IN THOSE DAYS CAME JOHN THE BAPTIST,.... The Evangelist having given an account of the genealogy and birth of Christ; of the coming of the wise men from the east to him; of his preservation from Herod's bloody design against him, when all the infants at Bethlehem were slain; of the flight of Joseph... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAYING, REPENT YE,.... The doctrine which John preached was the doctrine of repentance; which may be understood either of amendment of life and manners; for the state of the Jews was then very corrupt, all sorts of men were grown very wicked; and though there was a generation among them, who wer... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS IS HE THAT WAS SPOKEN OF,.... These are not the words of the Baptist himself, as in John 1:23 but of the Evangelist, who cites and applies to John a passage in the Prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 40:3 and that very pertinently, since that "chapter" is a prophecy of the Messiah. The consolations spok... [ Continue Reading ]
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 preaching the doctrine in the place and manner before expressed, HAD HIS RAIMENT OF CAMEL'S HAIR; not of ca... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WENT OUT TO HIM JERUSALEM,.... The uncommon appearance of this person, the oddness of his dress, the austerity of his life, together with the awfulness and importance of his doctrine, and the novelty of the ordinance of baptism he administered, and the Jews having had no prophet for some hundre... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WERE BAPTIZED OF HIM,.... The place where they were baptized of him was, "in Jordan"; some copies read, "in the river Jordan", as in Mark 1:5. As to the name of this river, and the etymology of it, the Jews say l it was so called, שיורד מדן "because it descended" from Dan, i.e. Leshem Dan, or Pa... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN HE SAW MANY OF THE PHARISEES,.... This being the first place in which mention is made of the Pharisees and Sadducees, it may not be amiss to give some account of them once for all, and to begin with the Pharisees, and first with their name. Some derive this word from פרץ pharatz to "divide... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING FORTH THEREFORE FRUITS,.... That is, if you are truly penitent, if you have a proper sense of sin, and true repentance for it, do such works as are suitable to it, and will show the genuineness of it; for FRUITS MEET FOR REPENTANCE are the same as "works meet for repentance", Acts 26:20 and a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THINK NOT TO SAY WITHIN YOURSELVES,.... John knew the sentiments of their minds, and the prevailing opinion they had given into, against which he cautions them; as, that because they were Abraham's seed, they were in a state of salvation, in the favour of God, and had a right to all privileges a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW ALSO THE AXE IS LAID,.... These words may be rendered, "for now also", and contain in them a reason why they might expect future wrath; why they should bring forth good fruit; and why they should not trust to nor plead their descent from Abraham, because "the axe is now laid": by which is me... [ Continue Reading ]
I INDEED BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER,.... These words, at first view, look as if they were a continuation of John's discourse with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and as though he had baptized them; whereas by comparing them with what the other Evangelists relate, see Mark 1:5 they are spoken to the people,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE FAN IS IN HIS HAND,.... The Jews had their hand fans, and which were like a man's hand; their names were מגוב מעבר מורה; which, as Maimonides says n, were three sorts of instruments used in the floor, in form of a man's hand; with which they cleansed the wheat and barley from the straw; and t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN COMETH JESUS,.... That is, when John had been some time preaching the doctrine of repentance, and administering the ordinance of baptism; for which, time must be allowed, since he went into all the country about Jordan, and preached unto them, and baptized such large numbers: very probably it m... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT JOHN FORBAD HIM, SAYING,.... It appears from hence, that John knew Christ before he baptized him, and before he saw the Spirit descending and abiding on him, John 1:33 wherefore that was not a signal, whereby he should first know him but whereby his knowledge of him should be confirmed; which kn... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ANSWERING, SAID UNTO HIM,.... This is an Hebrew way of speaking, often used in the Old Testament, and answers to ויאמר יען; see Job 3:1. He replied to John, who had made use of very forbidding words, after this manner, SUFFER IT TO BE SO NOW; let me have my request; do not go on to objec... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS, WHEN HE WAS BAPTIZED,.... Christ, when he was baptized by John in the river Jordan, the place where he was baptizing, WENT UP STRAIGHTWAY OUT OF THE WATER. One would be at a loss at first sight for a reason why the Evangelist should relate this circumstance; for after the ordinance was a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LO, A VOICE FROM HEAVEN, SAYING,.... At the same time the heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God descended as a dove, and lighted on Christ, and whilst it abode upon him, an extraordinary voice was heard; hence the note of attention and admiration, "lo", is prefixed unto it, as before, to th... [ Continue Reading ]