1 Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις παραγίνεται Ἰωάνης ὁ βαπτιστὴς κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, 2 λέγων Μετανοεῖτε· ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. 3 οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ῥηθεὶς διὰ Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ. 4 Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ἰωάνης εἶχεν τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τριχῶν καμήλου καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ· ἡ δὲ τροφὴ ἦν αὐτοῦ ἀκρίδες καὶ μέλι ἄγριον. 5 Τότε ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία καὶ πᾶσα ἡ περίχωρος τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, 6 καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν. 7 Ἰδὼν δὲ πολλοὺς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς; 8 ποιήσατε οὖν καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας· 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. 10 ἤδη δὲ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται. 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· 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. 13 Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάνην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ. 14 ὁ δὲ διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με; 15 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἄφες ἄρτι· οὕτως γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην. τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτόν. 16 βαπτισθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἠνεῴχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδεν Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν· 17 καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα.
Matthew · Nestle Greek New Testament (1904)
Matthew 3 Nestle Greek New Testament (1904)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Verses the critical text omits (e.g. Matthew 17:21, Acts 8:37) are shown as empty.
- Follows the edition's own numbering where it differs (e.g. Acts 19:40 includes the KJV's 19:41; 2 Corinthians 13 has 13 verses; 3 John has 15; Revelation 12 has 18).
- Angle brackets < > and double square brackets [[ ]] are the edition's own marks for doubtful passages (e.g. Mark 1:1, Mark 16:9–20, John 7:53–8:11).
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
John the Baptist
Son of Zechariah, who preached in the wilderness and baptized in the Jordan, pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, rebuked Herod over Herodias and was imprisoned and beheaded.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 3:1; Matthew 14:3; Luke 1:13
Cross references (17)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Isaiah 40:3–6; John 1:6–8; Luke 1:13–17; Luke 1:76; Luke 3:1–20
- 2 Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:17; Daniel 2:44; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Luke 24:47
- 3 Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; John 1:23; Luke 1:76; Mark 1:3
- 4 2 Kings 1:8; Mark 1:6; Matthew 11:8; Zechariah 13:4; Leviticus 11:22
- 5 Mark 1:5; John 5:35; Matthew 11:7–12; John 3:23; Luke 3:7
- 6 Acts 19:18; Matthew 3:13–16; 1 John 1:9; John 1:25–28; Ezekiel 36:25
- 7 Matthew 12:34; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Matthew 22:23; Romans 5:9; Matthew 23:33
- 8 Luke 3:8; Acts 26:20; 2 Peter 1:4–8; Galatians 5:22–23; Ephesians 5:9
- 9 Luke 3:8; Romans 9:7–8; Galatians 3:27–29; John 8:33; Acts 13:26
- 10 John 15:6; Luke 3:9; Matthew 7:19; John 15:2; Luke 13:6–9
- 11 Isaiah 4:4; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2–4
- 12 Malachi 4:1; Matthew 13:30; Luke 3:17; Isaiah 41:16; Jeremiah 51:2
- 13 John 1:32–34; Matthew 2:22; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22
- 14 John 3:3–7; Acts 1:5–8; John 13:6–8; John 1:16; Ephesians 2:3–5
- 15 John 4:34; Isaiah 42:21; John 13:15; John 15:10; Philippians 2:7–8
- 16 Isaiah 11:2; Luke 3:21–22; Mark 1:10; John 1:31–34; Isaiah 42:1
- 17 Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 17:5; Psalm 2:7; Luke 9:35; Matthew 12:18
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
How "in those days"? For not then, surely, when He was a child, and came to Nazareth, but thirty years after, John cometh; as Luke also testifies. How then is it said, "in those days"?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough into smooth ways; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." There is therefore one and the same God, the Father of our Lord, who also promised, through the prophets, that He would send His forerunner; and …
For Thou correctest man for iniquity, and "Thy judgments are a great deep." But because Thy Spirit was "borne over the waters," Thy mercy forsook not our misery, and Thou saidst, "Let there be light," "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Repent ye, let there be light.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… a better country." And again, "These all died in faith, not having obtained the promises, but having seen them afar off, and embraced them." And John too said unto those that were coming to him, "Think not to say, We have Abraham to our father." And Paul again, "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel; neither they, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
This man was baptizing in Jordan, and there went out unto him all Jerusalem, to enjoy the first-fruits of baptisms: for in Jerusalem is the prerogative of all things good.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)