MAT 11:10 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT This is he concerning whom it is written,
¶  ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’
¶ 

UST He is the one about whom a prophet wrote in the Scriptures:
¶  ‘Listen, I am sending my messenger ahead of you. He will make things ready for when you come.’
¶ 

BSB This is [the one] about whom it is written:
⇔ ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,
⇔ who will prepare Your way before You.’[fn]

BLB For this is he about whom it has been written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'

AICNT “[[For]][fn] This is about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face, Who will prepare the way before you.’[fn]

11:10, For: Some manuscripts include. C(04) W(032) BYZ TR

11:10, Malachi 3:1 Masoretic text

OEB This is the man of whom scripture says – “I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.”

WEBBE For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

WMBB (Same as above)

NET This is the one about whom it is written:
⇔ ‘ Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
⇔  who will prepare your way before you.’

LSV for this is he of whom it has been written: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.

FBV He's the one this Scripture was written about: ‘I'm sending my messenger on ahead of you. He will prepare your way for you.’[fn]

11:10 Quoting Malachi 3:1 .

TCNT [fn]For this is the one of whom it is written,
⇔ ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of yoʋ,
⇔ who will prepare yoʋr way before yoʋ.’

11:10 For this ¦ This CT

T4T He is the one to whom God was referring when he said to the Messiah these words that are written {about whom the prophet Malachi wrote} in the Scriptures:
⇔ Listen! I am going to send my messenger to go before you [SYN] to prepare the people [MET] for your coming.

LEB It is this man about whom it is written:
• ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,
• who will prepare your way before you.’[fn]

11:10 A quotation from Mal 3:1; |link-href="None"cf.Mark 1:2|link-href="None"

BBE This is he of whom it has been said, See, I send my servant before your face, who will make ready your way before you.

Moff This is he of whom it is written,
⇔ Here I send my messenger before your face
⇔ to prepare the way for you.

Wymth This is he of whom it is written, "`See I am sending My messenger before Thy face, and he will make Thy road ready before Thee.'

ASV This is he, of whom it is written,
⇔ Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
⇔ Who shall prepare thy way before thee.

DRA For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.

YLT 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.

Drby this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.

RV This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.
(This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy/your face, Who shall prepare thy/your way before thee/you. )

SLT For this is he for whom it was Written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.

Wbstr For this is he concerning whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.

KJB-1769 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
( For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy/your face, which shall prepare thy/your way before thee/you. )

KJB-1611 For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps For this is he of whom it is written: Beholde I sende my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from marking of added words (and possibly capitalisation and punctuation))

Gnva For this is he of whom it is written, Beholde, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
(For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy/your face, which shall prepare thy/your way before thee/you. )

Cvdl For this is he, of who it is written: Beholde, I sende my messauger before thy face, which shal prepare thy waye before the.
(For this is he, of who it is written: Behold, I send my messenger before thy/your face, which shall prepare thy/your way before them.)

TNT For this is he of who it is wrytte. Beholde I sende my messenger before thy face which shall prepare thy waye before the
(For this is he of who it is written. Behold I send my messenger before thy/your face which shall prepare thy/your way before the )

Wycl For this is he, of whom it is writun, Lo! Y sende myn aungel bifor thi face, that shal make redi thi weye bifor thee.
(For this is he, of whom it is written, Lo! I send mine angel before thy/your face, that shall make ready thy/your way before thee/you.)

Luth Denn dieser ist‘s, von dem geschrieben stehet: Siehe, ich sende meinen Engel vor dir her, der deinen Weg vor dir bereiten soll.
(Because this it_is, from to_him written stands: See/Look, I send my angel before/in_front_of you/to_you(sg) her, the/of_the your(s) way/path/road before/in_front_of you/to_you(sg) prepare should.)

ClVg Hic est enim de quo scriptum est: Ecce ego mitto angelum meum ante faciem tuam, qui præparabit viam tuam ante te.
(Here/This it_is because from/about where written it_is: Behold I I_send a_messenger/angel mine before face your(sg), who/which will_prepare way/road your(sg) before you(sg). )

UGNT οὗτός ἐστιν περὶ οὗ γέγραπται, ἰδοὺ, ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου.
(houtos estin peri hou gegraptai, idou, egō apostellō ton angelon mou pro prosōpou sou, hos kataskeuasei taʸn hodon sou emprosthen sou.)

SBL-GNT ⸀οὗτός ἐστιν περὶ οὗ γέγραπται· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου.
(⸀houtos estin peri hou gegraptai; Idou egō apostellō ton angelon mou pro prosōpou sou, hos kataskeuasei taʸn hodon sou emprosthen sou.)

RP-GNT Οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν περὶ οὗ γέγραπται, Ἰδού, ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου.
(Houtos gar estin peri hou gegraptai, Idou, egō apostellō ton angelon mou pro prosōpou sou, hos kataskeuasei taʸn hodon sou emprosthen sou.)

TC-GNT Οὗτος [fn]γάρ ἐστι περὶ οὗ γέγραπται,
⇔ Ἰδού, ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου,
⇔ ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου.
(Houtos gar esti peri hou gegraptai,
⇔ Idou, egō apostellō ton angelon mou pro prosōpou sou,
⇔ hos kataskeuasei taʸn hodon sou emprosthen sou. )

11:10 γαρ ¦ — CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 11:1–19: Jesus praised John the Baptist

Long before Jesus was born, God spoke of a messenger who would prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 3:1). John the Baptist was that messenger. When John’s ministry was ending, he began to doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. So John sent some of his disciples to verify that Jesus was the Messiah (11:3). Jesus indicated that his miracles and preaching were proof that he was the expected Messiah whom God spoke of (11:4–5).

Jesus then showed that John was very important in God’s eyes (11:7–14).

Jesus and John did God’s work in very different ways, but most people refused to listen to either person (11:16–19).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The question of John the Baptist

Jesus talked about John the Baptizer

Messengers from John the Baptist (NRSV)

Jesus and John the Baptizer’s actions prove who they are

There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 7:18–35.

11:10a

This is the one about whom it is written:

John is the person about whom it is written:
John is the man whom the prophet wrote about long ago when God said:

This is the one about whom it is written: This clause refers to John the Baptist. He is the person about whom the following clauses (11:10b–c) are written.

The Greek verb that the BSB translates as it is written is passive. God told the prophet Malachi about John, and Malachi wrote down God’s words. He did this four hundred years before the time of John.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Use a passive verb. For example:
John is the person about whom it is written:
Use an active verb. For example:
This is the one about whom the prophet wrote when God said
John is the person whom the prophet wrote about long ago

11:10b–c

The words of 11:10b–c refer to the prophecy in Malachi 3:1. Many years before John the Baptist was born, Malachi wrote down the prophecy that God told him. John the Baptist fulfilled that prophecy.

11:10b

‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You,

‘Listen! I will send my messenger before you.
‘I will send my messenger to go ahead of you.

Behold: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Behold indicates that the speaker will say something important or surprising, and he wants people to listen carefully to it. If you have a word in your language that emphasizes the importance of the words that follow, you can use it here. Here are some examples:

Listen!

Pay attention!

This is important!

Take note of this!

Many English versions do not translate this word.

I will send My messenger ahead of You: In many cultures at that time, a king would choose a person to go as his messenger to tell people that he was coming. The messenger would tell the people to prepare for the king’s coming.

In this context, the pronouns I and My refer to God. The pronoun You refers to the Christ/Messiah. God indicated that he would send a messenger to tell people to prepare for the Christ/Messiah who was coming. Jesus implied that John was that messenger.

ahead of You: The Greek phrase that the BSB literally translates as ahead of You means “before you.” In this context, this phrase may indicate either or both of the following options:

I will send my messenger before I send you.
I will send my messenger to go in front of you.

In some languages there may be a natural way to translate this clause so that both meanings are possible. If you must choose one of these meanings, choose option (a).

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

before your face (ESV)

to go ahead of you

to go ahead of where you go

11:10c

who will prepare Your way before You.’

He will open the way/road ahead of you.’
He will prepare the people for your coming.’ ”

who will prepare Your way before You: This clause is a metaphor. In this metaphor, preparing people’s hearts for the coming of the Messiah is compared to preparing a road for the coming of the king. (This metaphor is also used in Mark 1:2–3, Luke 3:4–6, and Luke 7:27.)

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
and he will prepare your way before you (REB)
to open the way for you (GNT)
he will repair the road before you come
Put the meaning of the metaphor in a footnote. For example, here is a sample footnote:
These words mean that John will prepare people’s hearts for the coming of the Christ/Messiah.
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
He will prepare people’s hearts for your coming like a person prepares the road before a king comes.
Translate the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
to tell people to prepare themselves for your coming
get the people ready to accept/receive you

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

οὗτός

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Οὗτος ἐστίν περί οὗ γέγραπται Ἰδού ἐγώ ἀποστέλλω τόν ἄγγελον μού πρό προσώπου σοῦ ὅς κατασκευάσει τήν ὁδόν σοῦ ἔμπροσθεν σοῦ)

The pronoun This refers to John the Baptist. If this is not clear for your readers, you could use the person's name here. Alternate translation: [John]

Note 2 topic: writing-quotations

γέγραπται

˱it˲_˓has_been˒_written

In Matthew’s culture, it is written was a normal way to introduce a quotation from an important text, in this case, the book of Malachi (see [Malachi 3:1](../mal/03/01.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Jesus is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: [you can read in the Scriptures] or [it says in the book of Malachi]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

γέγραπται

˱it˲_˓has_been˒_written

If your language does not use the passive form, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [Malachi wrote in the Scriptures]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἰδοὺ

The word Behold draws the attention of the audience and asks them to listen carefully. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express Behold with a word or phrase that asks the audience to listen, or you could draw the audience’s attention in another way. Alternate translation: [See] or [Listen]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

πρὸ προσώπου σου

The phrase before your face means before or in front of the person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [in front of you] or [before I send you]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

(Occurrence -1) σου

The words your, your, and you are singular because God is speaking to the Messiah individually in this quotation.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου

˓will_be˒_preparing (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Οὗτος ἐστίν περί οὗ γέγραπται Ἰδού ἐγώ ἀποστέλλω τόν ἄγγελον μού πρό προσώπου σοῦ ὅς κατασκευάσει τήν ὁδόν σοῦ ἔμπροσθεν σοῦ)

The author of the quotation speaks of helping people to get ready for the coming of the Messiah as if the messenger were preparing the way or road for the Messiah. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [will help people get ready for you to arrive]

Parallel MAT 11:10

Section 11:1–19: Jesus praised John the Baptist

11:10a

11:10b–c

11:10b

11:10c