7:24 When 4 John’s messengers had gone, Jesus 5 began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness 6 to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 7
1 sn The background to the image pressed down, shaken together, running over is pouring out grain for measure in the marketplace. One often poured the grain into a container, shook it to level out the grain and then poured in some more. Those who are generous have generosity running over for them.
2 tn Grk “they will give”; that is, “pour.” The third person plural has been replaced by the passive in the translation.
3 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured back to you.”
4 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Or “desert.”
7 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.