Matthew 11 13

Matthew 11:13 kjv

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Matthew 11:13 nkjv

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Matthew 11:13 niv

For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

Matthew 11:13 esv

For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,

Matthew 11:13 nlt

For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time.

Matthew 11 verses

Matthew 11 13 Meaning

Matthew 11:13 declares that the entire period defined by "all the prophets and the Law" found its culminating prophetic voice and preparatory purpose in John the Baptist. It signifies a profound transition, indicating that the old era, characterized by anticipatory prophecy and the Mosaic Law pointing towards a coming reality, had reached its appointed boundary and point of fulfillment with John's ministry, which heralded the immediate arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 11 13 Context

Matthew 11 opens with John the Baptist, imprisoned, sending his disciples to question Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" Jesus' response focuses on the undeniable evidence of His miracles and the gospel preached to the poor, confirming His Messiahship. Following this, Jesus transitions to an extraordinary public commendation of John (Matt 11:7-11), affirming John's identity as "more than a prophet," specifically identifying him as the Malachi 3:1 messenger preparing the way.

Verse 13 immediately follows this profound statement about John's unique status. It sets the stage for the dramatic shift in God's redemptive plan being unveiled through Christ's ministry. Jesus' words also hint at a contrast with contemporary Rabbinic teachings that held the Mosaic Law and the traditions of the prophets as the absolute, ongoing and unending norm for life, perhaps overlooking their provisional and anticipatory nature that pointed to a greater fulfillment. By stating "until John," Jesus signifies a climax and the dawn of a new, distinct phase of salvation history, one where the promised Kingdom of Heaven is breaking in.

Matthew 11 13 Word analysis

• For (γὰρ - gar): This Greek conjunction is often translated as "for," "then," or "indeed." It indicates a reason or explanation for what was just stated, linking back to Jesus' commendation of John as the prophesied messenger (v. 10) and his unique role among those born of women (v. 11). It introduces the theological significance of John's position.
• all (πάντες - pantes): Emphasizes the totality and universality. It means "all of them" or "the whole." No prophet or part of the Law is excluded; their entire collective testimony is in view.
• the prophets (προφῆται - prophētai): Refers to the Old Testament prophets—individuals who spoke God's word, foretelling future events and forth-telling divine truth and revelation. In the Hebrew Scriptures, this section (Nevi'im) follows the Law.
• and the Law (καὶ ὁ νόμος - kai ho nomos): "The Law" here primarily signifies the Torah, the first five books of Moses. Often, "the Law and the Prophets" (ho nomos kai hoi prophētai) functions as a merism, a figure of speech representing the entire Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and its revelatory content. This phrase captures the entirety of the Old Covenant Scripture and its authoritative witness.
• prophesied (προεφήτευσαν - proephēteusan): An aorist active indicative verb, indicating a completed action. It means "to prophesy," "to foretell," or "to speak forth" God's message. Here, it describes the ongoing activity of the Law and Prophets as revealing God's future plan and purpose, specifically the coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom. Their testimony pointed forward.
• until (ἕως - heōs): This critical preposition marks a definite limit or boundary in time. It indicates a temporal culmination, signifying that the specific mode of prophecy and the Law's primary role as a pointer reached its designed end or focal point with the arrival of John. It doesn't mean abolition but the completion of a stage, a fulfillment, and a shift in operations.
• John (Ἰωάννου - Ioannou): Refers to John the Baptist. He is the culminating figure of the Old Covenant prophetic tradition, the one whose specific task was to immediately prepare the way for the Messiah and announce the Kingdom's proximity. He served as the bridge between the old and new dispensations, marking the final stage of God's preparation for His Son.

Words-group analysis:

• "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied": This phrase underlines the cohesive, singular message of the entire Old Testament: it was all anticipatory, pointing towards a coming reality. The OT was fundamentally prophetic, setting the stage and revealing the patterns of God's redemptive work.
• "until John": This establishes John the Baptist as the decisive dividing line in redemptive history. With his appearance, the preparatory stage of God's revelation and the age of expectation reached its pinnacle and yielded to the direct arrival of the promised One and His Kingdom. This period did not just continue endlessly; it reached its God-appointed end in preparation for something greater.

Matthew 11 13 Bonus section

The phrase "the Law and the Prophets" is a well-known Jewish idiom for the entire Old Testament Scripture. When Jesus states that "all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John," He is not only referring to their forward-looking nature but also to their inherent anticipatory function. This concept implies a temporary, guiding nature for the Old Covenant (cf. Gal 3:24-25, the Law as a "guardian") that would find its ultimate resolution and embodiment in the Person and work of Christ. The use of "until" (ἕως) signifies a completion and the inauguration of a new stage, not an abolition. It means that John marks the boundary of their specific role as the sole or primary mode of progressive divine revelation pointing to an as-yet-unrealized reality. Now, in Christ, that reality has entered human history. The Kingdom of Heaven is no longer just a promise, but it has arrived "in power" through Jesus and, as Matthew 11:12 states, is actively "advancing" or even "suffering violence," signifying its potent impact and the strong reaction it provokes. This statement underlines a significant discontinuity in salvific history, highlighting the supremacy of Christ's revelation over the previous modes of revelation, yet without discarding the enduring truth of the former.

Matthew 11 13 Commentary

Matthew 11:13 serves as a pivotal statement regarding the flow of God's redemptive plan. Jesus here highlights a significant theological and historical watershed: the Old Testament era, personified by the "Law and the Prophets," was inherently forward-looking and preparatory. Its purpose was to bear witness to and lay the groundwork for the Messiah's advent and the establishment of His Kingdom. This era, in its particular function of foretelling and guiding a people through a covenant, reached its crescendo and temporal endpoint in the ministry of John the Baptist.

John's unique role as the foretold messenger, the "Elijah" figure (Matt 11:14), meant he was the last in the long line of prophets, yet paradoxically also the first herald of the Kingdom's direct manifestation. His message—"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand"—was not just another prophecy of a distant future but an announcement of an immediate, present reality inaugurated by Jesus Christ. The "until John" does not suggest that the Law and Prophets are nullified or irrelevant; rather, it indicates their teleological fulfillment in Christ. Their preparatory role concludes, transitioning to the reality they prefigured. This marks a new dispensation where the Kingdom, though previously prophesied, is now breaking in with power (Matt 11:12).

• Practical Usage:
  • Understanding Salvation History: This verse helps us see that God's plan is not random but purposeful and progressive, moving from promise and prophecy to fulfillment.
  • Appreciating John's Role: It elevates John the Baptist's ministry as crucial in bridging the Old and New Covenants.
  • Recognizing Jesus' Supremacy: It implicitly magnifies Jesus, as He is the one toward whom all the Law and Prophets pointed, and whose coming inaugurated the Kingdom John announced.