The passage
      v1. The long-awaited time having come, John begins his prophetic ministry in the wilderness. John's coming out of the desert authenticates his ministry.
      v2. His message is the gospel. Matthew uses a shorter version than Mark's "the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel." John calls for repentance as a response to the proclamation that the kingdom "is near." Repentance involves a turning around both in will and action. It is not so much a feeling sorry or a turning from wrong behavior, but rather a turning toward God for mercy. If it is only the perfectly obedient who enter the kingdom, then who can be saved? Thus we cry, "Lord have mercy". In popular expectation, the kingdom was a political reconstruction of the state of Israel, free from the Roman yoke. Yet, the coming kingdom, which is bursting in, even present "now", is more a dynamic force than a static entity. It consists of the eternal and powerful reign of Christ over the gathered children of God.
      v3. John's prophetic status is supported by scripture. He fulfills scripture as the one of whom Isaiah spoke, Isa.40:3.
      v4-5. John's food and clothing aligns him with Elijah the prophet. He stands above the spiritual softness and idolatry of the age and proclaims the coming "day of the Lord."
      v6. Those wishing to enter the kingdom are asked to express their repentance outwardly in the washing of water. Normally, only Gentiles wishing to become Jews were baptized, but John demands that even Jews submit to this sign. The coming kingdom demands a radical decision.
      v7. It is unclear whether the religious leaders were just observers or wanted to demonstrate their eager anticipation for the coming kingdom. John, in true prophetic style, asks them cynically, "who suggested that you would escape the coming wrath?" The righteous don't always think they need to repent.
      v8-9. John knows well that the religious leaders think they are prime candidates for the kingdom, but unless they produce the "fruit" of repentance (reliance on the mercy of God) they cannot enter. God doesn't need the "stones" (= descendents) of Abraham for the kingdom community. He can gather in ordinary common stones (outcasts, Gentiles).
      v10. The coming day of the kingdom is both a day of blessing and a day of wrath. The coming wrath is already at work; the axe is chopping out the dead wood. Those caught up in merit religion must produce the fruit of repentance. If they don't cry out for mercy, then they are damned.
      v11. Matthew wants to emphasize the preparatory and limited nature of John's ministry, compared to the ministry of Jesus. John baptizes "with water for repentance." The act of baptizing with water is in reference to, or in connection with, repentance. It expresses outwardly the act of repentance - the turning to God for mercy and thus, the resultant cleansing of forgiveness. Jesus' baptism is "with the Holy Spirit and with fire." The outpouring of the Spirit is the great sign of the dawning of the new age of the kingdom - the Messianic Age when God will come and visit his people and dwell with them. Pentecost serves to illustrate the dawning of this new age. As for the "fire", it may represent "the Spirit's fire," ie. "fire" serves to image the Spirit's coming upon God's new kingdom community. Yet, the phrase "baptized with fire" can also refer to suffering. This is the "baptism" that Jesus must undergo. In the "fire" of his suffering we are saved.
      v12. John goes on to develop the theme of judgement. The coming Messiah will judge his people. He will separate the "chaff" from the "wheat", he will separate the goats from the sheep, the false child of God from the true child of God. So, now is the day to repent, to turn and be saved.

Repentance
      Words are often confusing, and the word "repentance" is no exception. In everyday speech we use the word to declare our sorrow for some past action. When we say we repent we usually mean that we are ashamed and sorrowful for some past action, and intend to move ourselves away from it and not do it again.
      When the Bible uses the word "repent", particularly as a response to the gospel, it means something stronger than sorrow. Repentance is a turning to God for mercy in the face of his coming judgement. The gospel proclaims that God is at this moment gathering a people to be with him for eternity. Yet, only the righteous shall stand before him. Therefore, our only hope is to turn to him with head bowed and call upon his mercy, his forgiveness. Our only hope is to "repent".

v2
      metanoeite (metanoew) pres. imp. "repent" - The sense is not so much of remorse, regret, etc, but of a changed direction, a turning from a life lived without God, toward God. Remorse is a consequence, as is a change in conduct, but attitude toward God is at the center.
      gar "for" - Expressing cause/reason. The reason why we should repent is because the kingdom of heaven is near.
      ouranwn (oV) "heaven" - In deference to his Jewish readers, Matthew shows respect toward the divine name by using the phrase "kingdom of heaven" rather than "kingdom of God".
      hggiken (eggizw) perf. "near" - Position in this sentence stresses the nearness of the kingdom. "Is at hand / approaches", "is bursting in upon us."

v3
      oJ hJhqeiV (eipon) aor. pas. part. "he who was spoken of" - the one spoken.
      fwnh (h) "a voice" - voice, sound. "Hark", BAGD, but something stronger is intended, possibly even "a message"
      bowntoV (boaw) pres. part. gen. "of one calling" - shouting, calling out loudly.
      eJtoimasate (eJtoimazw) aor. imp. "prepare" - make ready
      euqeiaV adj. "[make] straight" - Straight as compared to crooked. An image drawn from the Persians who revolutionized road building. A straight road enables a quick return of the messiah to Zion. "Make an expressway/highway for the Lord."
      tribouV (oV) "paths" - A well beaten track
      autou "for him" - of him. The LXX, following the MT, has "make a straight path for our God to travel", thus the supplied ambiguity of most translations, "for him" rather than "his path." "Beat out a pathway for him."

v4
      Mal.4:5 indicating the return of Elijah prior to the coming of the Messiah. John's dress is an allusion to that of Elijah, 2Kgs.1:8, although locusts and wild honey are not part of the Elijah allusion.
      eicen (ecw) imperf. "were made ..... had" - had. John "had" (indefinite past) in the sense of "wore". "John habitually wore / used to wear ...."

v5
      tote "-" - then. "At that time."
      exeporeueto (exporeuomai) imperf. "went out" - Imperfect implying repetition. "Came to him", TEV, "flocked to him", NEB.
      pasa "all [Judea]" - all, every. "Many people from Judea"
      pericwroV (oV) "region" - neighborhood.

v6
      exomologoumenoi (exomologeomai) pres. part. "confessing" - acknowledging. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action that acompanies the main verb "baptize". The present tense probably serves to indicate that the action of confessing proceeds the main verb, baptize. "They declared openly their state of loss in the sight of God."
      ebaptizonto (baptizw) imperf. pas. "he was baptizing" - immersing.
      uJpo + gen. "by [him]" - by. Carrying an instrumental sense, probably by John's action, but possibly under his supervision.

v7
      idwn (eidon .... oJraw) part. "when he saw" - seeing. The participle introduces a temporal clause "when ....".
      pollouV (poloV) adj. "many" - It is interesting that "many" of the religious elite came to hear John.
      twn "of the [Pharisees and Sadducees]" - The single article indicates that this is one group made up of .....
      epi + acc. "to" - Possibly conveying purpose, ie. why they came, namely, to be baptized, cf. BAGD "of purpose, goal, result."
      gennhmata (a) "brood" - offspring, family
      uJpedeixen (uJpedeiknumi) aor. "warned" - show, inform, make known, give the idea, teach... The sense is that the religious leaders only want to escape divine judgment. More may be implied. There are numerous suggestions, most based on the assumption that John is being cynical. "Who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send", TEV. The "you could escape" is a guess. "Can it actually be the case that you have been persuaded to believe that the divine judgment is near, and are stirred to endeavour to escape it?" TH.
      fugein (feugw) inf. "to flee" - to escape. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "warned".
      thV melloushV (mellw) part. "the coming" - about to, a sense of immediacy. "The imminent judgment of God."
      orghV (h) "wrath" - Used of divine wrath.

v8
      poihsate (poiew) aor. imp. "produce" - do, make. Here, the aorist indicates a specific act is required, "bear fruit."
      karpon (oV) sing. "fruit" - The singular implies that "works" plural is not in John's mind, but rather a changed life, a new heart, orientation... eg. the one who has received mercy will be merciful, such is befitting of their repentance.
      axion adj. "worthy" - lit. of weight, thus: worthy, befitting.

v9
      mh doxhte (dokew) aor. subj. "do not think" - suppose. A deliberative subjunctive forming a negative imperative/command. "Do not fool yourselves", "do not give yourself false hope by saying ......" TH.
      patera (pathr eroV) "father" - ancestor. They are kidding themselves, if by claiming Abraham as their ancestor, they think that this has weight with God.
      gar "-" - for. Expressing cause/reason. "For God can provide children for himself out of the stones of the Judean desert."
      liqwn .... tekna "stones .... children" - Possibly a pun where both words use the same consonants in Hebrew, Moule p186.
      egeirai (egeirw) aor. inf. "can raise up" - to raise up. Semitic, "cause to be born."

v10
      hdh adv. "already" - even now. The position of this word at the beginning of the Greek sentence serves to give it an emphatic sense.
      proV "at" - In this particular use of the preposition, linear motion is combined with a punctiliar sense.
      keitai (keimai) "-" - is laid. "To cut down the trees at the roots", TEV. Divine judgment is about to fall on God's historic people.
      pan (pas pasa pan) "every" - all, every. As "tree" is without an article, the adjective is "every", expressing "any tree that does not ...."
      kalon adj. "good" - Edible, sweet
      ekkoptetai (ekkoptw) pres. pas. "will be cut down" - is cut down. Most likely a use of the divine passive, "God will cut it down ..." The NIV has opted for a futurist present sense, but it may also be gnomic, a generalization.
      pur "fire" - A symbol of hell imaged by the ever-burning rubbish tip outside Jerusalem.

v11
      men - Introducing a contrast, here between John and Jesus.
      en "with [water]" - in / with, by. An instrumental sense may be intended, but the locative "in" is also possible. The same construction is used of Jesus who will immerse "with", "by" or "in" the Holy Spirit.
      eiV + acc. "for [repentance]" - into, to / for. Probably in a very general sense of "with a view to." Most likely as a sign / token / proof / evidence of repentance, but possibly even taking a causal sense "to bring about / so that you will repent", ref. Wallace 370.
      opisw + gen. "after" - Referring to the one who proclaims the gospel "after" John.
      iscuroteroV (iscuroV) comp. adj. "one who is more powerful" - stronger. Obviously spiritually stronger. The sense may be that Jesus has more authority, or that he is more important than John.
      mou gen. "than I" - of me. Genitive of comparison, therefore "than me"
      bastasai (bastazw) inf. "to carry" - to remove, pick up, carry. The infinitive is epexegetic, explaining what he is not "fit" for.
      kai "[he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit] and [fire]" - The presence of the conjunction "and" implies that "will baptize" has two objects, namely, "the Holy Spirit" and "fire", the fire being the fire of judgment. Some commentators think that "fire" modifies "the Holy Spirit" ie. "will baptize with the fire of the Holy Spirit." The first option seems best.