Matthew 11:2

2 But when John in bonds had heard the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

Matthew 11:2 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 11:2

Now when John had heard in the prison
The person here spoken of is John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, who was now in the prison of Machaerus; being put there by Herod, for his reproving him for taking Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; and whilst he was there, an account was brought him by his own disciples, see ( Luke 7:18 ) of

the works of Christ,
the miracles he wrought; as the healing of the centurion's servant, the raising from the dead the widow's son of Nain, and the like; upon hearing of which,

he sent two of his disciples,
who might be the most prejudiced against Christ, because of the increase of his followers, and the decrease of their master's; and because he did not live such an austere life as John did; and who, notwithstanding all that they had heard, and their master had told them of Jesus, were not easily persuaded that he was the true Messiah. Moreover, two of them were sent, both because it was more honourable to Christ, and that they might be proper witnesses of what they saw and heard; and since it was not so much for himself, as for the sake of his disciples, that these messengers were sent.

Matthew 11:2 In-Context

1 And it was done, when Jesus had ended, he commanded to his twelve disciples, and passed from thence [And it was done, when Jesus had ended, he, commanding to his twelve disciples, passed from thence] to teach and preach in the cities of them.
2 But when John in bonds had heard the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 and said to him, Art thou he that shall come, or we abide another [or abide we another]?
4 And Jesus answered, and said to them, Go ye, and tell again to John those things that ye have heard and seen. [And Jesus answering, said to them, Ye going tell again to John those things which ye have heard and seen.]
5 Blind men see, crooked men go [crooked men wander], mesels be made clean, deaf men hear, dead men rise again, poor men be taken to preaching of the gospel [poor men be preached the gospel].
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.