Matthew 3:14

Matthew 3:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
• New International Version (NIV)But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

Context of Matthew 3:14

12His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.” 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan [River], to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him [vigorously protesting], saying, “It is I who need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15But Jesus replied to him, “Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted [it and baptized] Him. 16After Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him (Jesus),

Matthew 3:14 word by word

ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων· ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
• forbadδιακωλύωdiakōluō · to hinderG1254
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• needχρείαchreia · needG5532
• to be baptizedβαπτίζωbaptizō · to baptizeG907
• ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• comestἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• toπρόςpros · to/withG4314

Cross-references for Matthew 3:14

• Luke 1:43And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
• John 13:6When He came to Simon Peter, he said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?”
• John 1:16For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].
• John 3:3Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”
• Acts 1:5For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized and empowered and united with the Holy Spirit, not long from now.”
• Romans 3:23since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God,
• Galatians 3:22But the Scripture has imprisoned everyone [everything—the entire world] under sin, so that [the inheritance, the blessing of salvation] which was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe [in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s precious Son].
• Galatians 4:6And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!”
• Ephesians 2:3Among these [unbelievers] we all once lived in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by the sinful self], indulging the desires of human nature [without the Holy Spirit] and [the impulses] of the [sinful] mind. We were, by nature, children [under the sentence] of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind].
• Revelation 7:9After these things I looked, and this is what I saw: a vast multitude which no one could count, [gathered] from every nation and from all the tribes and peoples and languages [of the earth], standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Christ), dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands;

Commentaries on Matthew 3:14

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14John forbad him - Earnestly and pressingly opposed him: this is the proper import of the words . I have observed that , in composition, most frequently, if not always, strengthens the signification in classic authors. - Wakefield.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14John forbade him - Refused him. I have need - It is more suitable that I should be baptized with thy baptism, the Holy Spirit, than that thou shouldest be baptized in water by me. I am a sinner, and unworthy to administer this to the Messiah.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 Christ's gracious condescensions are so surprising, that even the strongest believers at first can hardly believe them; so deep and mysterious, that even those who know his mind well, are apt to start objections against the will of Christ. And those who have much of the Spirit of God while here, see that they need to apply to Christ for more. Christ does not deny that John had need to be baptized of him, yet declares he will now be baptized…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14John had already admitted (Matthew 3:11–12) that he was less important than the Messiah, so he felt unworthy to baptize him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. But John forbade him--rather, "was (in the act of) hindering him," or "attempting to hinder him." saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?--(How John came to recognize Him, when he says he knew Him not, see on John 1. 31-34.) The emphasis of this most remarkable speech lies all in the pronouns: "What! Shall the Master come for baptism to the servant--the sinless Saviour to a sinner?" That thus much is in the Baptist's words…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 3:14

• Baptism
• Humility
• Jesus, the Christ
• John

In the dictionaries

• Kingdom
• Meet
• Please
• Region
• Repentance
• Unquenchable
• Forbid
• Jesus Christ
• John the Baptist
• baptize, baptized, baptism

Commentaries on Matthew 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings