The Greek word eudokia, rendered in the ESV as God’s gracious will,
refers to divine good pleasure: God’s will for good and his plan of salvation. This might seem a strange word to choose, but since the previous verse spoke of the concealment of the truth from the wise and learning, Jesus stresses here how God makes the truth known to others out of his sovereign and unchanging good pleasure.
The Greek word eudokia , translated in the ESV as God’s gracious will,
refers to divine good pleasure, that is, God’s will and his plan of salvation.1
The Greek word eudokia literally means pleasure, or a will for good. This particular choice of words in Matthew 11:26 would perhaps have been strange if it had not been for the fact that Matthew 11:25 had just spoken about the rejection of unbelievers through the concealment of the truth from the wise and the learned. If this had been the case we would have expected a more neutral word such as will,” or
righteousness.” But here Jesus uses a word that highlights God’s beneficent attitude toward human beings, who are ultimately delivered not by their own wisdom but rather by their Mediator.2
God’s gracious will therefore refers to the very content of the Divine good pleasure, which lies behind the manner in which God acted. God willed it so, and therefore it is firm; it cannot be changed.3
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;