11:1 just as John also taught his disciples Refers to John the Baptist.

11:4 forgive us our sins Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer speaks of forgiveness for debts; metaphorically, sin and debt are related—sin functions like a debt before God and others (Matt 6:12). Luke conveys this idea in the prayer’s next line.

11:5 Who of you will have a friend Jesus employs a parable to instruct His disciples to pray with persistence and with faith.

11:6 I do not have anything In Israel’s culture of hospitality, hosts were expected to feed their guests.

11:7 my children are with me in bed The image is one of a single-room house or a dwelling where the sleeping quarters were confined to one room—usually on an elevated platform above the main floor. To meet the friend’s request would cause the entire family to be disturbed.

11:8 because of his impudence Refers to the friend requesting bread. His persistence illustrates how Jesus’ disciples should pray.

11:9 ask With all three commands in this verse, Jesus encourages His followers to anticipate God’s generosity and kindness.

11:10 For everyone who asks receives This is not meant to imply that God will always provide what a petitioner requests.

11:11 what father from among you Jesus asks rhetorical questions to set up His closing remark about giving good gifts (Luke 11:13).

11:13 how much more Since sinful parents know how to provide for their children, God can be expected to do abundantly more—even pouring out His Spirit upon His children.

11:15 Beelzebul Refers to a Canaanite deity associated with Satan and demons (see note on Matt 10:25).

11:18 if Satan also is divided against himself By explicitly linking Satan and Beelzebul (Luke 11:15), Jesus exposes a flaw in His accusers’ logic: If Satan were enabling exorcisms, he would be weakening his own demonic forces.

11:19 by whom do your sons expel them Jesus turns the tables on His accusers, asking them where Jewish exorcists get their power to drive out demons. Some Jews practiced incantations intended to ward off or remove evil spirits; for example, among the Dead Sea Scrolls (ca. 250 bc–ad 50), an incantation text commonly called Aramaic Exorcism was discovered.

11:20 the kingdom of God has come upon you Jesus’ exorcisms are signs of His authority and the arrival of God’s kingdom.

The Kingdom of God: Already but Not Yet

11:22 a stronger man Refers to Jesus, who defeats the strong man (Satan) and scatters his plunder. Jesus’ victory over Satan offers people a life freed from the powerful grip of evil.

11:24 waterless places Demons were thought in some parts of Judaism to reside in the desert, where God’s life-giving blessings were considered to be scarce (compare Isa 13:21; 34:14).

my house Refers to the person whom the spirit previously inhabited.

11:26 worse than the first See note on Matt 12:45.

11:27 Blessed is the womb that bore you An echo of what Mary, the mother of Jesus, has already articulated about her own role (Luke 1:48). As Jesus is moving toward His death, He states the inverse of the woman’s cry, pronouncing that someday those who are childless will be called blessed (23:29).

11:28 hear the word of God and follow True blessedness, according to Jesus, is found in obedience to God’s revelation (compare 8:21).

11:29 an evil generation The majority of people in Jesus’ generation choose not to trust Him, even though reports about Him were surely circulating.

the sign of Jonah In Matthew, this clearly alludes to Jesus’ resurrection on the third day, which parallels the prophet Jonah’s deliverance after spending three days in the great fish (see Matt 12:39 and note; compare Luke 24:7; Jonah 1:17). Luke’s account of this teaching is more ambiguous.

11:31 The queen of the south A reference to the Queen of Sheba (1 Kgs 10:1–13; 2 Chr 9:1–12).

something greater Refers to Jesus Himself, the Messiah.

11:32 Nineveh An Assyrian city on the Tigris River. God commanded Jonah to preach judgment and repentance to the people of Nineveh (Jonah 1:2; 3:1–5).

11:33 No one after lighting a lamp See Luke 8:16 and note.

11:35 light in you is not darkness Light and darkness are often used as metaphors for the spiritual condition.

11:37 Pharisee See note on Luke 5:17.

11:38 did not first wash Washing one’s hands before eating is not required in the law of Moses, but was part of the Pharisees’ tradition (see Matt 15:2).

11:39 cleanse the outside Jesus contrasts external purity (proper behavior) with internal cleansing (transformation of the heart).

11:42 mint and rue and every garden herb These examples of tithing illustrate the Pharisees’ meticulous attention to the smallest details of the law of Moses.

justice and love for God Echoes the two greatest commandments (Luke 10:27–28), as well as the teaching of the prophets (e.g., Isa 1:17; Jer 22:3; Zech 7:9–10; Mic 6:8).

11:44 unmarked graves A metaphor for the Pharisees’ pious appearances, which disguised their inner wickedness (compare Luke 11:39). When graves were not appropriately marked, people could walk over them and potentially become ritually unclean (see Num 5:2; 19:11–13).

11:46 burdens hard to bear Compare Matt 23:4; 15:2 and note.

11:47 you build the tombs of the prophets See Matt 23:29–36.

11:49 the wisdom of God Possibly a reference to Jesus (compare Matt 23:34; Jer 7:25–26).

Jesus as Wisdom

11:51 blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah Jesus seems to be referring to all of the righteous people of the ot who were killed unjustly. See note on Matt 23:35.