Matthew 3:3

Matthew 3:3

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 In those days ^aJohn the Baptist came preaching ^bin the wilderness of Judea,

2 and saying, “Repent, for ^athe kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
^a“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
^b‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”

4 Now ^aJohn himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^blocusts and ^cwild honey.

5 ^aThen Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him

6 ^aand were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^a“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^bthe wrath to come?

8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ^a‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. ^aTherefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 ^aI indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. ^bHe will baptize you with the Holy Spirit¹ and fire.

12 ^aHis winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will ^bburn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John Baptizes Jesus

13 ^aThen Jesus came ^bfrom Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

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For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying— (Matthew 11:3).

The voice of one crying in the wilderness—(See on Luke 3:2); 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 peace was to have His immediate approach proclaimed and His way prepared; and the call here—taking it generally—is a call to put out of the way whatever would obstruct His progress and hinder His complete triumph, whether those hindrances were public or personal, outward or inward. In Luke (Luke 3:5-6) the quotation is thus continued: "Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." Levelling and smoothing are here the obvious figures whose sense is conveyed in the first words of the proclamation—"Prepare ye the way of the Lord." The idea is that every obstruction shall be so removed as to reveal to the whole world the salvation of God in Him whose name is the "Saviour." (Compare Psalms 98:3; Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 52:10; Luke 2:31-32; Acts 13:47).

**Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Matthew 3:3:**

Isaiah 40:3
Malachi 3:1
Matthew 3:1
Mark 1:1
Mark 1:3
Revelation 16:12

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