Matthew 3:1-4:11

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:1-12

The forerunner. I. HIS ANNOUNCEMENT . 1 . His sudden appearance. It is the first mention of John the Baptist in St. Matthew's Gospel. He flashes upon us suddenly, like his prototype Elijah in the Old Testament. St. Luke tells us of his birth, of his solitary life: he "was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel." Now the time was come. "In those days," St. Matthew says, while the Lord was still at Nazareth, living a family life with brethren and sisters—the children,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:1-12

The forerunner. I. JOHN 'S APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER . He claimed to belong to the old prophetic line by appearing clad in the prophetic garb, the single rough garment of skin. His manner of life harmonized with his dress; leaving the comfortable home and well-provided life and fair prospects of a priestly family, he adopted the meagre, comfortless life of an ascetic. To entangle himself with the world would have tended to blind him to its vices and silence his remonstrance. He... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:1-15

The appearance of John the Baptist. The interval between the last verse of the second chapter and the first verse of this chapter measures the period of the life of Christ stretching from his earliest childhood to his entrance on his public ministry, or close thereupon. Meantime we are here brought to the time when appeared one of the most distinctly marked, most honoured, characters of all history. John the baptist, son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, was the child of prophecy. He was one of... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Matthew 3:1

In those days - The days here referred to cannot be those mentioned in the preceding chapter, for John was but six months older than Christ. Perhaps Matthew intended to embrace in his narrative the whole time that Jesus lived at Nazareth; and the meaning is, “in those days while Jesus still dwelt at Nazareth,” John began to preach. It is not probable that John began to baptize or preach long before the Saviour entered on his ministry; and, consequently, from the time that is mentioned in the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 3:1

Matthew 3:1. In those days That is, in those years. For, as these events happened near thirty years after those recorded in the former chapter, this phrase is to be taken, in a very extensive sense, for that age of which he had spoken in the preceding words. And it is here used with the greater propriety, because John did indeed appear in his public character while Christ continued to dwell at Nazareth, which was the event that Matthew had last mentioned. Christ was now about thirty years... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:1-12

15. Preaching of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-17; John 1:19-28)The preaching of John soon attracted opposition from the Jewish religious leaders. They sent representatives to question him and then report back on what he taught and who he claimed to be. John denied that he was promoting himself as some new leader in Israel. He did not consider himself to be either the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:15,Deuteronomy 18:18 or the ‘Elijah’ promised in Malachi 4:5. He was only a... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Matthew 3:1

In = And in. Greek. en de. See App-104 . In those days. Hebrew idiom for an indefinite time (Exodus 2:11 , Exodus 2:23 .Isaiah 38:1 , &c): while the Lord, being grown up, was still dwelling in Nazareth. App-169 . Compare Matthew 2:23 . came. Greek comes: i.e. presenteth himself. came John, &c. Because "the word of God" had come to him (Luke 3:2 ). John the Baptist = John the baptizer. preaching = proclaiming as a herald. App-121 . in. Greek. en. App-104 . wilderness = country... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Matthew 3:1

DIVISION IIPREPARATION FOR HIS MESSIANIC WORK; THE HERALD; BAPTISM; TEMPTATION; AND HIS PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION BY JOHN THE BAPTISTMatthew 3:1-4:11MATT. 3And in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:1-2)In those days ... that is, some thirty years after the events recorded in the previous chapter. This is typical of Matthew's slight attention to chronology. Jesus was about 30 years of age when he... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Matthew 3:1

Matthew 3:1. In those days— That is, while Jesus was yet at Nazareth, where he dwelt till he entered on his public ministry, in the thirtieth year of his age. It is usual with authors to denote the times they are speaking of in an indeterminate manner. St. Luke, chap. Mat 3:2 has specified this period very particularly; and as he has given us a morefull and exact account of John the Baptist than St. Matthew, we shall refer our readers to the notes on his Gospel. The wilderness of Judea was not... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Matthew 3:1

1. In those days—of Christ's secluded life at Nazareth, where the last chapter left Him. came John the Baptist, preaching—about six months before his Master. in the wilderness of Judea—the desert valley of the Jordan, thinly peopled and bare in pasture, a little north of Jerusalem. read more

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