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803 B
803 B
Connecting Statement:
Jesus begins to speak to the crowd about John the Baptist. He asks rhetorical questions to lead them to think about what John the Baptist is really like.
What ... A reed shaken by the wind?
This expects a negative answer. "Did you go out to see a reed shaken by the wind? Of course not!" It can also be written as a statement. Alternate translation: "Surely you did not go out to see a reed being shaken by the wind!" (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion)
A reed shaken by the wind
Possible meanings of this metaphor are 1) a person who easily changes his mind, as reeds are easily moved by the wind, or 2) a person who talks a lot but does not say anything important, as reeds rattle when the wind blows. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)