Matthew 11:26
in Matthew 11Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
yea, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight.
KJV
Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
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This verse in Matthew 11
Commentary
15 notes on this verseLet those hear who falsely argue, that the Saviour was not born but created, how He calls His Father Lord of heaven and earth. For if He be a creature, and the creature can call its Maker Father, it was surely foolish here to address Him as Lord of heaven and earth, and not of Him (Christ) likewise.
This site's exposition
hid these things from the wise and prudent
on Matthew 11:25-26
At that time Jesus answered and said turns from rebuke to prayer, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes, addressing the very failure just named in the cities: those confident in their own learning missed what simple, humble hearts received. The bench reads hid not as God actively preventing the wise from understanding by an arbitrary act, but as the natural outcome of pride refusing what humility receives freely, the wise and prudent here meaning the self-satisfied rather than the genuinely learned. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight rests the whole matter in the Father's own good pleasure without complaint, a model of submission Jesus himself demonstrates before he teaches it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
(Verse 26.) Yes, Father, because it was pleasing to You in this way. Speaking with affection to the Father, that the work begun in the apostles may be completed.
The hidden things of heavenly words and their power are hid from the wise, and revealed to the babes; babes, that is, in malice, not in understanding; hid from the wise because of their presumption of their own wisdom, not because of their wisdom. The justice of this the Lord confirms by the sentence of the Father's will, that they who disdain to be made babes in God, should become fools in their own wisdom; and therefore He adds, Even so, Father; for so it seemed good before thee.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 38 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Seest thou, how many ways He leads them on to the faith? First, by His praises of John. For by pointing to him as a great and marvellous one, He proved likewise all his sayings credible, whereby he used to draw them on to the knowledge of Him. Secondly, by saying, "The kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force;" for this is the language of one who is pressing and urging them. Thirdly, by signifying that the number of the prophets was finished; for this too manifested Himself to be the person that was announced beforehand by them. Fourthly, by pointing out that whatsoever things should be done by him, were all accomplished; at which time also He made mention of the parable of the children. Fifthly, by His upbraiding them that had not believed, and by His alarming and threatening them greatly. Sixthly, by His giving thanks for them that believed. For the expression, "I make acknowledgment to Thee," here is, "I thank Thee." "I thank Thee," He saith, "because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent." What then? doth He rejoice in destruction, and in the others not having received this knowledge? By no means; but this is a most excellent way of His to save men, His not forcing them that utterly reject, and are not willing to receive His sayings; that, since they were not bettered by His call, but fell back, and despised it, His casting them out might cause them to fall into a longing for these things. And so likewise the attentive would grow more earnest. And while His being revealed to these was fit matter of joy, His concealment from those was no more of joy but of tears. Thus at any rate He acts, where He weeps for the city. Not therefore because of this doth He rejoice, but because what wise men knew not, was known to these. […]
The Medieval Church2 voices
(non occ.) Because the Lord knew that many would doubt respecting the foregoing matter, namely, that the Jews would not receive Christ whom the Gentile world has so willingly received, He here makes answer to their thoughts; And Jesus answered and said, I confess unto thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. (ord.) That is, Who makest of heaven, or leavest in earthliness, whom Thou wilt. Or literally, ...
But why does he give thanks for hiding these things? I say that he did not do this as though rejoicing in their blindness but in the judgment of God, who arranged things so wisely. And why? Here the cause is not investigated, for in …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
"Even so, Father: for such was Thy good will." Here He shows the Father's love for man, in that the Father revealed the mysteries to the babes, without having been called upon by anyone to do so, but because it so pleased Him to do …
(Mor. xxvii. 13.) He says not' to the foolish,' but to babes, showing that He condemns pride, not understanding. (Mor. xxv. 14.) In which words we have a lesson of humility, that we should not rashly presume to discuss the counsels of heaven concerning the calling of some, and the rejection of others showing that that cannot be unrighteous which is willed by Him that is righteous.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. Or, "so is the good will", or "pleasure before thee": thus, רצון מלפניך יהי, "let it be the good will before thee", or "in thy sight, O Lord", is a phrase often to be met with in the Jews' forms of prayer (x). Here the word designs the sovereign counsel and purpose of God, to which, and to which only, our Lord refers the different dispensations of God towards the sons of men: this is a reason which ought to satisfy everyone, and is better than ten thousand others that can be thought of, or devised by men. This difference among men, with respect to the Gospel revelation, cannot be owing to natural sagacity, prudence, and penetration; for these things are with those from whom it is hid; nor to any worthiness in those to whom it is revealed; for they are the poor, the base, the foolish things of this world, and even things that are not; nor to any foresight of their making a better use and improvement of such a revelation, but to the good will and pleasure of God only. (x) Seder Tephillot, fol. 4. 2. & 5. 1. & passim. Ed. Amsterdam.
The Nineteenth Century5 voices
Even so, Father - Ναι ο πατηρ. An emphatical ratification of the preceding address. It was right that the heavenly wisdom, despised, rejected, and persecuted by the scribes and Pharisees, should be offered to the simple people, and afterwards to the foolish people, the Gentiles, who are the children of wisdom, and justify God in his ways, by bringing forth that fruit of the Gospel of which the Pharisees refused to receive even the seed.
THAT is a singular way with which to commence a verse—"At that time Jesus answered." If you will look at the context you will not perceive that anybody had asked Him a question, or that He was indeed in conversation with any human being. Yet it says, "Jesus answered and said, I thank You, Father." Now when a man answers, he answers a person who has been speaking to him! Who, then, had been speaking to Jesus? Why, His Father!
There are few passages in the four Gospels more important than this. There are few which contain in so short a compass so many precious truths. May God give us an eye to see, and a heart to feel their value! Let us learn in the first place, the excellence of a childlike and teachable frame of mind. Our Lord says to his Father, “Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes.” It is not for us to attempt to explain why some receive and believe the Gospel, while others do not.
There are few passages in the four Gospels more important than this. There are few which contain in so short a compass so many precious truths. May God give us an eye to see, and a heart to feel their value! Let us learn in the first place, the excellence of a childlike and teachable frame of mind. Our Lord says to his Father, “Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes.” It is not for us to attempt to explain why some receive and believe the Gospel, while others do not. The sovereignty of God in this matter is a deep mystery: we cannot fathom it. But one thing, at all events, stands out in Scripture as a great practical truth to be had in everlasting remembrance: those from whom the Gospel is hidden are generally “the wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight;” those to whom the Gospel is revealed are generally humble, simple-minded, and willing to learn. The words of the Virgin Mary are continually being fulfilled: “He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away.” ( Luke 1:53 ). Let us watch against pride in every shape, pride of intellect, pride of wealth, pride in our own goodness, pride in our own deserts. Nothing is so likely to keep a man out of heaven, and prevent him seeing Christ, as pride. So long as we think we are something we shall never be saved. Let us pray for and cultivate humility; let us seek to know ourselves aright, and to find out our place in the sight of a holy God. The beginning of the way to heaven is to feel that we are in the way to hell, and to be willing to be taught of the Spirit. One of the first steps in saving Christianity is to be able to say with Saul, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? (see Acts 9:6 ). There is hardly a sentence of our Lord’s so frequently repeated as this: “ He that humbleth himself will be exalted” ( Luke 18:14 ).
THAT is a singular way with which to commence a verse—"At that time Jesus answered." If you will look at the context you will not perceive that anybody had asked Him a question, or that He was indeed in conversation with any human being. Yet it says, "Jesus answered and said, I thank You, Father." Now when a man answers, he answers a person who has been speaking to him! Who, then, had been speaking to Jesus? Why, His Father! Yet there is no record of it; which should teach us that Christ had constant fellowship with His Father, and often did His Father silently speak into His ear. As we are in this world even as Christ was, let us imitate this lesson. May we likewise have silent fellowship with the Father, so that we may often answer Him. And when the world knows not to whom we speak, may we speak to God, and respond to that secret voice which no other ear has heard—while our own ear—opened by the Spirit of God has attended to it with joy! I like the Christian to sometimes find himself obliged to speak out, or if not to speak out, to feel an almost irrepressible desire to say something though no one is near, because a thought has been brought to him by the Holy Spirit—a suggestion has been cast into the midst of his soul by the Holy Spirit—and he answers it. God has spoken to him, and he longs to speak to God—either to set to his seal that God is true in matter of Revelation, or to confess some sin of which the Spirit of God has convinced him, or to acknowledge some mercy which God's Providence has given, or to express assent to some great Truth which God the Holy Spirit has then opened to his understanding. Keep your hearts, my Brothers and Sisters, in such a state that when God speaks to you, you may be ready to answer in spite of whatever troubles may ruffle you, or whatever trials may disturb you.
The words behind it
9 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ναὶ | nai | Yes | G3483 → | 33 times |
| ὁ | ho | O | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πατήρ, | pater | Father, | G3962 → | 410 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | for | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | thus | G3779 → | 208 times |
| εὐδοκία | eudokia | well-pleasing | G2107 → | |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | it was | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἔμπροσθέν | emprosthen | before | G1715 → | 48 times |
| σου.¶ | sou | You. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
ναὶYes
naiG3483 →33 times
ὁO
hoG3588 →19766 times
πατήρ,Father,
paterG3962 →410 times
ὅτιfor
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οὕτωςthus
houtosG3779 →208 times
εὐδοκίαwell-pleasing
eudokiaG2107 →
ἐγένετοit was
egenetoG1096 →667 times
ἔμπροσθένbefore
emprosthenG1715 →48 times
σου.¶You.
souG4771 →2973 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 46:10I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
- Psalms 33:11
The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.
- Ephesians 1:9–11
And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
- Isaiah 43:13
Even from eternity I am He, and none can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”
- Isaiah 45:21
Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but…
- Proverbs 19:21
Through
2 Timothy 1:9He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
it leads to
- Ephesians 2:8–9
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
- Titus 3:4–5
But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
- Ephesians 1:3–4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
- Ephesians 2:8–9
Where this verse is studied
About Matthew
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 394: “'Even So, Father!'” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Glossa Ordinaria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Gregory the Dialogist, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Hilary of Poitiers, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 38; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.