Matthew 3

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:4

With this verse we begin to meet with matter peculiar to Matthew and Mark. And the same John ( αὐτὸς δὲ ὁἰωάνης ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:4

A man may be his message. The evangelists dwell on the peculiarities of John's dress, food, and habits, as if the utmost importance attached to these, and they were an essential part of John's witness. To see the man was to apprehend his message. His peculiarities were not personal oddities, but designed ministry. How far his dress was the recognized prophet's dress cannot be decided; but it is clear that he designed to present an example of severe self-restraint as a marked contrast to the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:5

Then . Not merely temporal, as probably in Matthew 3:13 , but almost consequential, "thereupon"; so also Matthew 3:15 ; Matthew 2:7 , Matthew 2:16 . John's preaching and manner of life were not without effect. Went out ; ἐξεπορεύετο (similar in the parallels). Our Lord, when referring to this ( Matthew 11:7 , Matthew 11:8 , Matthew 11:9 ), uses the commoner ἐξήλθατε , merely indicating the crowds leaving for a while their present surroundings. The synoptists here... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:5-12

Religious revival. When the Baptist opened his commission the Jewish nation was in a woeful state of degeneracy. In connection with his ministry there was a remarkable revival of religion. This may be viewed as a specimen of revivals of religion in general. I. IT WAS A SEASON OF FAITHFUL PREACHING . 1 . Christ was prominent in the sermon. 2 . It insisted upon essential things. "Heart's sorrow, And a clear life ensuing." Those are not true penitents who... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:6

And (they, Revised Version) were baptized . The Revised Version probably desires to call attention to the change in the verb from singular to plural. In Jordan; in the river Jordan (Revised Version, with manuscripts). So also parallel passage in Mark. By him; i.e. their baptism was not self-imposed, but an act of submission to his teaching, and of acceptance of his message. The forerunner saw results, not merely in crowds of listeners, but in external actions. By him (contrast John... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:6

The moral value of confession. "Confessing their sins." "There are two cases which lead men in communities to the confession of particular sins in the presence of their fellows, before God and before man. Any moral exaltation which places them so that they see evil from a plane higher than that on which they live ordinarily, and where its relations, its tendencies, its nature, and character are clearly revealed, constantly tends to produce confession. There is also a confession which results... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:7

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees . The typical Jews, considered as one class ( τῶν φαρισαίων καὶ σαδδουκαίων ), in contrast to the multitudes. Pharisees. Their characteristic is shown in their name, "Separatists;" i.e. from anything that would hinder exact obedience to the Mosaic Law. Hence they are the strict adherents of tradition. They ultimately gained the ascendancy, and, in consequence, the standard Jewish books represent the result of their teaching,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:7-12

The faithful warning. (Parallel passage: Luke 3:7-9 , Luke 3:16 , Luke 3:17 .) Observe that this is before the baptism of our Lord, while the witness in John 1:19-27 is after. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:8

Bring forth therefore ( vide supra ) fruits ; fruit (Revised Version). The plural is due to a false reading taken from the parallel passage of Luke—it regards the various graces of a good life as so many different fruits ( Matthew 21:43 ); the singular, as one product from one source ( Galatians 5:22 ). The term used here ( ποιεῖν καρπόν ), and frequently, lays more stress on the effort involved than διδόναι καρπόν , simple "yielding" ( Matthew 8:8 ), or φέρειν ,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 3:8

The fruit of repentance. John sees a great danger. His preaching is immensely popular. Even the insincere are drawn under the spell of his oratory, and his rousing eloquence is enjoyed on its own account by many who refuse to obey its ideas. He is the lion of the season, and society runs after him as after the latest fashion. To one in dead earnest, as John was, this must have been perfectly abhorrent. Then no doubt there were sentimental, superficial hearers who were really impressed by his... read more

Group of Brands