MAT 11:15 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.
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).

Some manuscripts do not include the phrase to hear here.

AICNT He who has ears [to hear],[fn] let him hear.

11:15, to hear: ℵ(01) C(04) W(032) BYZ TR THGNT ‖ Absent from some manuscripts. B(03) D(05) NA28 SBLGNT

OEB If you have ears, listen.

WEBBE He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The one who has ears had better listen!

LSV he who is having ears to hear—let him hear.

FBV Anybody with ears should be listening!

TCNT He who has ears [fn]to hear, let him hear.

11:15 to hear ¦ — NA SBL WH

T4T If you want to understand this, you must think carefully [MTY] about what I have just said [MTY].”

LEB The one who has ears, let him hear!

BBE He who has ears, let him give ear.

Moff He who has an ear, let him listen to this.

Wymth Listen, every one who has ears!

ASV He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

DRA He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

YLT he who is having ears to hear — let him hear.

Drby He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

RV He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(He that hath/has ears to hear, let him hear. )

SLT He having ears to hear, let him hear.

Wbstr He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

KJB-1769 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
( He that hath/has ears to hear, let him hear. )

KJB-1611 Hee that hath eares to heare, let him heare.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps He that hath eares to heare, let him heare.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Gnva He that hath eares to heare, let him heare.
(He that hath/has ears to hear, let him hear. )

Cvdl Who so hath eares to heare, let hi heare.
(Whoso/Whoever hath/has ears to hear, let hi hear.)

TNT He that hathe eares to heare let him heare.
(He that hathe ears to hear let him hear. )

Wycl He that hath eris of heryng, here he.
(He that hath/has ears of hearing, here he.)

Luth Wer Ohren hat zu hören, der höre!
(Who ears has to/for hear/listen, the/of_the listen!)

ClVg Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat.
(Who has ears to_listen, hear. )

UGNT ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω.
(ho eⱪōn ōta akouein, akouetō.)

SBL-GNT ὁ ἔχων ⸀ὦτα ἀκουέτω.
(ho eⱪōn ⸀ōta akouetō.)

RP-GNT Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.
(Ho eⱪōn ōta akouein akouetō.)

TC-GNT Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα [fn]ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω.
(Ho eⱪōn ōta akouein akouetō. )

11:15 ακουειν ¦ — NA SBL WH

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.

11:15

He who has ears, let him hear.

Everyone who is able to hear should listen to what I am saying.
You^(plur) who are able to hear what I say, think about it.

The saying in this verse also occurs in Mark 4:9, Mark 4:23, Luke 8:8, Luke 14:35. You should translate all these passages in the same way.

He who has ears, let him hear: These words are a saying that Jesus used to command or urge the crowd to carefully think about the words that they had just heard. This saying assumes that everyone in the crowd had ears and were able to hear. So it is addressed to all the people who were listening to Jesus.

Here are some other ways to translate this saying:

Use “they” or “you” instead of he. For example:
All those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
All of you who have ears to hear, hear/listen.
Use a different type of clause. In some languages it may be more natural to use an “if” clause or a reason clause. For example:
If/Since you have ears that can hear, then pay attention.
Translate the saying without including the word ears. For example:
You people who can hear me, listen! (NCV)

let him hear: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as let him hear is a command in the third person. It does not express permission.

Here is one way to make this more clear:

Anyone who has ears should listen! (NJB)

In some languages, it may be necessary to say what the listener should be listening to. For example:

let him listen to me

let him listen to what I say

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω)

The phrase ears to hear represents the willingness to understand and obey. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [The one who wishes to understand, let him understand and obey] or [The one who can listen to me should pay attention]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω)

Jesus is speaking directly to his audience, not about other people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the second person plural here. Alternate translation: [You who have ears to hear should hear] or [If you have ears to hear, then hear]

Note 3 topic: translate-textvariants

ἀκούειν

˓to_be˒_hearing

Many ancient manuscripts read to hear. The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts do not include these words. If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative3p

ἀκουέτω

˱him˲_˓let_be˒_hearing

If your language does not use the third-person imperative in this way, you could state this in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [he should hear]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀκουέτω

˱him˲_˓let_be˒_hearing

Although the term him is masculine, Jesus is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: [let that person hear]

Parallel MAT 11:15

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

11:15