Matthew 11:9

Young's Literal Translation

`But what went ye out to see? -- a prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

King James Version (1611)
But what went ye out for to see? A Prophet? yea, I say vnto you, and more then a Prophet.

King James Version
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

English Standard Version
What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

New American Standard Bible
"But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

New Century Version
So why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet.

Amplified Bible
"But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one [more eminent, more remarkable, and] far more than a prophet [who foretells the future].

Geneva Bible (1587)
But what went ye out to see? A Prophet? Yea, I say vnto you, and more then a Prophet.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

Legacy Standard Bible
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

Berean Standard Bible
What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Contemporary English Version
What did you really go out to see? Was he a prophet? He certainly was. I tell you that he was more than a prophet.

Complete Jewish Bible
Nu, so why did you go out? To see a prophet! Yes! and I tell you he's much more than a prophet.

Darby Translation
But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet:

Easy-to-Read Version
So what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, John is a prophet. But I tell you, he is more than that.

George Lamsa Translation
And if not so, What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

Good News Translation
Tell me, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed, but you saw much more than a prophet.

Lexham English Bible
But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet!

Literal Translation
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one more excellent than a prophet.

American Standard Version
But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

Bible in Basic English
But why did you go out? to see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

Hebrew Names Version
But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

International Standard Version
Really, what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet!Matthew 14:5; 21:26; Luke 1:76; 7:26;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And if not, what went you forth to see ? a prophet ? I tell you, Yes; and more than a prophet.

Murdock Translation
And if not; what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yes, say I to you, and more than a prophet.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But what went ye out for to see? A prophete? yea I say vnto you, and more then a prophete.

English Revised Version
But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

World English Bible
But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

Weymouth's New Testament
But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But what thing wenten ye out to se? a prophete? Yhe, Y seie to you, and more than a prophete.

Update Bible Version
But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet.

Webster's Bible Translation
But what went ye out to see? A prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

New English Translation
What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

New King James Version
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

New Living Translation
Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet.

New Life Bible
What did you go out to see? One who speaks for God? Yes, I tell you, he is more than one who speaks for God.

New Revised Standard
What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But why went ye forth? A prophet, to see? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Revised Standard Version
Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But what wet ye oute for to se? A prophete? Ye I saye to you and more the a prophete.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But what are ye gone out for to se? A prophet? Yee I saye vnto you, and more the a prophet.

Mace New Testament (1729)
or did you go to see a prophet? yes, and be assured, one superiour to a prophet.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you went out there lookin' for a prophet, then you sure enough found him. But John was more than just a prophet,

Contextual Overview

⁷ And as they are going, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, `What went ye out to the wilderness to view? -- a reed shaken by the wind? <sup>8</sup> `But what went ye out to see? -- a man clothed in soft garments? lo, those wearing the soft things are in the kings' houses. ⁹ `But what went ye out to see? -- a prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet, <sup>10</sup> for this is he of whom it hath been written, Lo, I do send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. <sup>11</sup> Verily I say to you, there hath not risen, among those born of women, a greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the reign of the heavens is greater than he. <sup>12</sup> `And, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the reign of the heavens doth suffer violence, and violent men do take it by force, ¹³ for all the prophets and the law till John did prophesy, ¹⁴ and if ye are willing to receive [it], he is Elijah who was about to come; ¹⁵ he who is having ears to hear -- let him hear.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

A prophet: Matthew 11:13, Matthew 11:14, Matthew 14:5, Matthew 17:12, Matthew 17:13, Matthew 21:24-26, Mark 9:11-13, Luke 1:15-17, Luke 1:76

Reciprocal: Numbers 12:7 - My servant Zechariah 13:4 - wear Luke 7:26 - General Luke 16:16 - Law John 1:21 - Art thou that 1 Timothy 6:1 - servants James 2:2 - goodly

Cross-References

Genesis 10:5
By these have the isles of the nations been parted in their lands, each by his tongue, by their families, in their nations.

Genesis 10:10
And the first part of his kingdom is Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar;

Genesis 10:20
These [are] sons of Ham, by their families, by their tongues, in their lands, in their nations.

Genesis 10:25
And to Eber have two sons been born; the name of the one [is] Peleg (for in his days hath the earth been divided,) and his brother's name [is] Joktan.

Genesis 11:1
And the whole earth is of one pronunciation, and of the same words,

Genesis 11:14
And Salah hath lived thirty years, and begetteth Eber.

Genesis 11:31
And Terah taketh Abram his son, and Lot, son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, wife of Abram his son, and they go out with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go towards the land of Canaan; and they come unto Charan, and dwell there.

Genesis 11:32
And the days of Terah are two hundred and five years, and Terah dieth in Charan.

Acts 17:26
He made also of one blood every nation of men, to dwell upon all the face of the earth -- having ordained times before appointed, and the bounds of their dwellings --

1 Corinthians 14:23
If, therefore, the whole assembly may come together, to the same place, and all may speak with tongues, and there may come in unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But what went ye out for to see?.... Since it was not any thing so mean as a shaking reed, or so grand as a man in gay clothing, pray what was it you went out to see?

A prophet? This was the truth of the matter, they expected to see a prophet, and they believed he was one; this was the common voice of the people; all held John to be a prophet. This made Herod afraid to put him to death, and the Pharisees to speak against his baptism: now, though this was giving him a great character, to believe and own him to be a prophet, yet it did not come up to his full character.

Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet; when they saw him, they saw not only a prophet, but one that was greater, and more excellent than any of the prophets that went before him: they prophesied of the Messiah at a distance, and in words not so clear, and easy to be understood; they spoke of him as to come, but he pointed him out with his finger, and declared that he was come; he saw him himself, and showed him to others; he saw the Spirit of God descending on him, and he himself baptized him; his office, as the harbinger of Christ, and the administrator of the ordinance of baptism to him, gave him a preference to all the prophets; and was such an one, as never any man was vested with but himself.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A prophet? - He next asks whether they went to see a prophet. They had regarded him as such, and Jesus tells them that in this their apprehensions of him were correct.

More than a prophet - Sustaining a character more elevated and sacred than the most distinguished of the ancient prophets. Those had been regarded as the most eminent of the prophets who had most clearly predicted the Messiah. Isaiah had been distinguished above all others for the sublimity of his writings, and the clearness with which he had foretold the coming of Christ. Yet John surpassed even him. He lived in the time of the Messiah himself. He predicted his coming with still more clarity. He was the instrument of introducing him to the nation. He was, therefore, first among the prophets.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 11:9. A prophet? yea - and more than a prophet — That is, one more excellent (περισσοτερον) than a prophet; one greatly beyond all who had come before him, being the immediate forerunner of Christ, (see below,) and who was especially commissioned to prepare the way of the Lord. This was a fourth excellency: he was a prophet, a teacher, a man divinely commissioned to point out Jesus and his salvation; and more excellent than any of the old prophets, because he not only pointed out this Christ, but saw him, and had the honour of dying for that sacred truth which he steadily believed and boldly proclaimed.