Matthew 11:15
What does Matthew 11:15 mean?
A plain-English look at Matthew 11:15 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Matthew 11:15 means
Jesus concluded his discourse on John the Baptist with a direct call to spiritual attentiveness: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." This common phrase, used frequently by Jesus, signals that the preceding teachings were of profound spiritual importance and required more than mere casual listening. It implies that understanding these truths about John's identity and the Kingdom of Heaven necessitates a receptive heart and a willingness to grasp deeper spiritual realities.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
KJV
King James Version · 1611He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949He who has ears, let him give ear.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862he who is having ears to hear--let him hear.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
Context
This verse serves as an emphatic conclusion to Jesus' teaching about John the Baptist and his role. It acts as a spiritual prompt, urging the listeners (and the reader) to pay serious attention to the weighty truths just spoken. This call to discernment then transitions the narrative to Jesus' broader critique of the generation's spiritual blindness.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Mark 4:23
If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- Mark 4:9
And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- Revelation 2:7
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
- Revelation 3:6
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
- Mark 7:15
there is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.
- Luke 8:8
And other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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