11:7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness 1 to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 2
1 tn Or “desert.”
2 tn 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.