Matthew 11:17
15 He who has ears, let him hear.
16 To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
- KJV
- And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
- WEB
- and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’
- ASV
- and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.
- DARBY
- say, We have piped to you, and ye have not danced: we have mourned to you, and ye have not wailed.
- BLB
- saying: ‘We played the flute for you⁺, and you⁺ did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you⁺ did not mourn.’
- ÅB
- ‘Vi spilte fløyte for dere, og dere ville ikke danse; vi sang sørgesanger, og dere ville ikke gråte.’
- OTB
- ‘Vi spilte fløyte for dere,
og dere danset ikke;
vi sang en sørgesang,
men dere klaget ikke.’ - B1930
- Vi blåste på fløite for eder, og I vilde ikke danse; vi sang sørgesanger, og I vilde ikke gråte.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 28:9–13
Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?
Read in contextJeremiah 9:17–20
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Take note, and summon the wailing women; send for the most skillful among them.
Read in contextIsaiah 30:29
You will sing as on the night of a holy festival, and your heart will rejoice like one who walks to the music of a flute, going up to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel.
Read in contextMatthew 9:15
Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.
Read in contextJeremiah 31:4
Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.
Read in contextLuke 15:25
Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing.
Read in contextMatthew 9:23
When Jesus entered the house of the synagogue leader, He saw the flute players and the noisy crowd.
Read in context1 Corinthians 9:19–23
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
Read in context