Matthew 3:1
Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, παραγίνεται Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς, κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας,
Now in those days, John the baptizer drew near preaching in the wilderness of Judea.
Paraphrase: Now having returned from Egypt, Joseph and Mary were able to return to their old way of life, the life they had before they had fled from Herod. Jesus too was becoming a young man and was growing physically and spiritually, growing in wisdom, and stature and in favor with God and all His neighbors. (Luke 2:52) It was in this time, that a preacher in the wilderness of Judea, came out and began preaching publicly. People called him John the baptizer.
Comments:
Matthew 3:2
καὶ λέγων, Μετανοεῖτε· ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is close.”
Paraphrase: His preaching was an earnest call to repentance. When people asked him why it was so important that they repent at this time, he responded by saying that there was a kingdom coming down out of heaven which was about to be launched!
Comments:
Matthew 3:3
οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ῥηθεὶς διὰ Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου, λέγοντος, Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν οδὸν Κυρίου· εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ.
For this is what was being said through Isaiah the prophet saying, “A voice thundering in the wilderness; prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”
Paraphrase: Then he would recite loudly the words of Isaiah the prophet, “There is a loud voice rising like thunder out of the wilderness! The voice is announcing the coming of YHWH, the Great King of heaven and earth. Clear the road; make sure the way is clear so that He can come riding in without any delay.” Then he would claim that he himself was that voice crying out in the wilderness and that what Isaiah the prophet had prophesied so many years ago, was about to be fulfilled. “It’s about to happen just as Isaiah said it.” John proclaimed.
Comments:
The quotation from Isaiah 40:3 “Prepare the way of Jehovah” identifies Jesus with YHWH. See Warfield p72; McGiffert p26.
Matthew 3:4
Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ἰωάννης εἶχεν τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τριχῶν καμήλου, καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, ἡ δὲ τροφὴ ἦν αὐτοῦ ἀκρίδες καὶ μέλι ἄγριον.
Now John himself had his clothing from the hairs of a camel and a belt of hide around his waste, and his food was grasshoppers and wild honey.
Paraphrase: Now John was that prophet of whom Isaiah spoke and who was announcing the coming of the Great King. He was a strange man who made his home in the wilderness. His clothes was made from camel hair. It was held up with a belt which he had made from a piece of hide. His diet consisted of grasshoppers and honey which he was able to find in that area.
Comments:
Matthew 3:5
Τότε ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ περίχωρος τοῦ Ἰορδάνου,
Matthew 3:6
καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
Matthew 3:7
Ἰδὼν δὲ πολλοὺς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ‹αὐτοῦ›, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς;
Matthew 3:8
ποιήσατε οὖν καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας.
Matthew 3:9
καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ. λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ.
Matthew 3:10
ἤδη δὲ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται.
Matthew 3:11
Ἐγὼ μὲν ὑμᾶς βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν, ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἰσχυρότερός μού, ἐστιν οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς τὰ ὑποδήματα βαστάσαι. αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί,
Matthew 3:12
οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην· τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.
Matthew 3:13
Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην, πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην, τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ.
Matthew 3:14
ὁ δὲ ‹Ἰωάννης› διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν, λέγων, Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με;
Matthew 3:15
Ἀποκριθεὶς, δὲ, ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν ‹πρὸς αὐτόν›, Ἄφες ἄρτι· οὕτως γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην. τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτόν.
Matthew 3:16
Βαπτισθεὶς δὲ, ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδοὺ, ἠνεῴχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδεν [τὸ] Πνεῦμα [τοῦ] Θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν, [καὶ] ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν.
Matthew 3:17
καὶ ἰδοὺ, φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, λέγουσα, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου, ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα.