^7:18John’s⁶⁶ disciples informed him about all these things. So⁶⁷ John called⁶⁸ two of his disciples ^7:19and sent them to Jesus⁶⁹ to ask,⁷⁰ “Are you the one who is to come,⁷¹ or should we look for another?” ^7:20When⁷² the men came to Jesus,⁷³ they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,⁷⁴ ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’ ”⁷⁵^7:21At that very time⁷⁶ Jesus⁷⁷ cured many people of diseases, sicknesses,⁷⁸ and evil spirits, and granted⁷⁹ sight to many who were blind. ^7:22So⁸⁰ he answered them,⁸¹ “Go tell⁸² John what you have seen and heard:⁸³ The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the⁸⁴ deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. ^7:23Blessed is anyone⁸⁵ who takes no offense at me.”

^7:24When⁸⁶ John’s messengers had gone, Jesus⁸⁷ began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness⁸⁸ to see? A reed shaken by the wind?⁸⁹^7:25What⁹⁰ did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy⁹¹ clothes?⁹² Look, those who wear fancy clothes and live in luxury⁹³ are in kings’ courts!⁹⁴^7:26What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more⁹⁵ than a prophet. ^7:27This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,⁹⁶ who will prepare your way before you.’⁹⁷^7:28I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater⁹⁸ than John.⁹⁹ Yet the one who is least¹⁰⁰ in the kingdom of God¹⁰¹ is greater than he is.”

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Footnotes

66 Grk “And John’s.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. This is a reference to John the Baptist as the following context makes clear.
67 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that John’s action was a result of the report he had heard.
68 Grk “And calling two of his disciples, John sent.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesamenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
69 Although most (א A W Θ Ψ f1 𝔐 it sy bo) read πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν (pros ton Iēsoun, “to Jesus”), other important witnesses (B L Ξ f13 33 sa) read πρὸς τὸν κύριον (pros ton kurion, “to the Lord”). A decision is difficult in this instance, as there are good witnesses on both sides. In light of this, that “Jesus” is more widespread than “the Lord” with almost equally important witnesses argues for its authenticity.
70 Grk “to Jesus, saying,” but since this takes the form of a question, it is preferable to use the phrase “to ask” in English.
71 Aspects of Jesus’ ministry may have led John to question whether Jesus was the promised stronger and greater one who is to come that he had preached about in Luke 3:15–17.
72 Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
73 Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
74 Grk “to you, saying,” but since this takes the form of a question, it is preferable to use the phrase “to ask” in English.
75 This question is repeated word for word from v. 19.
76 Grk “In that hour.”
77 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
78 Grk “and sicknesses,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
79 Or “and bestowed (sight) on.”
80 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the relationship to Jesus’ miraculous cures in the preceding sentence.
81 Grk “answering, he said to them.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to “he answered them.”
82 The same verb has been translated “inform” in 7:18.
83 What you have seen and heard. The following activities all paraphrase various OT descriptions of the time of promised salvation: Isa 35:5–6; 26:19; 29:18–19; 61:1. Jesus is answering not by acknowledging a title, but by pointing to the nature of his works, thus indicating the nature of the time.
84 Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
85 Grk “whoever.”
86 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
87 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
88 Or “desert.”
89 There is a debate as to whether one should read this figuratively (“to see someone who is easily blown over?”) or literally (Grk “to see the wilderness vegetation?… No, to see a prophet”). Either view makes good sense, but the following examples suggest the question should be read literally and understood to point to the fact that a prophet drew them to the desert.
90 Grk “But what.” Here ἀλλά (alla, a strong contrastive in Greek) produces a somewhat awkward sense in English, and has not been translated. The same situation occurs at the beginning of v. 26.
91 Or “soft”; see L&N 79.100.
92 The reference to fancy clothes makes the point that John was not rich or powerful, in that he did not come from the wealthy classes.
93 See L&N 88.253, “to revel, to carouse, to live a life of luxury.”
94 Or “palaces.”
95 John the Baptist is “more” because he introduces the one (Jesus) who brings the new era. The term is neuter, but may be understood as masculine in this context ( περισσότερος b.).
96 Grk “before your face” (an idiom).
97 The quotation is primarily from Mal 3:1 with pronouns from Exod 23:20. Here is the forerunner who points the way to the arrival of God’s salvation. His job is to prepare and guide the people, as the cloud did for Israel in the desert.
98 In the Greek text greater is at the beginning of the clause in the emphatic position. John the Baptist was the greatest man of the old era.
99 The earliest and best read simply Ἰωάννου (Iōannou, “John”) here (𝔓75 א B L W Ξ f1 579 ). Others turn this into “John the Baptist” (K 33 565 al it), “the prophet John the Baptist” (A [D] Θ f13 𝔐 lat), or “the prophet John” (Ψ 700 [892 1241] ). “It appears that προφήτης was inserted by pedantic copyists who wished thereby to exclude Christ from the comparison, while others added τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ, assimilating the text to Mt 11:11” ( ).
100 After John comes a shift of eras. The new era is so great that the lowest member of it (the one who is least in the kingdom of God) is greater than the greatest one of the previous era.
101 The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ proclamation. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20–21. It is not strictly future, though its full manifestation is yet to come. That is why membership in it starts right after John the Baptist.