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George Haydock's Catholic Commentary

Matthew 3:4

His garment of camels' hair, [2] not wrought camlet as some would have it, but made of the skin of a camel, with the hair on it. Thus Elias (4 Kings, i. 8,) is called an hairy man, with a leathern girdle about him. --- Locusts, not sea-crabs, as others again expound it; but a sort of flies, or grasshoppers, frequent in hot countries. They are numbered among eatables. (Leviticus xi. 22) St. Jerome and others mention them as food of the common people, when dried with smoke and salt. Theophylactus, by the Greek word, understands the tops of trees or buds. (Witham)

[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

St. Hierom. [St. Jerome] lib. 2. con. Jovin. tom. 4. part. 2. p. 201. Orientales, et Libyæ populos... locustis vesci, moris est. Theophylactus by Greek: akrides, understands buds of trees.

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See also Matthew 3:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Matthew 3:4. _HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL'S HAIR_] A sort of _coarse_ or _rough_ covering, which, it appears, was common to the prophets, Zechariah 13:4. In such a garment we find _Elijah_ clothed, 2...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL’S HAIR - His clothing. This is not the fine hair of the camel from which our elegant cloth is made called camlet, nor the more elegant stuff brought from the East Indies under the...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    3. THE HERALD OF THE KING; THE ENTRANCE UPON HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY. __ 1. The Herald of the King. (Matthew 3:1 .) 2. His Message and His Baptism. (Matthew 3:7 .) 3. The King in Jordan's Waters. (Matth...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JOHN THE BAPTIST (Mark 1:2 *, Luke 3:1) The common Synoptic material begins here. The chief difference from Mk. is the addition of Matthew 3:7 from Q (p. 672), _cf._ Luk

  • B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary

    II. THE KING'S MESSENGER. 4. THE SAME JOHN HAD HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL'S HAIR. In the time of Christ it was the teaching of the scribes that Elijah was to come as the forerunner of Messiah; but our Lord...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE EMERGENCE OF JOHN THE BAPTIZER (Matthew 3:1-6)...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    In those days John the Baptizer arrived on the scene, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea. "Repent," he said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens has come near." It was this man who was spoken of by Isa...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HAD HIS RAIMENT, &C. Compare 2 Kings 1:8. LEATHERN GIRDLE. Worn to-day by peasants in Palestine. MEAT. food. LOCUSTS. Locusts form the food of the people today; and, being provided for in the Law,...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Matthew 3:1-12. John Baptist preaches in the Wilderness of Judæa. Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:15-34 St Luke does not name the Pharisees and

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _the same John_ Translate, "John himself." _raiment of camel's hair_ A kind of tunic or shirt coarsely woven of camel's hair, "one of the most admirable materials for clothing, it keeps out the heat,...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    JOHN BAPTIST PREACHES IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDÆA Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:15-34 St Matthew alone names the coming of the Pharisees and Sadducees. St Mark’s brief account contains no additional...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ΤῸ ἜΝΔΥΜΑ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂ Κ.Τ.Λ. A kind of tunic or shirt coarsely woven of camel’s hair, ‘one of the most admirable materials for clothing, it keeps out the heat, cold and rain.’ _Recovery of Jerusalem_, p....

  • Catena Aurea Commentary

    VER 4. AND THE SAME JOHN HAD HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL'S HAIR, AND A LEATHERN GIRDLE ABOUT HIS LOINS; AND HIS MEAT WAS LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY. Pseudo-Chrys.: Having said that he is the voice of one crying...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _JOHN PREPARED THE WAY FOR JESUS MATTHEW 3:1-6_ John was called “The” Baptist. Never was he called “A Baptist”. Saying John the Baptist identified the fact that he baptized. John “The Barber” would id...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΕΊΧΕΝ _impf. ind. act. от_ ΕΧΩ (G2192) иметь. _Impf._ обозначает то, что регулярно или обычно происходило ранее (DM, 188). ΈΝΔΥΜΑ (G1742) одежда, одеяние, ΤΡΙΧΏΝ _gen. pl._ от ΘΡΊΞ (G2359) волос, Κ...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL'S HAIR— The Jews used to wear _hairy_ or _coarse garments_ in time of sorrow and humiliation. See Matthew 11:21. The Nazarites did the same till they had fulfilled their vow. It w...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    CHAPTER THREE Section 5. THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (Parallels: Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18) TEXT: 3:1-12 1. And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, sa...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. AND THE SAME JOHN HAD HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL'S HAIR [that is, woven...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    18 Compare Jer_31:15. 18 The name “Rama” was a common one for a site on a hill. There was probably such a place near Bethlehem beside the tomb of Rachel, who died there in sorrow (Gen_35:19-20). Ther...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    APPEARANCE OF THE BAPTIST. BAPTISM OF JESUS 1-12. John the Baptist's ministry. The circumstances of John's birth are detailed in Luke 1 (see notes there). He was sanctified from birth to be the foreru...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CAMEL'S HAIR] i.e. either a camel's skin, or cloth woven from camel's hair. John's dress was a protest against the luxurious robes of soft wool, which were fashionable at the time. LOCUSTS] They are s...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    MATTHEW’S GOOD NEWS MATTHEW’S *GOSPEL _HILDA BRIGHT_ CHAPTER 3 THE WORK OF JOHN THE *BAPTIST 3:1-12 V1 In those days, John the *Baptist appeared in Judea’s wild country. V2 He taught the people...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL’S HAIR. — The dress was probably deliberately adopted by the Baptist as reviving the outward appearance of Elijah, who was “a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather” (2 King...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 3 His Herald - Matthew 3:1 THIRTY years have gone since all Jerusalem was in trouble at the rumour of Messiah's birth. But as nothing has been heard of Him since, the excitement has passed aw...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ἰ. The story returns to the historical person, John, and identifies him with the herald of prophecy. “This same John.” Then follows a description of his way of life his clothing and his foo...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    _John the Baptist appears_ (Mark 1:1-6; Luke 3:1-6)....

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE HERALD PREPARES THE WAY Matthew 3:1-12 Matthew's Gospel heralds the Kingdom. We are allowed to see and listen to the forerunner, whose voice again awoke the hearts of men with prophetic utteranc...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here ends the old prophetic line, John being the last of the Hebrew prophets. It found a fitting end in the stem ascetic who roused the nation and with vehement passion denounced their rebellion, and...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was (f) locusts and wild honey. (f) Locusts were a type of meat which certain of the eastern peo...

  • Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament

    CHAPTER 4 MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST BY MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE Luke 3:1-2. “In the fifteenth year of the dominion of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. I include the whole of these verses into one view, for the better app...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    God has been pleased, in the separate accounts He has given us of our Lord Jesus, to display not only His own grace and wisdom, but the infinite excellency of His Son. It is our wisdom to seek to prof...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    Matthew 3:4._And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair _The Evangelist does not desire us to reckon it as one of John’s chief excellencies, that he followed a rough and austere way of living,...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    We now begin His actual history. John the Baptist comes to prepare the way of Jehovah before Him, according to the prophecy of Isaiah; proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and calling o...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THE SAME JOHN HAD HIS RAIMENT,.... The Evangelist goes on to describe this excellent person, the forerunner of our Lord, by his raiment; THE SAME John of whom Isaiah prophesied, and who came preachin...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Ver. 4. _And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair_] Suitabl...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _And the same John_ The following description of John is added, that it might appear he did not live in obscurity, but was sufficiently known to all: _had his raiment of camel's hair_ Not, as some hav...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

      The appearance and habits of the Baptist should also be noted: AND THE SAME JOHN HAD HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL'S HAIR AND A LEATHERN GIRDLE ABOUT HIS LOINS; AND HIS MEAT WAS LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY. John...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Though John was of a priestly family, this too is not mentioned. He does not preach in the temple, but in the wilderness of the river Jordan, at least thirteen miles from Jerusalem. For a priest to pr...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 After Malachi there was no prophet until John the Baptist came. He appeared first in the wilderness of Judea. This was not an uninhabited desert, but a part of the country not thickly peopled, no...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    There are great and insignificant disputes about the habit and the diet of John the Baptist. The evangelists doubtless designed no more than to let us know, that John Baptist's habit was not of soft r...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Matthew 3:4 And G1161 John G2491 himself G846 clothed G2192 (G5707) G1742 G846 in G575 camels...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey.' John is described in prophetic terms. His raiment of coarse camel's h...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. THE MESSIAH IS REVEALED TO THE WORLD (3:1-17). Many years had passed by of which Matthew tells us nothing. He is not concerned to give us a biography of Jesus' life....

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

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  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    Matthew 3:4. HOW JOHN HIMSELF. The dress and habits of John confirm the statement of Matthew 3:3. His dress, like that of Elijah, corresponded with his preaching. The resemblance to Elijah was possibl...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    John the Baptist, his mission, character, and preaching. The section takes up the Old Testament prophecy (Matthew 3:3), and concludes with an announcement of the coming Messiah (Matthew 3:11-12), whos...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    NOW JOHN HIMSELF (αυτος δε ο Ιωανης). Matthew thus introduces the man himself and draws a vivid sketch of his dress (note ειχεν, imperfect tense), his habit, and his food. Would such an uncouth figu...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

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  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

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  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Matthew 3:1. _In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand._ There is no entering the kingdom of heaven with...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

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  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Matthew 3:1. _In those days came John the Baptist._ When the time of the seventy weeks was fulfilled, when the sceptre was departed from Judah, and when all the east, according to Suetonius, expected...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    CAMEL'S HAIR. See 2 Kings 1:8. Clothes made from the hair of a camel woven into a coarse cloth. The poor of the East have worn such for centuries. It was the uniform of a prophet (Zechariah 13:4). LEA...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Raiment of camel’s hair._ -We read of John the Baptist “having his raiment of camel’s hair,” and many have supposed that the dress of Elijah was similar. The hair of the camel, especially the coarser...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 3:4 A GARMENT OF CAMEL’S HAIR. John’s appearance was common to nomads. LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY were (and still are) a source of food for people living in the desert....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 3:1 John the Baptist Prepares for the Messianic King­dom. John now appears, preaching in the Judean desert. It is more than 25 years since Joseph and his family moved back to N...

  • The Gospels Compared

    JOHN THE BAPTIST PREPARES THE WAY FOR JESUS MATTHEW 3:1-12; MARK 1:2-8; LUKE 3:2-18; MATTHEW 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist,...

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    CHAPTER 3 _In those days_, &c. This was in the fifteenth year of Tiberius, as S. Luke says, when John and Christ were about thirty years of age. Matthew passes at once from the childhood of Christ to...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL NOTES_ Matthew 3:1. IN THOSE DAYS.—Of Christ’s secluded life at Nazareth (see Luke 3:1, etc.) St. Matthew passes over a period of nearly thirty years (Luke 3:23). PREACHING.—Lt heralding; ma...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION MATTHEW 3:1 THE HERALD. His public appearance and proclamation (Matthew 3:1, Matthew 3:2), as foretold by Scripture ...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter Three In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea (Matthew 3:1). Now we have the silent years of Christ. We are jumping now from the return to Nazareth to the b...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 14:25; 2 Kings 1:8; Deuteronomy 32:13; Leviticus 11:22;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE PREACHING AND BAPTISM OF JOHN Matthew 3:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We wish to present the great theme of John the Baptist as he preached in the wilderness of Judea. 1. THERE IS THE POSITIVE STATEMENT...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    John had his raiment of camels' hair — Coarse and rough, suiting his character and doctrine. A leathern girdle — Like Elijah, in whose spirit and power he came. His food was locusts and wild honey — L...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    The plainness of John the Baptist's habit and diet is here declared: He was habited in. plain suit of camel's hair, much as Elijah was before him; and as his habit was plain, so his diet was ordinary,...

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