Matthew 2:6

2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,

for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” ¹ 

Matthew 11:11

11:11 “I tell you the truth, ²  among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least ³  in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.

Matthew 11:23

11:23 And you, Capernaum, ⁴  will you be exalted to heaven? ⁵  No, you will be thrown down to Hades! ⁶  For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day.

Matthew 21:25

21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” ⁷  They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

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¹ sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.

² tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

³ sn 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.

⁴ sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.

map For location see Map1-D2; Map2-C3; Map3-B2.

⁵ tn The interrogative particle introducing this question expects a negative reply.

⁶ sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Luke 10:15; 16:23; Rev 20:13-14).

⁷ tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here (and in v. 26) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).

sn The question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.