KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)
TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT
WORDS OF JESUS IN RED
To get what Matthew 11:7 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity.
“And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?”
What does this verse really mean? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Greek Scripture. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. Use this reference information to gain deeper insight into the Bible and enrich your understanding. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1].
| KJV Verse | Original Greek | Meaning/ Definition This is a simplified translation of the original Greek word. Follow the buttons on the right to get more detail. | More Use the buttons below to get details on the Greek word and view related Bible verses that use the same root word. |
|---|---|---|---|
| “And” | δὲ | But, and, etc | And |
| “as” | δὲ | But, and, etc | as |
| “they” | Τούτων | Of (from or concerning) these (persons or things) | they |
| “departed,” | πορευομένων | To traverse, i.e., travel (literally or figuratively; especially to remove (figuratively, die), live, etc.) | departed |
| “Jesus” | Ἰησοῦς | Jesus (i.e., Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites | Jesus |
| “began” | ἤρξατο | To commence (in order of time) | began |
| “to say” | λέγειν | Properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 and G5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean | say |
| “unto” | ὄχλοις | A throng (as borne along); by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot | unto |
| “the” | τοῖς | The (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) | the |
| “multitudes” | ὄχλοις | A throng (as borne along); by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot | multitudes |
| “concerning” | περὶ | Properly, through (all over), i.e., around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period) | concerning |
| “John,” | Ἰωάννου | Joannes (i.e., Jochanan), the name of four Israelites | John |
| “What” | Τί | An interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions) | What |
| “went ye out” | ἐξήλθετε | To issue (literally or figuratively) | out |
| “into” | εἰς | To or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases | into |
| “the” | τὴν | The (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) | the |
| “wilderness” | ἔρημον | Lonesome, i.e., (by implication) waste (usually as a noun, G5561 being implied) | wilderness |
| “to see?” | θεάσασθαι | To look closely at, i.e., (by implication) perceive (literally or figuratively); by extension to visit | see |
| “A reed” | κάλαμον | A reed (the plant or its stem, or that of a similar plant); by implication, a pen | reed |
| “shaken” | σαλευόμενον | To waver, i.e., agitate, rock, topple or (by implication) destroy; figuratively, to disturb, incite | shaken |
| “with” | ὑπὸ | Under, i.e., (with the genitive case) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative case) of place (whither (underneath) or where (below) or time (when (at)) | with |
| “the wind?” | ἀνέμου | Wind; (plural) by implication, (the four) quarters (of the earth) | wind |
See Matthew 11:7 with its adjacent verses in bold below. Follow either of the two large buttons below to see these verses in their broader context of the King James Bible or a Bible concordance.
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5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
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.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.