For . The reason for John's appearance and proclamation lies in prophecy. This is he that was spoken of ( οὗτος γὰρ ἐστιν ὁῥηθείς ). In John 1:23 the following quotation is uttered by the Baptist himself, and some commentators have supposed this to be the case also here. But read more
The law of Divine preparation. God never acts suddenly. He who sees the end from the beginning never needs to act suddenly, for he never can be taken at unawares. It is easy to grasp this thought when we consider only material things; but it is not so easy when we take account of the complications introduced by the ever-varying human will. Do man's impulsive actions never call for Divine promptitude in response to them? To this we answer—No. God's ommscience is to be thought of as including,... read more
The prophet Esaias - The prophet Isaiah. Esaias is the Greek mode of writing the name. This passage is taken from Isaiah 40:3. It is here said to have been spoken in reference to John, the forerunner of Christ. The language is such as was familiar to the Jews. and such as they would understand. It was spoken at first with reference to the return from the captivity at Babylon. In ancient times, it was customary in the march of armies to send messengers, or pioneers, before them to proclaim their... read more
Matthew 3:3. For this is he, &c. These may be the words of John himself, (comp. John 1:22-23,) but it is more likely that they are the words of the evangelists; spoken of by the Prophet Esaias, saying, The voice, &c. Isaiah, in the passage referred to, Isaiah 40:3, &c., is to be understood as speaking first, though not principally, concerning the Jews returning from the Babylonish captivity, as appears from the preceding chapter. As, however, the prophet intended, under the... read more
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
spoken. As well as written. by. Greek. hupo. App-104 ., but all the Greek texts read " dia ". Esaias = Isaiah. The first of twenty-one occurrences of the name in N.T. See App-79 . The voice, &c. Quoted from Isaiah 40:3 . See note there. App-107 . the LORD = Jehovah in Isaiah 40:3 . See App-98 . read more
For 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.The passage here quoted is Isaiah 40:3, but Isaiah is not the only prophet who prophesied of the mission of the great herald of the gospel age. Another equally significant prophecy is Malachi 4:5,6 in which the office and work of the herald are explicitly foretold. It is from Christ himself that one learns this passage's... read more
3. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying— ( :-). The voice of one crying in the wilderness—(See on :-); the scene of his ministry corresponding to its rough nature. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight—This prediction is quoted in all the four Gospels, showing that it was regarded as a great outstanding one, and the predicted forerunner as the connecting link between the old and the new economies. Like the great ones of the earth, the Prince of... read more
D. The King’s preparation 3:1-4:11Matthew passed over Jesus’ childhood quickly to relate His preparation for presentation to Israel as her King."The material of this section of the Gospel is particularly important since the baptism of Jesus serves as the occasion of his special anointing by the Holy Spirit for the ministry that follows, but it is also Christologically significant in that his divine Sonship is confirmed and the non-triumphalist nature of the present phase of that Sonship is... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
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