Matthew 11:8
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces.

English Standard Version
What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

Berean Standard Bible
Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.

Berean Literal Bible
But what did you go out to see? A man having been dressed in delicate clothing? Behold, those wearing delicate clothing are in kings' houses.

King James Bible
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

New King James Version
But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

New American Standard Bible
But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!

NASB 1995
“But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!

NASB 1977
“But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces.

Legacy Standard Bible
But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!

Amplified Bible
What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh desert]? Those who wear soft clothing are in the palaces of kings!

Christian Standard Bible
What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces.

American Standard Version
But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in kings' houses.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Otherwise, what did you go out to see; a man who wears a long soft robe? Behold those who wear soft things are in the house of the King.”

Contemporary English Version
What kind of man did you go out to see? Was he someone dressed in fine clothes? People who dress like that live in the king's palace.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings.

English Revised Version
But what went ye out for to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in kings' houses.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Really, what did you go to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Those who wear fine clothes are in royal palaces.

Good News Translation
What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in fancy clothes? People who dress like that live in palaces!

International Standard Version
Really, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? See, those who wear fancy clothes live in kings' houses.

Literal Standard Version
But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those wearing the soft things are in the kings’ houses.

Majority Standard Bible
Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.

New American Bible
Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces.

NET Bible
What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy clothes? Look, those who wear fancy clothes are in the homes of kings!

New Revised Standard Version
What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.

New Heart English Bible
But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Look, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

Webster's Bible Translation
But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

Weymouth New Testament
But what did you go out to see? A man luxuriously dressed? Those who wear luxurious clothes are to be found in kings' palaces.

World English Bible
But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

Young's Literal Translation
'But what went ye out to see? -- a man clothed in soft garments? lo, those wearing the soft things are in the kings' houses.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Testifies about John
7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:54
The most gentle and refined man among you will begrudge his brother, the wife he embraces, and the rest of his children who have survived,

Matthew 3:4
John wore a garment of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Matthew 11:7
As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

Matthew 11:9
What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Luke 7:25
Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear elegant clothing and live in luxury are found in palaces.


Treasury of Scripture

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

A man.

Matthew 3:4
And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

2 Kings 1:8
And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Isaiah 20:2
At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

Jump to Previous
Clothed Clothes Clothing Delicate Delicately Dressed Fair Fine Found Garments Houses Kings King's Luxuriously Palaces Raiment Soft Wear Wearing
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Clothed Clothes Clothing Delicate Delicately Dressed Fair Fine Found Garments Houses Kings King's Luxuriously Palaces Raiment Soft Wear Wearing
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.














(8) A man clothed in soft raiment?-Had they seen, then, one who shared in the luxury, and courted the favour of princes? No, not so, again. They that wear soft clothing, or, as in St. Luke's report, "they that are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately," are in kings' houses. The words had a more pointed reference than at first sight appears. Jewish historians (Jost, Gesch. Jud. I. 259.) record how in the early days of Herod the Great a section of the scribes had attached themselves to his policy and party, and in doing so had laid aside the sombre garments of their order, and had appeared in the gorgeous raiment worn by Herod's other courtiers. The Herodians of the Gospel history were obviously the successors of these men in policy, and probably also in habits and demeanour; and the reference to "kings' houses" admits of no other application than to the palace of Antipas. We may trace, with very little hesitation, a vindictive retaliation for these very words in the "gorgeous robe" with which Herod arrayed Him in mockery when the Tetrarch and the Christ stood for one brief hour face to face with each other (Luke 23:11).

Verse 8. - Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. Menahem the Essene was by the wish of Herod the Great made deputy to Hillel in the Sanhedrin, but afterwards left his office. "Whither did he go out? Abai said. He went out to destruction. Rabba said, He went out for the service of the king. There is also a Baraitha [i.e. an 'uncanonical' Mishna] to this effect, that Menahem went out for the service of the king, and there went out with him eighty pairs of disciples clothed in Syrian robes" (Talm. Bab., 'Chagigah,' 16b, edit. Streane). It has been conjectured, though hardly on sufficient evidence, that our Lord was thinking of this case; but the Talmudic passage at least illustrates the gorgeousness of the apparel of the courtiers, and suggests the luxury of living that St. Luke speaks of ("They which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts"). It is, however, only fair to Menahem to say that Gratz ('Geschichte der Judaer,' 3. p. 230, edit. 1877) is able to suppose that he merely went back again to his solitude.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
What
τί (ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

then
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

did you go out
ἐξήλθατε (exēlthate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1831: To go out, come out. From ek and erchomai; to issue.

to see?
ἰδεῖν (idein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

A man
ἄνθρωπον (anthrōpon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

dressed
ἠμφιεσμένον (ēmphiesmenon)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 294: To put on, clothe. From the base of amphoteros and hennumi; to enrobe.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

fine [clothes]?
μαλακοῖς (malakois)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3120: (a) soft, (b) of persons: soft, delicate, effeminate. Of uncertain affinity; soft, i.e. Fine; figuratively, a catamite.

Look,
ἰδοὺ (idou)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2400: See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo!

those
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative 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.

who wear
φοροῦντες (phorountes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5409: To carry, wear, bear constantly. From phoros; to have a burden, i.e. to wear as clothing or a constant accompaniment.

fine [clothing]
μαλακὰ (malaka)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3120: (a) soft, (b) of persons: soft, delicate, effeminate. Of uncertain affinity; soft, i.e. Fine; figuratively, a catamite.

are found
εἰσίν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

kings’
βασιλέων (basileōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 935: A king, ruler, but in some passages clearly to be translated: emperor. Probably from basis; a sovereign.

palaces.
οἴκοις (oikois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3624: A dwelling; by implication, a family.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 11:8 But what did you go out (Matt. Mat Mt)
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