PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS
| UBS4 | NKJV | NRSV | TEV | NJB |
| The Preaching of John the Baptist | John the Baptist Prepares the Way | Activity of John the Baptist | The Preaching of John the Baptist | The Proclamation of John the Baptist |
| 3:1-6 (3b) |
3:1-12 (3b) |
3:1-6 (3b) |
3:1-3 (3b) |
3:1-12 (3b) |
| 3:4-6 | ||||
| 3:7-12 | 3:7-10 | 3:7-12 | ||
| 3:11-12 | ||||
| The Baptism of Jesus | John Baptizes Jesus | Jesus’ Baptism | The Baptism of Jesus | Jesus is Baptized |
| 3:13-17 | 3:13-17 | 3:13-17 | 3:13-14 | 3:13-15 |
| 3:15a | ||||
| 3:15b-17 | ||||
| 3:16-17 |
READING CYCLE THREE (see
“Bible
Interpretation Seminar”)
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL
This is a study guide commentary, which
means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the
light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not
relinquish this to a commentator.
Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare
your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is
the key to following the original author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every
paragraph has one and only one subject.
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO MATTHEW 3:1-17
- Between Matthew 2 and 3 are the silent years of Jesus’ childhood. Except for one experience
at the age of twelve, details about Jesus’ childhood are not known. There has been much interest
and speculation by believers. Several extra-canonical pseudepigraphic gospels record other
specific events, which are supposed to have occurred during His adolescence, but these years
are simply unrecorded in the Bible. - The parallel passages for Matt. 3:1-12 are Mark 1:3-8, Luke 3:1-17, and John. 1:6-8, 19-28.
- The parallel passages for Matt. 3:13-17 are Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, and John. 1:31-34.
WORD AND PHRASE STUDY
÷MATTHEW 3:1-6
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 3:1-6
1Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!’“
4Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
3:1 “in those days” This is a transition idiom. It does not attempt to identify a specific time.
▣ “John” This was the shortened form of the name “Johanan” (BDB 220), which meant “YHWH is gracious” or
“gift of YHWH.” His name was significant because, like all biblical names, it pointed toward God’s purpose
for his life. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. There had not been a prophet in Israel since
Malachi, around 430-400 B.C. His very presence caused great spiritual excitement
among the faithful Jewish people.
▣ “the Baptist” Baptism was a common rite among Jews of the first and second century.
- preparation for worship at the temple (i.e., cleansing rite)
- the self baptism of proselytes
If someone from a Gentile background were to become a full child of Israel, he had to accomplish
three tasks:- circumcision, if male
- self-baptism by immersion, in the presence of three witnesses
- sacrifice in the Temple
In sectarian groups of first century Palestine, such as the Essenes, baptism was apparently a
common, repeated experience. However, to mainline Judaism, John’s baptism of repentance would have been
humiliating for a natural child of Abraham to undergo a Gentile ritual.
Some OT precedents can be cited for ceremonial washing.
- as a symbol of spiritual cleansing (cf. Isa. 1:16)
- as a regular ritual performed by the priests (cf. Exod. 19:10; Leviticus 15)
It should be noted that all other baptisms in first century Jewish culture were self-administered.
Only John’s called for him to administer this rite. Apparently John made a spiritual evaluation of the spiritual
qualifications which denoted a personal repentance (cf. Matt. 3:7-10).
▣ “came preaching in the wilderness of Judea” “Wilderness” was uninhabited pasture land, not an
arid desert. John not only dressed like Elijah (cf. 2 Kgs. 1:8), he also lived in the same arid setting. John
was claiming a prophetic position (cf. Zech. 13:4). His nomadic life resembled the wilderness wandering of
Israel, which was an idealized time of an intimate relationship between YHWH and Israel.
Parallel passages suggest the geographical location of John’s preaching was somewhere close
to the city of Jericho just north of the Dead Sea, near the Jordan River.
3:2 “Repent” This is a PRESENT IMPERATIVE which is an ongoing command. Without
repentance, it is impossible to be saved (cf. Luke 13:3). The Hebrew equivalent meant “to change one’s actions,”
while the Greek word meant “to change one’s mind.” It implied a willingness to change. Salvation requires
faith in Christ and repentance (cf. Mark 1:15; Acts 3:16, 19; 20:21). John’s ministry was one of spiritual
preparation for the coming of Jesus the Messiah and His message.
Jesus also called on His hearers to repent (cf. Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15).
SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTNACE (OT)
▣ “for the kingdom of heaven” Matthew, writing to Jews, is sensitive to their aversion to using
God’s name, so he uses a circumlocution, “kingdom of heaven” (cf. Matt. 4:17), whereas the other Synoptic
Gospels use “kingdom of God” (Matthew used “kingdom of heaven” 32 times and ” kingdom of God” only 4).
The Kingdom of God refers, in an OT sense, to the reign of God, not to a geographical area. God
is King of creation!
SPECIAL TOPIC: THE KINGDOM OF GOD
| NASB, NKJV | ”is at hand” |
| NRSV | ”has come near” |
| TEV, Peshitta, NET | ”is near!” |
| NJB | ”is close at hand” |
| REB | ”is upon you” |
This is a PERFECT TENSE VERB which describes the culmination
and continuing results of a process started earlier. The nearness of the kingdom is stressed in the Gospels
(cf. Matt. 4:17; 10:7; Mark 1:15; Luke 10:9-11; 11:20; 21:31). “Near” can be understood in one of two ways:
- near in location
- near in time (cf. Matt. 12:28)
This is the tension of “the already” and “not yet” of the New Age. It describes the time between
the two comings of Christ. It is the overlapping of two Jewish ages.
SPECIAL TOPIC: THIS AGE AND THE AGE TO COME
3:3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness“ This is a quote from Isa. 40:3
in the Septuagint (LXX), which was the translation used by the early church. The same idea was also reflected
in Isa. 57:14 and 62:10, and Mal. 3:1. John saw himself as being the preparer for the coming of the Messiah
(cf. John. 1:23). This fulfilled the predictions concerning Elijah found in the Mal. 3:1 and 4:5. All four Gospels
record these words of John (cf. Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23).
▣ ”Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight“ These phrases
are poetic parallels. The second phrase was usually imagery for preparing for a royal visit. It is
significant to note that in Isa. 40:3 the term “the Lord” referred to YHWH, which
in this quote referred to Jesus of Nazareth. The NT authors use several literary ways to assert the
Deity of Jesus.
- OT titles for YHWH applied to Jesus
- OT actions of YHWH seen in Jesus
- OT quotes relating to YHWH now used of Jesus
- both God and Jesus as the grammatical OBJECT of
one VERB or one PREPOSITION
“Straight” was often used metaphorically for the character of God (similar to “right,” “righteous,”
“just,” “justify”). Most of the Hebrew as well as Greek words for sin reflect a deviation from a standard or
“measuring reed.” The standard is God Himself (cf. Lev. 11:44; 19:2; Matt. 5:48; 20:7,26; 1 Pet. 1:16).
3:4 Compare this to the clothing and lifestyle of Elijah recorded in 2 Kgs. 1:8 and reflected in Mal. 4:5.
Camel-hair clothes were the cheapest available. John was accustomed to living in a desert and eating the diet
available there. Locusts were a food allowed by the Mosaic legislation (cf. Lev. 11:22). The term was also
used of the beans of the locust, or carob, tree. See UBS, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, p. 103-104.
3:5 The Jewish people of Judea saw John as a prophet (cf. Matt. 21:26; see
SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHET [OT]). This
verse shows the great hunger for God of the first century Jews. Even the religious leaders came. This verse is
obviously a hyperbole, but it communicates the religious fervor which John caused.
3:6 “as they confessed their sins” The Greek term “confess” [homologeo] meant “to say the same
thing.” It implied both a public confession and a profession of faith (cf. Acts 19:18; James 5:16). The people
as a whole recognized the need for spiritual renewal. OT precedents are found in Lev. 5:5 and 26:40.
÷MATTHEW 3:7-10
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 3:7-10
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them” John’s
statements to these religious leaders are shocking in their intensity (i.e., “you brood of vipers,” cf.
Luke 3:7; and used by Jesus in Matt. 12:34; 23:33). Several theories have been advanced about why he
reacted so strongly.
- he saw them as Satanic agents
- he saw them as spiritually dead to the true faith
- he saw them as fakes
- he saw them as being manipulative leaders whose public professions did not match their attitudes and
motives
It is significant that these leaders were considering baptism themselves. Possibly they wanted to
identify with the multitude and thereby retain their leadership status. John recognized their true motives.
▣ “to flee from the wrath to come” From the parallel of Mal. 3:2-3, it is clear that judgment was
coming upon Israel because of her violations of the Mosaic Covenant (cf. Deuteronomy 27-28). Amos called
it “the day of YHWH” (i.e., Amos 5:18), which inaugurated the New Age of Righteousness or the Messianic
Kingdom. Here John confirms Malachi’s judgment motif. Note that John’s message was not national or
corporate like Malachi’s, but individual (cf. Ezek. 18; 33; Jer. 31:31-34).
| 3:8 | |
| NASB | ”bear fruit in keeping with repentance” |
| NKJV, NRSV | ”bear fruit worthy of repentance” |
| TEV | ”Do the things that will show that you have turned from sins” |
| NJB | ”But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit” |
| REB | ”prove your repentnace by the fruit you bear” |
Even in the OT, faith was more than simply ritual or membership in a national group
(cf. Deut. 10:12, 16; Matt. 7:15-23; Rom. 2:28-29). Faith was and is both corporate and individual, both
faith and works (cf. James 2:14-26)! Their lives must show their new relationship with God
(cf. Matt. 7:16-20; 12:33; Luke 6:43-44; Acts 26:20). Eternal life has observable characteristics
SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH AND FAITHFULNESS IN THE OT
SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (OT)
3:9 “and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father'” This same
dependence on national descent can be seen in John. 8:31-59. and the Talmud’s Sanhedrin 10:1. The Jews
believed that the merit of Abraham’s faith was applied to them. However, Mal. 3:2ff. and 4:1 show that
judgment would come upon the Jews for their violations of the Covenant (also note Matt. 8:11-12). Lifestyle
faith, not lineage, is the way to recognize a true child of Abraham (cf. Rom. 2:28-29).
▣ “stones. . .children” This was a word play using the Aramaic words for “stones” (‘ebnayya)
and “children” (benyya), which sounded similar. See G. B. Caird, The Language and Imagery of
The Bible, p. 48.
3:10 “the axe is already laid at the root of the trees” This judgment motif is similar to Malachi’s
message to Judah. A parallel can be seen in Isa. 10:33-34. One reason John the Baptist wondered whether
Jesus was really the Messiah was because His message was not one primarily of judgment as John anticipated.
÷MATTHEW 3:11-12
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 3:11-12
11“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
| 3:11 | |
| NASB | ”I am not fit to remove His sandals” |
| NKJV, NRSV, NET | ”whose sandals I am not worthy to carry” |
| TEV | ”I am not good enough even to carry his sandals” |
| REB | ”one whose shoes I am unworthy to remove” |
This term may be translated two ways
- following the usage in the Egyptian papyri, “to take off and carry a visitor’s shoes to the storage place”
- to “untie and remove”
Both acts were traditionally done by slaves. Not even the students of rabbis were asked to perform
this task. This was an idiomatic statement of John’s understanding of the superiority of Jesus.
▣ “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” The presence of only one
PREPOSITION and one ARTICLE in the Greek text link “the Holy Spirit”
and “fire,” implying that they are parallel (note Isa. 4:4). There have been several ways to understand this
phrase.
- in Luke 3:17, fire may refer to judgment, while the Holy Spirit refers to cleansing or to purity
- both refer to the Pentecostal experience of Acts 2
- a two-fold baptism: one baptism for the righteous and one for the wicked
- Jesus baptizing as Savior or as Judge
- related it to conversion before Pentecost and the special endowment at Pentecost
1 Corinthians 12:13 implies that Jesus is the baptizer “in,” “with,” or “by” the Spirit
(cf. Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John. 1:33; Acts 1:5; 2:33).
SPECIAL TOPIC: BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT
3:12 “but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” The imagery Jesus used to describe the
eternal judgment of God (cf. Isa. 66:24) was Gehenna (contraction of “the valley of the sons of Hinnom”; see
SPECIAL TOPIC: GEHENNA),
the garbage dump located south of Jerusalem (cf. Mark 9:48; Matt. 18:8; 24:41; Jude 7). A Canaanite fire and
fertility god had been worshiped (an activity known as molech) at Gehenna in Israel’s past by sacrificing
of children (cf. Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5; 1 Kgs. 11:7; 2 Kgs. 21:6; 23:10). This aspect of eternal judgment is
shocking to modern readers, but it was evident (rabbinical teaching) and expressive to first century Jews.
Jesus did not come as judge, but all who reject Him will be judged (cf. Luke 3:16-17, John. 3:17-21). A possible
OT precedent for this metaphor was Isaiah 34 which described God’s judgment on Edom.
SPECIAL TOPIC: JUDGMENT IN THE NT
÷MATTHEW 3:13-17
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 3:13-17
13Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14But John tried to prevent Him, saying “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. 16After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
3:13 “Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him” The Gospels
differ in their early chronologies of Jesus’ ministries in Galilee and Judea. It seems that there was an early
Judean ministry and a later one, but all four Gospels’ chronologies must be harmonized in order to see this
early Judean visit (cf. John. 2:13-4:3).
Why Jesus was baptized has always been a concern for believers because John’s baptism was a
baptism of repentance. Jesus did not need forgiveness for He was sinless (cf. John 8:46; Acts 3:14; Rom. 8:3;
2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5). The theories have been as follows:
- it was an example for believers to follow
- it was His identification with believers’ need
- it was His ordination and equipping for ministry
- it was a symbol of His redemptive task
- it was His approval of the ministry and message of John the Baptist
- it was prophetic of His death, burial, and resurrection (cf. Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12).
Whatever the reason, this was a defining moment in Jesus’ life. Although it does not imply that
Jesus became the Messiah at this point (adoptionism). It held great significance for Him.
3:14 “But John tried to prevent Him” This is an IMPERFECT TENSE VERB. Many
commentators have struggled with why John tried again and again to prevent Jesus from being baptized. Some
theories are:
- some see this as John having previous knowledge of Jesus, but this conflicts with John 1:31,33
- some see this as John acknowledging that Jesus was a righteous Jew, but not that He was the Messiah
- in modern Near Eastern culture one must insist three times to be considered sincere
3:15 “But Jesus answering said to him” Matthew 3:14-15 is found only in the Gospel of Matthew. These verses
do not provide enough information to completely answer the question of 3:14. It is certain, however, that the
baptism had meaning both for Jesus and John and that it was God’s will for both their lives.
| 3:16 | |
| NASB | ”Jesus came up immediately from the water” |
| NKJV | ”came up immediately from the water” |
| NRSV, NET | ”just as he came up from the water” |
| TEV | ”Jesus came up out of the water” |
| NJB | ”he at once came up from the water” |
| Peshitta | ”he immediately went up out of the water” |
This verse has been used by those who support immersion as the only biblical mode of baptism
to prove that Jesus was immersed. However, it could be understood to mean that He went up on the bank out of
the water (see Michael Magill, New Testament TransLine, p. 9, #35 and 36).
▣ “the heavens were opened” This is imagery of showing God’s approval (cf. Isa. 22:22;
Rev. 3:7). Only God can open “heaven” (cf. Mal. 3:10; Rev. 4:1; see
SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN).
God opens blind eyes (i.e., Matt. 9:27-31; 12:22-23; 20:29-34; note Isa. 29:18; 35:5; 42:7,16) and
answers prayer (cf. Matt. 7:7,8).
It is surely possible that this imagery is from Isa. 64:1.
▣ “and he saw” The Greek text has only the PRONOUN “he,” which could
refer to either John or Jesus. Some ancient Greek uncial manuscripts
(אi1, C, D, L, and W), some
ancient translations (the Vulgate and Coptic), and the Greek texts used by early church fathers (Irenaeus,
Eusebius, Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine) imply that only Jesus saw the dove coming, in the phrase
“the heavens were opened to Him.” However, the dove was also a sign to John to point out the true
Messiah (cf. John. 1:32).
▣ “the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him” This is recorded in all four
Gospels (Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32). Was it like a dove or was it a real dove? The question cannot be
fully answered (cf. Luke 3:22). This is related to Isa. 11:2; 42:1; 48:16; 61:1. The specific form of the
Spirit is not as significant as the Spirit Himself coming upon Jesus. This does not imply that before this
time Jesus did not have the Holy Spirit, but that this was a special inauguration of His Messianic task.
The symbolism of the dove has been discussed a great deal as to its origin and purpose.
- it goes back to Genesis 1, where the Spirit brooded over the waters
- it goes back to Genesis 8, where Noah sent a dove out from the ark
- the rabbis said that the dove was a symbol of Israel (cf. Ps. 68:13; Hos. 7:11; 11:11; The
Talmud San. 95A and Ber. R. 39; II Esdras 5.26) - Tasker, in the Tyndale New Testament Commentary Series, says that it refers to gentleness, which
is to be contrasted with the fire in Matt. 3:11 (cf. Rom 11:22; Matt. 11:29; 25:40).
3:17 “a voice out of the heavens” This phrase is significant for several reasons. During the inter-biblical
period, when there was no true prophet, the rabbis said that God confirmed His choice and decisions by means
of a bath kol, which was a voice from heaven. Also, this voice was a sign from God in a cultural way
these first century Jews could understand (cf. Acts 10:9-16; 11:7-9; Rev. 1:10; 4:1; 10:8; 11:12). It was
apparently as meaningful to Jesus as it was to John and possibly to the crowd which observed His baptism.
The combination of the quote “My Son in whom I am delighted” links the royal Messianic, Davidic
emphasis of Ps. 2:7 with the Suffering Servant motif of Isa. 42:1. Here, in this quote, the royal Messiah is
linked to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah.
This phrase, “My Beloved Son” (also note Matt. 17:5) is the possible origin of the phrase
“Son of God,” which is found in Matt. 4:3, 6. It is significant to note that in Mark 1:11 it was translated
“You are My beloved Son,” which showed that the Father directed His words to Jesus, while in Matthew 3, it
was translated in such a way as to indicate that God spoke to John and the crowd. See
SPECIAL TOPIC: SON OF GOD.
Matthew 3:16-17 involve all three persons of the Trinity. The term “trinity” is not in the Bible,
but the concept is surely scriptural. The fact that the Bible asserts the oneness of God (monotheism, Deut. 6:4)
must be balanced with the Deity of Jesus and the personality of the Spirit. There is one divine essence and
three eternal personal manifestations. The three divine personalities are often mentioned in the same
context (i.e., Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; Acts 2:33-34; Rom. 8:9-10; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 13:14;
Eph. 1:3-14; 4:4-6; Titus 3:4-6; 1 Pet. 1:2).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own
interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are
priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this
section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
- Of which OT prophet does John the Baptist remind you? Why?
- Define repentance.
- Why does Matthew use the phrase “kingdom of heaven” and Mark and Luke use ” kingdom of God” ?
- What is the significance of the quote from Isaiah 40 (Matt. 3:3)?
- Why did the religious leaders want to be baptized? What did baptism symbolize in that day?
- Why is the emphasis of John the Baptist’s message on judgment and not on salvation?
- Why was Jesus baptized with a baptism of repentance?
- What is the significance of God speaking out of heaven? Identify the two OT sources of the
Father’s quote and explain their significance.
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