Matthew — Chapter 3
Loading ESV text...
1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
4John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan.
6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.
9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
13At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
14But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
15“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.
17And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
1And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying,
2Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.
4Now John himself had his raiment of camel`s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan;
6and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:
9and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and [in] fire:
12whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him.
16And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;
17and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
1In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness of Judea proclaiming,
2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
3For he is the one about whom the prophet Isaiah had spoken: “The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
4Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.
5Then people from Jerusalem, as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him,
6and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.
7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance,
9and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
10Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11“I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am—I am not worthy to carry his sandals! He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire!”
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River.
14But John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”
15So Jesus replied to him, “Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John yielded to him.
16After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.
17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight.”
1In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,
2“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
3For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.”
4Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him.
6They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!
9Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
10“Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.
11I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
14But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”
15But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.
16Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.
17Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Summary
John the Baptist appears in the wilderness of Judea, preaching repentance and the nearness of the kingdom of heaven, dressed in camel's hair and eating locusts and wild honey, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of a voice crying in the wilderness (vv. 1-6). Crowds from Jerusalem and Judea come to be baptized, but when John sees Pharisees and Sadducees approaching he rebukes them as a brood of vipers, warning that descent from Abraham will not spare them from judgment and that one mightier than himself is coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (vv. 7-12). Jesus comes from Galilee to be baptized by John, who initially objects that he himself needs to be baptized by Jesus, but Jesus insists it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness (vv. 13-15). As Jesus comes up from the water, the heavens open, the Spirit descends on him like a dove, and a voice from heaven declares him God's beloved Son, with whom he is well pleased (vv. 16-17).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Wilderness of Judea: The arid, rocky region east of Jerusalem descending toward the Dead Sea. John the Baptist preached here.
- Jordan River: Flows from the Sea of Galilee south to the Dead Sea. John baptized in the Jordan, likely near Bethany beyond the Jordan (Bethabara), east of Jericho.
- Jerusalem and Judea: People came out from the city and surrounding region to hear John and be baptized (v.5).
Places on this map
- Judean WildernessWest Bank and IsraelThe rain shadow on the eastern side of the Judean ridge: chalk hills falling 3,500 feet to the Dead Sea in about 15 miles, with almost no water. Close enough to Jerusalem to walk to in a morning, empty enough to disappear into, which is why fugitives, prophets and monastics all used it. Wikipedia
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
- Dead SeaIsrael / JordanThe lowest exposed ground on earth, about 1,400 feet below sea level, and roughly ten times saltier than the ocean because water leaves only by evaporation. Nothing lives in it, which is the image Ezekiel 47 overturns when he has it filled with fish. Wikipedia
- Jordan RiverIsrael / Jordan borderRuns about 65 miles as the crow flies from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, dropping from 700 to 1,400 feet below sea level. Narrow enough to wade at most fords, it was still the boundary that divided wilderness from inheritance. Wikipedia
- Sea of GalileeLake Kinneret, IsraelA freshwater lake 13 miles by 8, sunk 700 feet below sea level in a bowl of hills. Cold air spilling over the rim onto warm water is what produces the sudden violent squalls the Gospels keep describing. Wikipedia
- Bethanyal-Eizariya, West BankA village on the east slope of the Mount of Olives, under two miles from Jerusalem but out of sight of it. Close enough for Jesus to lodge here through the last week and walk in each morning. Wikipedia
- JerichoJericho, West BankAn oasis at a perennial spring in the Jordan valley, 850 feet below sea level and among the oldest continuously settled sites anywhere. It guarded the ford and the climb up to the central hills, so anyone entering Canaan from the east had to deal with it first. Wikipedia
- Judeasouthern Israel and the West BankThe southern hill country around Jerusalem, high, stony and dry, with the wilderness on one side and the Philistine plain on the other. Poor farming and hard access are what let it stay independent longest. Wikipedia
- Transjordanwestern JordanEverything east of the Jordan and the Dead Sea: the plateau taken before the river was crossed and settled by Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh, who then spent centuries anxious about being counted out. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines John's appearance and its connection to Elijah, the meaning of "fruits meet for repentance," why Jesus was baptized, and the Trinitarian significance of the baptism scene.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Matthew -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- A Complete Change of Direction (v.2) — John's message was repentance, not mere self-improvement or increased religious effort. Is there an area of your life where you've been trying to improve rather than genuinely turn away from it?
- Fruit as Evidence (v.8) — John told the religious leaders to produce fruit that proves their repentance is real, not just claim the right heritage. What fruit in your life shows that your faith is more than words?
- Nothing to Stand On but Christ (v.9) — John warned that God doesn't need Abraham's descendants — He could raise up children from stones. What are you leaning on besides Christ alone for your standing before God?
- Pointing Away From Himself (v.11) — John consistently directed attention off himself and onto the One coming after him. Who are you pointing people to in your daily life — yourself or Jesus?
- Identifying With Sinners (v.15) — Jesus, who had no sin to repent of, was baptized anyway to fulfill all righteousness, fully identifying with the people He came to save. What does it mean to you that Jesus entered fully into the human condition, including its rituals and limitations?
- Approved Before He'd Done Anything (v.17) — The Father declares His pleasure in Jesus before any public miracle or sermon — approval rooted in identity, not performance. Do you live like someone approved by God, or are you still trying to earn it?