Matthew

3:1-12

2. The gospel of the kingdom in signs, 3:1-4:25

i] The preaching of John the Baptist

In the ministry of John the Baptist we are introduced to the gospel, the divine message concerning the coming kingdom of God. After four hundred years of silence, God speaks through a new prophet; he proclaims the coming of the long-awaited kingdom, and calls upon the people to repent.

This account of the ministry of John the Baptist, serving both to prefigure and announce the ministry of Jesus, takes a rather independent stance in Matthew's gospel, but does serve to establish a continuity between the ministry of the Baptist and Jesus (note the similar words used by the two, eg. "brood of vipers"). "For Matthew, the important thing is that the Baptist came prophesying the doom that awaited sinners and calling on his hearers to repent", Morris.

paraginetai (paraginomai) pres. "came" - appeared, arrived. John appeared on the scene.

khrusswn (khrussw) part. "preaching" - preaching, proclaiming, announcing. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the main verb "came".

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."

oJ hJhqeiV (eipon) aor. pas. part. "he who was spoken of" - the one spoken. The participle functions as a substantive.

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. The participle is adjectival, limiting "voice", "a voice which is shouting".

eJtoimasate (eJtoimazw) aor. imp. "prepare" - make ready. Imperative expressing a command.

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."

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", durative, "John habitually wore / used to wear ...."

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.

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.

idwn (eidon .... oJraw) part. "when he saw" - seeing. The participle is adverbial, temporal, "when ....", as NIV.

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 forms a dependent statement, indirect speech, expressing the content of the warning.

thV melloushV (mellw) pres. part. "the coming" - about to, a sense of immediacy. The participle is adjectival, limiting/describing "wrath", "a wrath which is coming" = "the imminent judgment of God."

orghV (h) "wrath" - Used of divine wrath.

oun "therefore" - thus. Drawing a conclusion.

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.

mh doxhte (dokew) aor. subj. "do not think" - do you not suppose. A deliberative subjunctive forming a negative imperative/command. "Do not fool yourselves", "do not give yourself false hope by saying ......" TH.

legein (legw) pres. inf. "you can say" - to say. The infinitive forms a dependent statement of perception expressing what they think; "you think that they can say ....."

en "to [yourselves]" - within [yourselves]. Local; "do not cherish the thought that you have Abraham for father", Rieu.

patera (pathr eroV) "father" - ancestor. They are kidding themselves, if by claiming Abraham as their ancestor, they have weight with God.

oJti "that" - that. Introducing a dependent statement, indirect speech, expressing what Jesus is telling them.

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."

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.

men ...... de "[I baptize ........ but ......]" - 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.

autou pron. gen. "his" - Note, it is "his" hand, threshing floor and wheat. Some manuscripts have "his barn", but it is not his "chaff".

diakaqariei (diakaqarizw) fut. "he will clear" - he will clean out. The prefix makes the point "clean out / clear away completely / every speck of rubbish removed."

kai "-" - This conjunction joins the clearing and gathering clauses. Probably performing its normal connective function, but here it may be explicative, "namely / and so", BAGD.

sunaxei (sunagw) fut. "gathering" - he will gather together.

katakousei (katakaiw) fut. "burning up" - he will consume. Again, the prefix indicates completion, "he will consume completely."

asbestw/ adj. "unquenchable" - inextinguishable. "A fire that never goes out", TEV.

puri (pur puroV) dat. "with [unquenchable] fire" - The dative is taken by the NIV as instrumental, but locative is a possibility, "in".

Matthew Introduction

lectionarystudies.com