Matthew 11:8 But what did you go out to see?

Spoken to
audience

Lesson about John the Baptist, the attraction.

KJV

Matthew 11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

 

NIV

Matthew 11:8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.

LISTENERS HEARD

Still, what did you go out to see? A man in softness having wrapped himself? You have seen for yourself: the ones habitually soft are in the houses of those rulers.

MY TAKE

People who are soft create soft environments.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

This verse begins with the conjunction "but" that indicates the Jesus was contradicting something said to him that was not recorded. Despite looking similar, the "see" used here is a different Greek word than the "see" in the previous verse. This verse illustrates how carefully Christ chooses his words. For example, the word he uses that is translated as "soft" here has the sense of "morally debased." This is not the words he used when he describes himself in terms that can mean "soft" and "gentle" in Matthew 11:29. There he uses two other words that are self-deprecating, but not in the moral sense.

The Greek word translated as "clothed" is used only in two verses, this one and its parallel in Luke. the word translated as "wear clothing" is used only here. Neither has any relationship to the words usually translated as clothing. The "wear clothing" means "repeating." 

This may be a bit of gallows humor since John had just been taken to the house of a ruler.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
11
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "for" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "see" is not the word used in the previous verse.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "clothed" indicates the past tense, but the tense is the past perfect tense.
  • WV  - Wrong Voice - The "clothed" is active voice, but it is either the passive, "having been clothed" or the middle, "having clothed himself." in the middle voice requiring the concept of "yourselves" as its object.
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "rainment" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
  • HN -- Number Number -- This verb "ehold" is a change from a plural to singular verb as Jesus coes from addressing the crowd to a single person.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "wear" is not the common word usually translated as "wear" nor the previous "clothed." It doesn't primarily mean "wear" but "repeatedly or constantly bearing." 
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "wear" is not an active verb but a participle, "bearing."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "clothing" doesn't exist in the source.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "houses" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "kinds" is not shown in the English translation.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
16
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "if not" should be something more like "but."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "see" is not the word used in the previous verse.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "dressed " indicates the past tense, but the tense is the past perfect tense.
  • WV  - Wrong Voice - The "dressed " is active voice, but it is either the passive, "having been clothed" or the middle, "having clothed himself." in the middle voice requiring the concept of "yourselves" as its object.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "fine" should be something more like "soft."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "clothes" doesn't exist in the source.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "no" doesn't exist in the source.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "see for yourselves" is not shown in the English translation.
  • HN -- Number Number -- This verb "see for yourselves" is a change from a plural to singular verb as Jesus coes from addressing the crowd to a single person.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "wear" is not the common word usually translated as "wear" nor the previous "clothed." It doesn't primarily mean "wear" but "repeatedly or constantly bearing." 
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "wear" is not an active verb but a participle, "bearing."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "fine" should be something more like "soft."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "clothing" doesn't exist in the source.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "houses" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "kinds" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "palaces" should be something more like "houses."
EACH WORD of KJV

But -- The Greek word translated as "but" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "rather." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise."

what -- The word translated as "what" means primarily "anything" or "anyone," but Jesus often uses it to start a question so it means "who," "what," or even "why." 

went  - The word translated as "went" means literally "to go or come out," but it has a secondary meaning of "making something come true."

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

out -- This is from the prefix that means "from"of the previous verb, which means "out of" or "from."

for -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "for" in the Greek source.

to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.

see? -- (CW) The verb translated as "to see" means "to see" but it is used like we use the word "see" to mean "to know" or "to perceive." It is different than the verb used in the previous verse, Matthew 11:7, that was translated as "to see."

A -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

man  - The Greek word for "a man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.

clothed  - (WT, WV) "Clothed" is a verb in the form of an adjective that means "to put on" or "to put around" so "wrapping." It is also used to mean "to dress oneself in." It is not an active verb, as shown in the KJV. It is in a form where the subject is acted on (passive voice) acts on himself (middle voice), "wrapping himself."  The tense is the past perfect so "having wrapped himself." This word is only used in this verse and its parallel in Luke.

in - The word translated as "in" also means "within," "with," or "among." This preposition appears before the word translated as "clothed."

soft  - "Soft" is a Greek adjective used to mean soft and gentle in both a good sense and a bad. A soft pillow is  good, but a soft man is bad. It was used specifically to describe men as effeminate and morally debased. It is not either of the two words in Matthew 11:29, that could be translated as "gently" or "weak." In the Greek, this adjective appears before the word translated as "clothed" but it is in a form that makes it the object of the preposition "in."

raiment? -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "rainment" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used. ." There is ia Greek word like this n the Luke version of this verse (Luke 7:25).

behold, --(HN)  "Behold" is a verbal command meaning "See!" and "Look!" It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek, the word used above. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "ta-da" in a magic show, or "voila" in French which means "see there". "Look here!" or "See there!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways. It is in the middle voice so, "you see for yourselves!" This word is a hidden shift from the plural verb, addressing audience to the singular, addressing person.

they  --- The word translated as "they" is the Greek definite article, which when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

that -- The word translated as "that" is the Greek definite article, which when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. )

wear  - (CW, WF) "War clothing are" is a Greek verb meaning "to do, to have or to be repeatedly." This verb is used by Jesus only in this verse. It is a play on words. In reference to clothing, it means "to bear" or "to wear" but commonly means to constantly wear or bear something in the mind and the body. Its form is that of an adjective, "bearing" of the subject of the sentence.

soft  - - The "soft" here is an adjective, which means "freshly plowed," but it was used for a lot of ideas for gentleness and softness such as sleeping softly, sitting on a soft pillow, and soft grass. It is used to mean "soft" in a negative sense, for the idea of faint-hearted, and cowardly and lacking self-control.

clothing -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "clothing" in the Greek source.

are  -- There is no verb "are" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects. The KJV source did have this Greek word.

in  - The word translated as "in" also means "within," "with," or "among."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

kings' "Kings" is translated from a Greek word which means a "king" or "chief." This is a possessive form but it follows houses so "of the kings."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

houses.  - The Greek word translated as "houses," is any dwelling place but not exclusively a separate house. It means the household or clan that lives in the building as well.

EACH WORD of NIV

If not-- (WW) The Greek word translated as "if not" is usually translated as "bit" and denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "rather." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise."

what  - The word translated as "what" is a pronoun that often, but not always signals a question.

did -- This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English, but the Greek could be either a question or a statement.

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

go - The word translated as "went" means literally "to go or come out," but it has a secondary meaning of "making something come true."

out -- This is from the prefix that means "from"of the previous verb, which means "out of" or "from."

to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.

see? -- (CW) The verb translated as "to see" means "to see" but it is used like we use the word "see" to mean "to know" or "to perceive." It is different than the verb used in the previous verse, Matthew 11:7, that was translated as "to see."

A -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

man  - The Greek word for "a man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.

dressed - (WT, WV) "Dressed " is a verb in the form of an adjective that means "to put on" or "to put around" so "wrapping." It is also used to mean "to dress oneself in." It is not an active verb, as shown in the KJV. It is in a form where the subject is acted on (passive voice) acts on himself (middle voice), "wrapping himself."  The tense is the past perfect so "having wrapped himself." This word is only used in this verse and its parallel in Luke.

in - The word translated as "in" also means "within," "with," or "among." This preposition appears before the word translated as "clothed."

fine  - (WW) "Fine" is a Greek adjective used to mean soft and gentle in both a good sense and a bad. A soft pillow is  good, but a soft man is bad. It was used specifically to describe men as effeminate and morally debased. It is not either of the two words in Matthew 11:29, that could be translated as "gently" or "weak." In the Greek, this adjective appears before the word translated as "clothed" but it is in a form that makes it the object of the preposition "in."

clothes? -- -- (IW) There is  nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "clothes" in the Greek source.

No, -- (IW) There is  nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "no" in the Greek source.

missing "look for yourselves"  -- (MW, HN) The untranslated word is a verbal command meaning "See!" and "Look!" It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek, the word used above. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "ta-da" in a magic show, or "voila" in French which means "see there". "Look here!" or "See there!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways. It is in the middle voice so, "see for yourselves!"

those --- The word translated as "those" is the Greek definite article, which when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

who -- The word translated as "who" is the Greek definite article, which when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. )

wear  - (CW, WF) "War clothing are" is a Greek verb meaning "to do, to have or to be repeatedly." This verb is used by Jesus only in this verse. It is a play on words. In reference to clothing, it means "to bear" or "to wear" but commonly means to constantly wear or bear something in the mind and the body. Its form is that of an adjective, "bearing" of the subject of the sentence.

fine  - (WW) "Fine" is a Greek adjective used to mean soft and gentle in both a good sense and a bad. A soft pillow is  good, but a soft man is bad. It was used specifically to describe men as effeminate and morally debased. It is not either of the two words in Matthew 11:29, that could be translated as "gently" or "weak." In the Greek, this adjective appears before the word translated as "clothed" but it is in a form that makes it the object of the preposition "in."

clothes? -- -- (IW) There is  nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "clothes" in the Greek source.

are  -- There is no verb "are" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects. The KJV source did have this Greek word.

in  - The word translated as "in" also means "within," "with," or "among."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

kings' "Kings" is translated from a Greek word which means a "king" or "chief." This is a possessive form but it follows houses so "of the kings."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

palaces.  - (WW) The Greek word translated as "palaces," is any dwelling place but it is usually translated as "house," but it is not exclusively a separate house. It means the household or clan that lives in the building as well. It is not the Greek word for palaces.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

ἀλλὰ (adv) "But" is from alla, which means "otherwise," "but," "still," "at least," "except," "yet," nevertheless," "rather," "moreover," and "nay." --

τί (pron sg neut nom ) What" is from tis which can mean "someone," "any one," "everyone," "they [indefinite]," "many a one," "whoever," "anyone," "anything," "some sort," "some sort of," "each," "any," "the individual," "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who," "why," or "what.

ἐξήλθατε (2nd pl aor ind act) "Went ye" is from exerchomai, which means "to come or go out of " "to march forth," "go out on," "to stand forth," "to exceed all bounds," "to come to an end," "to go out of office," and [of dreams or prophecies] "to come true."

ἰδεῖν; (aor inf act) "To see" is from eido which means "to see," "to examine," "to perceive," "to behold," "to know how to do," "to see with the mind's eye," and "to know."

ἄνθρωπον (noun sg masc acc) "A man" is from anthropos, which is "man," and, in the plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

ἐν (prep) "In" is from en, which means "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," and "with."

μαλακοῖς [2 verses](adj pl neut dat) "Soft" is from malakos, which means "freshly plowed," but it was used for a lot of ideas for gentleness and softness such as sleeping softly, sitting on a soft pillow, and soft grass. It is used to mean "soft" in a negative sense, for the idea of faint-hearted, and cowardly and lacking self-control. It was used specifically to describe men as effeminate and morally debased.

ἠμφιεσμένον; [4 verses] (part sg perf mp neut nom/acc) "Clothed" is from amphiennymi, which means "to put on" or "to put around." It is also used to mean "to dress oneself in."

ἰδοὺ (verb 2nd sg aor ind mid or verb 2nd sg aor imperat mid) "Behold is from idou , which means "to behold," "to see," and "to perceive." It acts as an adverbial phrase in this form meaning "Lo! Behold!" and "See there!' It is a form of the verb eido, which means "to see."

οἱ (article pl masc nom) "They" is from hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

τὰ (article pl neut nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

μαλακὰ (adj pl neut nom) "Soft" is from malakos, which means "freshly plowed," but it was used for a lot of ideas for gentleness and softness such as sleeping softly, sitting on a soft pillow, and soft grass. It is used to mean "soft" in a negative sense, for the idea of faint-hearted, and cowardly and lacking self-control. It was used specifically to describe men as effeminate and morally debased.

φοροῦντες [1 verse](part pl pres act masc nom) "that wear clothing are" is phoreō, which means to "be or do repeated or habitual," "fetch for oneself," "fetch regularly," of clothes, armor, and the like, "bear constantly," "wear," of mind or body, "possess," "hold," "bear," generally "bear," "suffer, and, in the passive, "to be borne along," and "to be carried away."

ἐν (prep) "In" is from en, which means "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," and "with." -- The word translated as "in" also means "within," "with," or "among."

τοῖς (article sg neut dat)  Untranslated  is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

οἴκοις (noun pl masc dat) "House" is from oikos, which means "house," "dwelling place," "room," "home," "meeting hall," "household goods," "substance," and "ruling family." It is any dwelling place but not exclusively a separate house.

τῶν (article pl masc gen)  Untranslated  is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

βασιλέων. (noun pl masc gen ) "Kings" is from basileus, which means a "king," "chief," "prince," "lord," "master," "a great man," and "the first and most distinguished of any class." It is a form of the world used for "kingdom." -- "Kings" is translated from a Greek word which means a "king" or "chief."

Wordplay

The words translated as "clothed in soft clothing" can mean "wrapped up in moral depravity."

The word translated as translated as "wearing" also means

This may be a bit of gallows humor since John had just been taken to the house of a ruler.

Related Verses

Luke 7:25 But what went ye out for to see?

Matthew 11:7 What did you go out into the wilderness to see?

 

Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings

“He was far from a hollow reed. He was a solid rock,” the man responded. “He was shaken by the breath of the Divine, but he was a hard man!”
“Still, what did you go out to see?”responded the Master.  “A man having wrapped himself in softness?”
“Not all all,” responded the man, “his life in Antipas’s guard house is probably softer than his life in the desert!”
“You see for yourself,” laughed the Master. “The ones habitually soft are in the houses of those rulers.?
We laughed at how true the criticism was about our rulers, but a few of his followers wondered if this was enough to get the Master in trouble with the same type of men who had imprisoned John.

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