Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
Parallel translations
- WEB Now when John heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
- BSB Meanwhile John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent his disciples
- NKJV And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
- NASB Now while in prison, John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples,
- NLT John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus,
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
Imprisoned John the Baptist hears of Christ's works and sends disciples to question Him. His inquiry sets up Jesus' testimony about Himself and John.
Overview
John, now jailed by Herod (Matt. 14:3-4), hears reports of 'the works of Christ' and sends messengers to Jesus. The scene introduces a key passage on Jesus' identity and John's role. That even the great forerunner sought reassurance shows the honesty of Scripture and the trials faith can face in dark circumstances.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Mark 6:17For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.
- Matt 14:3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.
- Matt 4:12Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
- Luke 7:18–35And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.
- Matt 9:14Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
- Acts 19:1–3And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
- John 4:1When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
- John 3:24–28For John was not yet cast into prison.
- Luke 3:19But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
- Matt 1:17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 11:2 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.