Mǎtaìfúyīn 11:9

9 Nǐmen chū qù , jiūjìng shì wèishénme , shì yào kàn xiānzhī ma . wǒ gàosu nǐmen , shì de , tā bǐ xiānzhī dà duō le .

Mǎtaìfúyīn 11:9 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 11:9

But what went ye out for to see?
&c.] 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.

Mǎtaìfúyīn 11:9 In-Context

7 Tāmen zǒu de shíhou , Yēsū jiù duì zhòngrén jiǎnglùn Yuēhàn shuō , nǐmen cóng qián chū dào kuàngyĕ , shì yào kàn shénme ne , yào kàn fēng chuī dòng de lúwĕi ma .

8 Nǐmen chū qù , dàodǐ shì yào kàn shénme , yào kàn chuān xìruǎn yīfu de rén ma , nà chuān xìruǎn yīfu de rén , shì zaì wánggōng lǐ .

9 Nǐmen chū qù , jiūjìng shì wèishénme , shì yào kàn xiānzhī ma . wǒ gàosu nǐmen , shì de , tā bǐ xiānzhī dà duō le .

10 Jīng shang jì zhe shuō , wǒ yào chāiqiǎn wǒde shǐzhĕ zaì nǐ miànqián , yùbeì dàolù . suǒ shuō de jiù shì zhège rén .

11 Wǒ shízaì gàosu nǐmen , fán fùrén suǒ shēng de , méiyǒu yī ge xīngqǐ lái dà guò shīxǐ Yuēhàn de . ránér tiānguó lǐ zuì xiǎo de , bǐ tā hái dà .