Bible Strands
Matthew 11:3
to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — John the Baptist, confined in prison after hearing reports of Jesus’ works, sends his disciples to pose a direct question to Christ. This exchange occurs between John’s initial inquiry in Matthew 11:2 and Jesus’ command to report back in Matthew 11:4.
The words — The Greek phrase σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος (su ei ho erchomenos) literally translates to "are you the coming one." The conjunction ἢ ἕτερον (ē heteron) immediately follows, asking "or another."
The thread — This question directly engages the expectation established in Malachi 3:1 regarding the Lord who will suddenly come to His temple. It parallels the explicit confession in John 11:27 that Jesus is the Christ who was to come, and echoes Deuteronomy 18:15’s promise of a prophet raised up from among the people.
Why it lands — The text requires a factual evaluation of whether Jesus’ recorded works match the promised messianic profile or if a different figure must be pursued. It demands the reader to separate observed evidence from personal expectation before forming a conclusion.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
Cross-references
- Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.
- John 11:27 “Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
- Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.
- Hebrews 10:37 For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.
- Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.
- Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
- Amos 9:11 “In that day I will restore the fallen tent of David. I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,
- Zephaniah 3:14 Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
- Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
- John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that Jesus had performed, they began to say, “Truly this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”