Matthew 11:16 kjv
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
Matthew 11:16 nkjv
"But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions,
Matthew 11:16 niv
"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
Matthew 11:16 esv
"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
Matthew 11:16 nlt
"To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
Matthew 11 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 7:31 | “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation...? | Parallel passage for Jesus' comparison. |
| Mk 4:30 | And He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God...? | Jesus uses comparisons for the Kingdom, here for the people. |
| Isa 5:1-7 | ...My beloved has a vineyard on a very fertile hill... | God compares Israel to a vineyard that yielded bad fruit, showing unresponsiveness. |
| Jer 7:26 | Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear... | People's historical pattern of rejecting God's messengers. |
| Eze 2:3-5 | And He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation... | God's lament over rebellious people resistant to His Word. |
| Deut 32:5 | They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation. | OT description of Israel as a perverse and unfaithful generation. |
| Ps 78:8 | And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation... | Describes a rebellious generation that did not set its heart aright. |
| Isa 30:9 | For this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the Lord; | Describes a disobedient generation refusing to hear God's instruction. |
| Mt 12:39 | But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign... | Jesus frequently labels the current generation as evil and unresponsive. |
| Mt 16:4 | A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign... | Repetition of Jesus' indictment against the unbelieving generation. |
| Mk 8:12 | But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign?... | Jesus laments the deep-seated unbelief of His contemporaries. |
| Lk 9:41 | Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation... | Jesus addresses their lack of faith and spiritual distortion. |
| Acts 7:51 | “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. | Stephen's accusation mirrors Jesus' indictment of constant resistance. |
| Heb 3:10 | Therefore I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart...’ | Highlights God's weariness with a generation that strayed in heart. |
| Jas 1:22 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. | Implies the importance of active response rather than passive refusal. |
| Zech 8:5 | The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’ | Image of children playing in the marketplace, though used here positively. |
| Eccl 3:4 | A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; | Highlights contrasting activities of mourning and dancing, echoed in Mt 11:17. |
| 1 Cor 9:19-23 | For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more... | Paul's willingness to adapt for the Gospel, contrasting with the generation's rigid resistance. |
| Rom 1:21 | ...because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God... their foolish hearts were darkened. | Explains how willful rejection leads to spiritual blindness. |
| Jn 3:19-20 | And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light... | Their rejection is due to preferring darkness over God's light and truth. |
| Mt 23:37 | “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her... | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's consistent rejection of divine messengers. |
Matthew 11 verses
Matthew 11 16 Meaning
Jesus asks to what He should compare "this generation," referring to the people of His time, particularly those resistant to His message and that of John the Baptist. He likens them to children playing in the marketplaces, who cannot be pleased no matter what game is proposed. This sets the stage for the following verses, where Jesus elaborates on their inconsistent rejection of John (who was ascetic) and Himself (who engaged in social life), demonstrating their inherent unwillingness to respond to God's calling through different means.
Matthew 11 16 Context
This verse appears in a pivotal section of Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus clarifies the identity and mission of John the Baptist, pronounces woes upon unrepentant cities, and offers an invitation to those who are weary. Following John's imprisonment and doubt (Mt 11:2-6), Jesus emphatically declares John's prophetic role and his unparalleled greatness as the forerunner of the Messiah (Mt 11:7-15). Verse 16 then transitions to Jesus' assessment of the spiritual obtuseness of "this generation" – primarily the religious leaders and a significant portion of the Jewish population – who had heard the messages of both John and Jesus but refused to truly repent or believe. Historically, public marketplaces were central hubs for social life, commerce, and recreation in ancient Near Eastern cities, where children commonly played. The parable depicts the frustration of a children's game, illustrating the arbitrary and inconsistent criticisms leveled against God's diverse messengers.
Matthew 11 16 Word analysis
- But (δὲ - de): A conjunction introducing a contrast or shift in thought. Here, it pivots from Jesus' affirmation of John to His indictment of the people's reception.
- to what (τίνι - tini): An interrogative pronoun, asking for a basis of comparison.
- shall I compare (ὁμοιώσω - homoiōsō): From homoioō, meaning "to make like, to liken, to compare." The future tense suggests a rhetorical question about the most fitting comparison.
- this generation? (τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ - tē genea tautē): "This generation" refers to the contemporary populace, particularly those who rejected divine messengers. In the Gospels, genea (generation) often carries a pejorative connotation, signifying an unfaithful and resistant people, echoing Old Testament laments about rebellious generations (e.g., Deut 32:5; Ps 78:8). It highlights their moral and spiritual characteristics rather than merely a chronological period.
- It is like (ὁμοίοις - homoiois): "Similar to" or "resembling," again stressing the likeness in behavior.
- children (παιδίοις - paidiois): Refers to young children. Their actions are playful, but their obstinacy in this context carries a serious implication about adult spiritual immaturity.
- sitting (καθημένοις - kathēmenois): Denotes their settled, persistent presence. They are observers and participants, not transient passersby.
- in the marketplaces (ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς - en tais agorais): Marketplaces (agora) were public squares, centers of daily life, gossip, and business. This setting emphasizes public refusal and social interaction. It suggests an open and public display of their recalcitrance.
- and calling (καὶ προσφωνοῦσιν - kai prosphōnousin): From prosphōneō, meaning "to call to, address, speak aloud." It indicates direct and vocal communication, making their unresponsiveness a deliberate act.
- to their companions (τοῖς ἑταίροις αὐτῶν - tois hetairois autōn): Their fellow playmates or friends. This emphasizes an interaction among themselves, suggesting a internal dynamic of accusation and non-cooperation rather than simple apathy.
- "to what shall I compare this generation?": This rhetorical question highlights Jesus' frustration and the perceived absurdity of their hardened hearts. It draws attention to their inconsistent and arbitrary rejection of God's ways, regardless of the message or messenger.
- "like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions": This vivid imagery paints a picture of immaturity, petulance, and an inability to be satisfied. The public setting underscores their widespread and open defiance of divine wisdom, acting out their rejection where all can see. This prelude immediately anticipates the actions described in the next verse (Mt 11:17) where children's games involving 'playing the flute' (joy) and 'mourning' (sorrow) are referenced, to which this generation refuses to respond to either appropriately.
Matthew 11 16 Bonus section
This parable suggests that spiritual stubbornness can manifest as an inability to be pleased or satisfied, leading to arbitrary and inconsistent criticisms of God's instruments. It's not a rejection based on valid critique but a resistance born from a refusal to accept divine authority and truth, no matter how it is presented. The scene of children in the marketplace also subtly contrasts the openness and honesty of children's play (even their squabbles) with the deceitful, self-justifying hardness of heart found in the adults of "this generation" who feign reasons for their rejection.
Matthew 11 16 Commentary
Matthew 11:16 initiates Jesus' stark indictment of "this generation" – not simply His contemporaries, but a populace characterized by spiritual obtuseness and a hardened refusal to acknowledge divine truth. He employs a common marketplace scene of children at play to illustrate their inconsistency and stubbornness. The children's inability to agree on a game, rejecting both joyful melodies (likened to Jesus' celebratory coming) and mournful laments (symbolizing John the Baptist's austere call to repentance), reflects the adults' capricious and contradictory dismissal of God's messengers. They did not respond to John's ascetic lifestyle, accusing him of demon possession, nor did they respond to Jesus' more accessible lifestyle, accusing Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Their criticisms shifted based not on genuine concern for truth, but on a predefined determination to reject both messages, whatever form they took. This reveals a fundamental unwillingness to be called to repentance or faith, exposing their rebellious hearts that sought only justification for their unbelief, rather than wisdom (as stated in Mt 11:19). The parable highlights that their issue was not with the method of the divine message, but with its very substance which called for a response of submission to God.