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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - Matthew 11:12 - 11:12
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Suffereth violence (biazetai). This verb occurs only here and in Luk 16:16 in the N.T. It seems to be middle in Luke and Deissmann (Bible Studies, p. 258) quotes an inscription “where biazomai is without doubt reflexive and absolute” as in Luk 16:16. But there are numerous papyri examples where it is passive (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary, etc.) so that “there seems little that promises decisive help for the difficult Logion of Mat 11:12; Luk 16:16.” So then in Mat 11:12 the form can be either middle or passive and either makes sense, though a different sense. The passive idea is that the kingdom is forced, is stormed, is taken by men of violence like “men of violence take it by force” (biastai harpazousin autēn) or seize it like a conquered city. The middle voice may mean “experiences violence” or “forces its way” like a rushing mighty wind (so Zahn holds). These difficult words of Jesus mean that the preaching of John “had led to a violent and impetuous thronging to gather round Jesus and his disciples” (Hort, Judaistic Christianity, p. 26).