Matthew 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 

Ge 49:4; Mt 3:1-3,5; Mt 21:25; Mr 1:3-5; Lu 3:3-7; Lu 7:24-30; Lu 8:18; Joh 1:38; Joh 5:35; 2Co 1:17,18; Eph 4:14; Jas 1:6

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.