought their gods and worshipped them, 2Ch 25:14. Says R. Papa, this is what men say, or it is a common proverb,

, “they weep to a man who takes no notice of it, they laugh to a man who does not observe it”; woe to that man, who knows not the difference between good and evil.”

i T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 103. 1.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Children sitting in the market places ( ). 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 world out of the indifference of the past. They would not play wedding or funeral in a peevish fret. These metaphors in the Gospels are vivid to those with eyes to see. The was originally the assembly, then the forum or public square where the people gathered for trade or for talk as in Athens (Ac 17:17) and in many modern towns. So the Roman Forum. The oriental bazaars today are held in streets rather than public squares. Even today with all the automobiles children play in the streets. In English the word “cheap” (Cheapside) meant only barter and price, not cheap in our sense. The word for mourn () means to beat the heart, direct middle, after the fashion of eastern funeral lamentations.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Mourn [] . Lit., beat or strike (the beast), as in oriental funeral lamentations.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “And saying, We have piped unto you,” (legousin eulesamen humin) “Saying, We piped to you all to excite you, to make you happy, to “hype” you, emotionally, to do what we want you to do.

2) “And ye have not danced;” (kai ouk orchesasthe) “And you all did not dance,” as you should have, in response; The laity of the Jews were not jumping “like a monkey on a string,” to the music of the Jewish leaders, who devoured widows’ houses by mortgage foreclosures, and offered prayers of pretence, Mat 23:14; Mr 12:40.

3) “We have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.” (ethrenesamen kai ouk ekopsasthe) “We lamented, and you all did not mourn in response;” The people (Jewish laity) of “this generation” of religious leaders, could see the fake and farcical hypocricy of the long-faced, mourning Pharisees and Sadducees. What they saw and smelled in them, did not incite them to mourn either, Mat 6:16.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

17. We have piped unto you We, that is, the multitudes who heard the preaching of John . Ours, say they, is the cheerful and the merry mood. We look for a prophet and preacher who can respond to our cheerful temper. But you are an austere denouncer of sin, not sparing the cheerfulness of life. We have piped, but you have refused to dance to our tune. We have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented We, that is, the hearers of Jesus, are pensive in character. We love the weeping and denouncing preacher. But you are genial and joyous. We have mourned and you have not lamented.

18. For Our Lord now applies his figure of the piping and mourning children to himself and John. John came neither eating nor drinking That is, as our note on Mat 3:4, has said, John ceremonially exhibited a perpetual fast. He came not accepting any festal invitations or joining any banquets, but adopting a religious diet indicative of pure abstinence, He hath a devil Instead of being a prophet, inspired of God, he is, say they, a demoniac, dwelling, like other demoniacs, in the desert, and howling forth his denunciations.

19. Eating and drinking Not living, like John, in the desert, on a diet that indicated fast; but joining in the social enjoyments of life, blessing the wedding and banquet with his presence, and preaching the Gospel of deliverance and joy. Man gluttonous The sanctimonious hypocrites made even the gladness of the Saviour’s Gospel a charge against him. There is no form of virtue or excellence which wicked men cannot malign, and charge with being a vice which bears some analogy to that virtue. Wisdom is justified of her children Besides these sets of captious children who capriciously assail the Gospel in its ministry and preaching, there is a choice body of other children the children of wisdom. This wisdom is the wisdom of God. 1Co 2:7. It is the wisdom of the just the blessed Gospel. This wisdom, however cavilled at by the children of perversity and captiousness, is justified, that is, vindicated and maintained against cavils, by her children.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments