Mat 11:8. Ἀλλὰ, but) The conjunction is employed to show that the preceding hypothesis has been dismissed.-ἐν μαλακοῖς ἱματίοις ἠμφιεσμένον, clothed in soft raiment) They would have wished the forerunner, and the Messiah Himself, to have been such.-τὰ, the) The article refers to the preceding μαλακοῖς.[515]-φοροῦντες, who wear) John, if he had wished it, might have been a courtier.-οἴκοις, houses) Not in the desert or the prison.-τῶν βασιλείων,[516] of palaces) See Est 4:2. The LXX. have τὰ βασιλεία in Est 1:9; Est 2:13.-ΟἾΚΟΙ ΤῶΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΊΩΝ = the halls of the palace.
[515] Thus identifying μαλακὰ with μαλακοῖς ἱματίοις, and showing that the μαλακα “soft things,” now spoken of are, as in E. V., “soft clothing.”-(I. B.)
[516] E. M. has “τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλέων” which E. V. renders “Kings’ Palaces.”-(I. B.)
The reading τῶν βασιλείων is regarded as equal to the other in the margin of the larger Ed.: but the margin of Ed. 2, as well as the Germ. Vers., prefer βασιλέων.-E. B. All the primary authorities read βασιλέων. But Griesb. and Scholz, with some inferior Uncial MSS., read βασιλείων or βασιλειῶν.-ED.