Matthew 11:7 (YLT)

Passage

And as they are going, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, `What went ye out to the wilderness to view? --a reed shaken by the wind?

Nearby Context

Matthew 11:5 blind receive sight, and lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, dead are raised, and poor have good news proclaimed,

Matthew 11:6 and happy is he who may not be stumbled in me.'

Matthew 11:7 And as they are going, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, `What went ye out to the wilderness to view? --a reed shaken by the wind?

Matthew 11:8 `But what went ye out to see? --a man clothed in soft garments? lo, those wearing the soft things are in the kings' houses.

Matthew 11:9 `But what went ye out to see? --a prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "going", "jesus", "began", "multitudes", "concerning", "john", "went", and "wilderness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "going" and "jesus", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "and happy is he who may not..." into verse 8's "But what went ye out to see...", so "going" and "jesus" 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 "going" and "jesus" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.