Matthew Chapter 11, Verse 7
From BibleWiki
7: τουτων δε πορευομενων ηρξατο ο ιησους λεγειν τοις οχλοις περι ιωαννου τι εξηλθετε εις την ερημον θεασασθαι καλαμον υπο ανεμου σαλευομενον
7: And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes
concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see?
A reed shaken with the wind?
7: And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes
concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken
with the wind?
And as they departed, etc. Jesus took occasion, form the inquiries made by John's disciples, to instruct the people respecting the true character of John. Multitudes had gone out to hear him, when he preached in the desert, (Matt. iii) and it is probable that many had been attracted by the novelty of his appearance or doctrines, and many had gone simply to see and hear a man of singular habits and opinions. Probably many who followed Jesus had been of that number. He took occasion, therefore, by some striking questions, to examine the motives by which they had been drawn to his ministry.
A reed shaken with the wind? The region of country in which John preached, being overflowed annually by the Jordan, produced great quantities of reeds, or canes, of a light, fragile nature, easily shaken by the wind. They were therefore an image of a light, changing, inconstant man. John's sending to Jesus to inquire his character, might have led some to suppose that he was changing and inconstant, like a reed. He had once acknowledged him to be the Messiah, and now, being in prison and sending to him to inquire into the fact, they might have supposed he had no firmness, or fixed principles. Jesus, by asking this question, declared, that notwithstanding this appearance, this was not the character of John.
