And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
Parallel translations
- WEB From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.
- KJV And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
- BSB From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.
- NASB And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take it by force.
- NLT And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Since John's ministry, the kingdom has advanced amid conflict and is laid hold of forcefully. The verse marks the kingdom's powerful, contested arrival.
Overview
This difficult saying is read in two main ways by faithful interpreters: either the kingdom suffers violent opposition from its enemies, or it advances powerfully and is eagerly seized by earnest people pressing into it. Both senses fit the context of John's era as a turning point. Either way, the coming of the kingdom in Christ is no quiet affair but a decisive, dynamic event.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Luke 16:16The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
- Luke 13:24“Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able.
- Eph 6:11–13Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
- Phil 2:12So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
- John 6:27Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”
- Luke 7:29–30When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism.
- Matt 21:23–32When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 11:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.