Matthew 3

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 3:13-17

3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent him. "It is I," he said, "who need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?" Jesus answered him, "Let it be just now, for so it befits us to fulfil all righteousness." Then he allowed Jesus to be baptized. After Jesus had been baptized he came up immediately from the water and, lo, the heavens were opened for John, and he saw the Spirit of God descending, like a dove, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:1

In those days came John the Baptist ,.... The Evangelist having given an account of the genealogy and birth of Christ; of the coming of the wise men from the east to him; of his preservation from Herod's bloody design against him, when all the infants at Bethlehem were slain; of the flight of Joseph with Mary and Jesus into Egypt, and of their return from thence, and settlement in Nazareth, where Christ continued till near the time of his baptism, and entrance on his public ministry;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:2

And saying, repent ye ,.... The doctrine which John preached was the doctrine of repentance; which may be understood either of amendment of life and manners; for the state of the Jews was then very corrupt, all sorts of men were grown very wicked; and though there was a generation among them, who were righteous in their own eyes, and needed no repentance; yet John calls upon them all, without any distinction, to repent; and hereby tacitly strikes at the doctrine of justification by works,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:3

For this is he that was spoken of ,.... These are not the words of the Baptist himself, as in John 1:23 but of the Evangelist, who cites and applies to John a passage in the Prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 40:3 and that very pertinently, since that "chapter" is a prophecy of the Messiah. The consolations spoken of in Isaiah 40:3 , were to be in the days of the king Messiah, as a writer of note F25 R. David Kimchi in Isa. xl. 1. among the Jews observes. The Messiah is more expressly... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:4

The same John had his raiment ,.... The Evangelist goes on to describe this excellent person, the forerunner of our Lord, by his raiment; the same John of whom Isaiah prophesied, and who came preaching the doctrine in the place and manner before expressed, had his raiment of camel's hair ; not of camel's hair softened and dressed, which the Talmudists F26 Misn. Negaim. c. 11. sect. 2. & Kilaim, c. 9. sect. 1. Talmud, Bab. Menachot, fol. 39. 2. call צמר גמלים "camel's... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:5

Then went out to him Jerusalem ,.... The uncommon appearance of this person, the oddness of his dress, the austerity of his life, together with the awfulness and importance of his doctrine, and the novelty of the ordinance of baptism he administered, and the Jews having had no prophet for some hundreds of years, and imagining he might be the Messiah, quickly drew large numbers of people to him. Some copies read "all Jerusalem": that is, the inhabitants of that city, a very large number of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:6

And were baptized of him ,.... The place where they were baptized of him was, "in Jordan"; some copies read, "in the river Jordan", as in Mark 1:5 . As to the name of this river, and the etymology of it, the Jews say F12 T. Bab. Becorot. fol. 55. 1. Kimchi in Josh. xix. 47. it was so called, שיורד מדן "because it descended" from Dan, i.e. Leshem Dan, or Pamias, which they say is a cave at the head of it. It was in John's time and long after a considerable river, a river to swim... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:7

But when he saw many of the Pharisees ,.... This being the first place in which mention is made of the Pharisees and Sadducees, it may not be amiss to give some account of them once for all, and to begin with the Pharisees, and first with their name. Some derive this word from פרץ pharatz to "divide", to "make a breach", from whence Phares had his name Genesis 38:29 so Jerom F21 Trad. Heb. in Gen. fol. 72. D. Tom. 3. , who observes, that "the Pharisees, who separated themselves... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:8

Bring forth therefore fruits ,.... That is, if you are truly penitent, if you have a proper sense of sin, and true repentance for it, do such works as are suitable to it, and will show the genuineness of it; for fruits meet for repentance are the same as "works meet for repentance", Acts 26:20 and as a tree is known by its fruit, so repentance is known by good works; these are the fruits and effects of repentance, and which are proofs with men of the sincerity of it. Those which follow... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:9

And think not to say within yourselves ,.... John knew the sentiments of their minds, and the prevailing opinion they had given into, against which he cautions them; as, that because they were Abraham's seed, they were in a state of salvation, in the favour of God, and had a right to all privileges and ordinances: this they trusted in, and boasted of, and would often think of it within themselves, pleasing themselves with the thoughts of it, and speak of it to others; we have Abraham for... read more

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