Matthew 11:13

KJV

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

KJV (with Strong's)

For {G1063} all {G3956} the prophets {G4396} and {G2532} the law {G3551} prophesied {G4395} until {G2193} John {G2491}.

Complete Jewish Bible

For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until Yochanan.

Berean Standard Bible

For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

American Standard Version

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Matthew 11:13 serves as a profound declaration by Jesus concerning the pivotal role of John the Baptist in salvation history. It asserts that the entire Old Testament, encompassing both the Law and the Prophets, had a singular, forward-pointing function that culminated in John's ministry. John stands as the final and greatest herald of the old covenant, marking the decisive transition to the immediate presence of the long-awaited Messiah and the inauguration of the Kingdom of God.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is embedded within Jesus' discourse about John the Baptist, which begins in [Matthew 11:7](/matthew/11-7 "Matthew 11:7 - Jesus' Praise of John the Baptist"). Having just praised John as "more than a prophet" and indeed the greatest born among women, Jesus now explains *why* John holds such a unique position. Verse 13 provides the theological rationale for John's significance, indicating that his ministry brought to a close the era of anticipation that characterized the Old Testament. It sets the stage for the subsequent verses (e.g., [Matthew 11:14](/matthew/11-14 "Matthew 11:14 - John is Elijah") where Jesus identifies John as the prophesied Elijah), emphasizing the radical shift in God's redemptive program that John's appearance heralded. The verse highlights the continuity and culmination of God's plan, flowing from the Old Covenant into the New.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The phrase "the prophets and the law" (often rendered as "the Law and the Prophets") was a common Jewish merism, or figure of speech, referring to the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament. This idiom (Hebrew: *HaTorah v'HaNevi'im*) underscored the unified nature of God's revelation to Israel. For centuries, the Jewish people had lived under the Mosaic Law and had received prophetic messages that consistently pointed toward a future Messiah and a new era of God's direct rule, often referred to as the Kingdom of God. John the Baptist's ministry, characterized by a call to repentance and baptism in the Jordan River, resonated deeply within this cultural expectation, preparing the people for the imminent arrival of the Messiah, as foretold by prophets like Isaiah ([Isaiah 40:3](/isaiah/40-3 "Isaiah 40:3 - Prepare the Way of the Lord")) and Malachi ([Malachi 3:1](/malachi/3-1 "Malachi 3:1 - Messenger Prepares the Way")).
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully articulates several key themes. Firstly, it underscores the **Culmination of Old Testament Revelation**. The entire Old Testament, with its laws, prophecies, types, and shadows, was designed to point forward to the coming of the Messiah. John's ministry marks the climax of this long period of anticipation, signifying that the object of all prophecy was now at hand. Secondly, it emphasizes John's **Transitional Role** as the bridge between the Old and New Covenants. He is the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets, yet his unique position is that he directly introduced Jesus, the Messiah, thereby belonging to the new era. His preaching of repentance and the coming Kingdom ([Matthew 3:2](/matthew/3-2 "Matthew 3:2 - John's Message of Repentance")) signaled the immediate dawn of the Kingdom of God. This leads to the third theme: the **Imminence of the Kingdom**. With John's ministry, the long period of waiting for the Messiah's public appearance ended, and the fulfillment of all prophetic expectation was at hand with Jesus' public ministry.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **prophets (Greek, _prophḗtēs'_):** From G4396, meaning a foreteller or an inspired speaker. In this context, it refers to the long line of Old Testament figures through whom God revealed His will and future plans, culminating in the promise of the Messiah.
* **law (Greek, _nómos'_):** From G3551, referring to law in the sense of prescriptive usage or regulation, specifically the Mosaic Law. Here, it represents the entire body of Old Testament teaching and commandments, which, like the prophets, also pointed forward to Christ.
* **prophesied (Greek, _prophēteúō'_):** From G4395, meaning to foretell events, speak under inspiration, or exercise the prophetic office. This verb indicates that the Law and the Prophets were not merely historical records but active, forward-looking declarations pointing to a future reality.
* **until (Greek, _héōs'_):** From G2193, a conjunction, preposition, and adverb of continuance, meaning "up to" or "as far as" a certain point in time or place. This word is crucial as it denotes a temporal boundary, signifying that John's ministry marked the culmination and end of a specific prophetic era.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"For all the prophets and the law":** This clause establishes the comprehensive scope of the statement. "All the prophets and the law" is a merism encompassing the entire Old Testament canon. It signifies that every part of God's prior revelation, whether through direct prophetic utterance or through the principles and narratives of the Mosaic Law, was unified in its ultimate purpose.
* **"prophesied":** This verb defines the nature of the Old Testament's function. It wasn't merely to record history or establish a covenant, but actively to "prophesy"—to foretell, to bear witness to, and to point forward to a future reality. This highlights the predictive and preparatory nature of the ancient scriptures.
* **"until John":** This phrase provides the critical temporal marker and identifies the pivotal figure. John the Baptist's ministry served as the culmination point for this specific era of prophecy. It signifies that with John's arrival and proclamation of the Messiah, the long period of anticipation and foreshadowing reached its climax, and the direct fulfillment began.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Matthew 11:13 is **Merism**, where "the prophets and the law" stands for the entire Old Testament. This concise phrase effectively encompasses the vast body of ancient Israelite scripture, highlighting its unified purpose. The verse also employs a strong sense of **Culmination** and **Fulfillment**, as it marks the end of one historical and theological era and the beginning of another. The Old Testament's function is presented as a continuous **Foreshadowing**, with John the Baptist serving as the immediate herald who brings that foreshadowing to its decisive, immediate fulfillment in the person of Jesus.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 11:13 profoundly underscores the continuity and coherence of God's redemptive plan throughout history. It teaches that the Old Testament was not an isolated collection of laws and stories but a divinely inspired, forward-pointing revelation, meticulously designed to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, as the final and greatest Old Testament prophet, stands as the bridge between the covenant of promise and the covenant of fulfillment, signifying that God's long-awaited intervention in human history had finally arrived in the person of Jesus. This verse reinforces the truth that God's Word is reliable and His purposes are meticulously unfolded according to His perfect timing.

* [Luke 16:16](/luke/16-16 "Luke 16:16 - The Law and the Prophets Until John")
* [Acts 3:24](/acts/3-24 "Acts 3:24 - All Prophets Spoke of These Days")
* [Romans 10:4](/romans/10-4 "Romans 10:4 - Christ is the End of the Law")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 11:13 invites us to marvel at the precision and intentionality of God's redemptive plan. Understanding that centuries of prophecy culminated in John the Baptist, who then introduced Jesus, deepens our appreciation for the divine orchestration of salvation history. It reminds us that Jesus is not an arbitrary figure but the very climax and fulfillment of God's promises. For us today, this verse reinforces the reliability of God's Word: if God fulfilled every ancient promise concerning Christ's first coming, we can trust Him implicitly for His future promises, including His second coming. It calls us to live with a similar sense of anticipation and readiness, recognizing that we are living in the era of fulfillment inaugurated by Christ. Just as John prepared the way, we are called to prepare our hearts and lives for Christ's ongoing work and ultimate return, living as heralds of His Kingdom.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does understanding John's role as the culmination of prophecy deepen your appreciation for God's meticulous and unfolding redemptive plan?**
* **In what ways does this verse reinforce the unity and coherence of the entire Bible, from Old Testament foreshadowing to New Testament fulfillment?**
* **How might the "until John" principle encourage us to discern and respond to God's current work in our lives and in the world, recognizing that we are living in the era of fulfillment?**

### FAQ
**What does "the prophets and the law" refer to in Matthew 11:13?**

Answer: The phrase "the prophets and the law" is a common Jewish idiom, a merism, that refers to the entire body of the Old Testament Scriptures. "The Law" (Torah) primarily denotes the first five books of Moses, while "the Prophets" (Nevi'im) refers to the prophetic books. Together, they encompass all of God's written revelation given to Israel before the coming of Christ. This phrase emphasizes that the entire Old Testament, in all its parts, was unified in its purpose of pointing forward to the Messiah and the new era He would inaugurate.

**Why does Jesus say "prophesied until John"? Does this mean prophecy ceased after John the Baptist?**

Answer: The phrase "until John" signifies a critical turning point in God's redemptive history. It means that the *era* of prophecy that primarily focused on *anticipating* and *foreshaowding* the Messiah's first coming reached its climax and conclusion with John the Baptist. John was the final prophet in that long line who pointed directly to the Messiah who was now present. This does not mean that prophecy ceased entirely, but rather that its *character* and *focus* changed. In the New Covenant, prophecy continues, but it shifts from anticipating the Messiah's arrival to explaining and applying His accomplished work, and anticipating His return. The Kingdom of God, which the Law and Prophets prophesied about, was now breaking in through Jesus, as indicated in [Luke 16:16](/luke/16-16 "Luke 16:16 - The Law and the Prophets Until John").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 11:13 is profoundly Christ-centered, for it establishes John the Baptist as the final signpost pointing directly to Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecy. The Law and the Prophets "prophesied until John" because John's ministry ushered in the very person whom they all foretold. Jesus is not merely a prophet among others; He is the subject of all prophecy, the one to whom the entire Old Testament bears witness. As the [Logos, the Word made flesh](/john/1-1-3 "John 1:1-3 - The Word Was God"), Jesus embodies the truth and reality that the Law foreshadowed and the prophets proclaimed. His life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate "Amen" to every divine promise, demonstrating that He came not to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to [fulfill them](/matthew/5-17 "Matthew 5:17 - Jesus Fulfills the Law and Prophets"). Thus, John's role was to prepare the way for the One who is the very substance and culmination of God's redemptive plan, the One about whom [all the Scriptures speak](/luke/24-44 "Luke 24:44 - All Scripture Points to Christ") and through whom God has now [spoken His final word](/hebrews/1-1-2 "Hebrews 1:1-2 - God Spoke Through His Son").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Matthew 5:17

¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Matthew 5:18

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Romans 3:21

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Acts 13:27

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled [them] in condemning [him].

Luke 24:27

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Acts 3:22

For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

Acts 3:24

Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.