Matthew 11:16 (DBY)

Passage

But to whom shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets, which, calling to their companions,

Nearby Context

Matthew 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, who is to come.

Matthew 11:15 He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

Matthew 11:16 But to whom shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the markets, which, calling to their companions,

Matthew 11:17 say, We have piped to you, and ye have not danced: we have mourned to you, and ye have not wailed.

Matthew 11:18 For John has come neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "liken", "generation", "children", "sitting", "markets", and "calling". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "liken", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "He that has ears to hear let..." into verse 17's "say We have piped to you and...", so "shall" and "liken" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "liken" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.