# Matthew 11.16

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 14. <span class="rl-speech">And if you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">He that has ears to hear, let him hear.</span>
>
> **16. <span class="rl-speech">But whereunto shall I compare this generation? It is like unto sons sitting in the marketplaces, who call unto their fellows</span>**
>
> 17. <span class="rl-speech">and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon.</span> (Matthew 11:14-18, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 14. <span class="rl-speech">If you are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, who is to come.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">He who has ears to hear, let him hear.</span>
>
> **16. <span class="rl-speech">“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions</span>**
>
> 17. <span class="rl-speech">and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’</span> (Matthew 11:14-18, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 14. <span class="rl-speech">And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.</span>
>
> **16. <span class="rl-speech">But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,</span>**
>
> 17. <span class="rl-speech">And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.</span> (Matthew 11:14-18, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 14. <span class="rl-speech">and if ye are willing to receive [it], he is Elijah who was about to come;</span> 15. <span class="rl-speech">he who is having ears to hear, let him hear.</span>
>
> **16. <span class="rl-speech">'And to what shall I liken this generation? it is like little children in market-places, sitting and calling to their comrades,</span>**
>
> 17. <span class="rl-speech">and saying, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance, we lamented to you, and ye did not smite the breast.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">'For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon;</span> (Matthew 11:14-18, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 11.4-30](/codex/matthew-11-4-30/)

**Lexicon:**

- [H7585 - sheol](/codex/h7585-sheol/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.