Matthew 11:12
New International Version
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.

New Living Translation
And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.

English Standard Version
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

Berean Standard Bible
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.

Berean Literal Bible
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence and the violent seize it.

King James Bible
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

New King James Version
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

New American Standard Bible
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force.

NASB 1995
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

NASB 1977
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

Legacy Standard Bible
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

Amplified Bible
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize].

Christian Standard Bible
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

American Standard Version
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“From the days of Yohannan The Baptizer until this hour the Kingdom of Heaven is led by force and the violent are seizing it.”

Contemporary English Version
From the time of John the Baptist until now, violent people have been trying to take over the kingdom of heaven by force.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away.

English Revised Version
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
From the time of John the Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful people have been seizing it.

Good News Translation
From the time John preached his message until this very day the Kingdom of heaven has suffered violent attacks, and violent men try to seize it.

International Standard Version
"From the days of John the Baptist until the present, the kingdom from heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people have been attacking it,

Literal Standard Version
And from the days of John the Immerser until now, the kingdom of the heavens suffers violence, and violent men seize it by force,

Majority Standard Bible
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.

New American Bible
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.

NET Bible
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it.

New Revised Standard Version
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

New Heart English Bible
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Webster's Bible Translation
And from the days of John the Baptist, until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Weymouth New Testament
But from the time of John the Baptist till now, the Kingdom of the Heavens has been suffering violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

World English Bible
From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Young's Literal Translation
'And, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the reign of the heavens doth suffer violence, and violent men do take it by force,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Testifies about John
11Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.…

Cross References
Matthew 3:15
"Let it be so now," Jesus replied. "It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way." Then John permitted Him.

Matthew 11:11
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 11:13
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

Luke 16:16
The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.


Treasury of Scripture

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

from.

Matthew 21:23-32
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? …

Luke 7:29,30
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John…

Luke 13:24
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Jump to Previous
Advancing Assault Baptist Baptizer Force Forceful Forcefully Forcing Heaven Heavens Hold John Kingdom Lay Reign Seizing Suffer Suffered Suffereth Suffering Suffers Time Violence Violent Way
Jump to Next
Advancing Assault Baptist Baptizer Force Forceful Forcefully Forcing Heaven Heavens Hold John Kingdom Lay Reign Seizing Suffer Suffered Suffereth Suffering Suffers Time Violence Violent Way
Matthew 11
1. John sends his disciples to Jesus.
7. Jesus' testimony concerning John.
16. The perverse judgment of the people concerning the Son.
20. Jesus upbraids Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum;
25. and praising his Father's wisdom in revealing the Gospel to the simple,
28. he calls to him those who are weary and burdened.














(12) The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence.--The Greek verb may be either in the middle voice, "forces its way violently," or passive, as in the English version, but there is little doubt that the latter is the right rendering. The words describe the eager rush of the crowds of Galilee and Judaea, first to the preaching of the Baptist, and then to that of Jesus. It was, as it were, a city attacked on all sides by those who were eager to take possession of it.

The violent take it by force.--The Greek noun is without the article, "men who are violent or use force." The meaning is determined by the preceding clause. The "violent" are men of eager, impetuous zeal, who grasp the kingdom of heaven--i.e., its peace, and pardon, and blessedness--with as much eagerness as men would snatch and carry off as their own the spoil of a conquered city. Their new life is, in the prophet's language, "given them as a prey" (Jeremiah 21:9; Jeremiah 45:5). There is no thought of hostile purpose in the words.

Verse 12. - It is curious that in St. Luke's account of this speech of our Lord's he should omit our vers. 12-14 (on ver. 15, see note there), thus leaving out all Christ's plainer and more direct teaching about the relation of John to himself. St. Luke places (Luke 16:16) our vers. 12 and 13 in what appears to be merely a cento of sayings. Possibly the original occasion has been recorded by neither evangelist, but in Matthew the passage certainly brings out the thought upon which our Lord was insisting on this occasion. And. Slightly adversative (δέ), for there is a change of subject. Christ urges his hearers to more definitely range themselves under his banner. From the days of John the Baptist until now. Yet this was not more than a few months! Possibly the sentence had become modified in oral teaching, so as to include many years, say up to A.D. or 60. St. Luke's ἀπὸ τότε is easy enough. Observe the implied success of John's work as herald. He so prepared the way that men were eager to enter the kingdom which he had said was at hand. The kingdom of heaven. The realm ruled over by Messiah, of which the then community of believers was the earnest (vide Introduction, p. 25.). Suffereth violence (βιάζεται). In Luke it is middle, "Every man entereth violently into it;" and though it is certainly passive here, St. Luke's phrase compels us to understand the reason of the violence to be entrance into the kingdom. The kingdom is not ill treated, but it is as it were taken by storm (Meyer). Nosgen strangely understands the phrase to mean that the kingdom is set forward with power, and he would apparently see in "the violent" a special reference to our Lord and John. And the violent; and men of violence (Revised Version); καὶ βιασταί: only they; men whose mind is made up and who care not what force and power they employ to attain their object. Take it by force; ἁρπάζζουσιν αὐτήν, "grasp it for themselves," like rough and violent bandits seizing their prey. Weiss sees in this verse blame of the politico-Messianic endeavours to hasten the completion of the kingdom. This explanation is good in itself (cf. John 6:15), but disconnects the verse from its context. Our Lord is describing the energy with which some souls are pressing in, and urging the need of such energy if salvation is to be obtained.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
From
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

days
ἡμερῶν (hēmerōn)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

of John
Ἰωάννου (Iōannou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2491: Of Hebrew origin; Joannes, the name of four Israelites.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Baptist
Βαπτιστοῦ (Baptistou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 910: From baptizo; a baptizer, as an epithet of Christ's forerunner.

until
ἕως (heōs)
Preposition
Strong's 2193: A conjunction, preposition and adverb of continuance, until.

now,
ἄρτι (arti)
Adverb
Strong's 737: Now, just now, at this moment. Adverb from a derivative of airo through the idea of suspension; just now.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

kingdom
βασιλεία (basileia)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 932: From basileus; properly, royalty, i.e. rule, or a realm.

of
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

heaven
οὐρανῶν (ouranōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

has been subject to violence,
βιάζεται (biazetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 971: From bios; to force, i.e. to crowd oneself, or to be seized.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[the] violent
βιασταὶ (biastai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 973: A forceful, violent man; one who is eager in pursuit. From biazo; a forcer, i.e. energetic.

lay claim
ἁρπάζουσιν (harpazousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 726: To seize, snatch, obtain by robbery. From a derivative of haireomai; to seize.

to it.
αὐτήν (autēn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


Links
Matthew 11:12 NIV
Matthew 11:12 NLT
Matthew 11:12 ESV
Matthew 11:12 NASB
Matthew 11:12 KJV

Matthew 11:12 BibleApps.com
Matthew 11:12 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 11:12 Chinese Bible
Matthew 11:12 French Bible
Matthew 11:12 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptizer (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 11:11
Top of Page
Top of Page