English Standard Version
Luke 3:16
16John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Luke 3:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
- New International Version (NIV)John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- New King James Version (NKJV)John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- New Living Translation (NLT)John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Context of Luke 3:16
14Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages." 15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 18So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
Read all of Luke 3Luke 3:16 word by word
ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων πᾶσιν ὁ Ἰωάννης· ἐγὼ μὲν ὕδατι βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς· ἔρχεται δὲ ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ. αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
- answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- untoἅπαςhapas · allG537
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- indeedμένmen · on the other handG3303
- baptizeβαπτίζωbaptizō · to baptizeG907
- youσύsu · youG4771
- with waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- butδέde · thenG1161
- one mightier thanἰσχυρόςischuros · strongG2478
- comethἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- the latchetἱμάςhimas · leather strapG2438
- ·αὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- of whoseὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- shoesὑπόδημαhupodēma · sandalG5266
- I amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- worthyἱκανόςhikanos · sufficientG2425
- to unlooseλύωluō · to looseG3089
- withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- theπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- with fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
Cross-references for Luke 3:16
- Matthew 3:11"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- Mark 1:7And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
- John 1:26John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
- Acts 1:5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
- Acts 11:16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
- Acts 13:24Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
- Acts 19:4And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus."
- Proverbs 1:23If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.
- Isaiah 32:15until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
- Isaiah 44:3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
- Ezekiel 36:25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
- Joel 2:28"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
- John 7:38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"
- Acts 2:33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
- Acts 10:44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
- Acts 11:15As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.
Commentaries on Luke 3:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16On these verses see Matthew 3:11, Matthew 3:12, and Mark 1:7, Mark 1:8, and particularly the note on John 3:5; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16-18Verses 16-18 See the notes at Matthew 3:11-12.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 John the Baptist disowned being himself the Christ, but confirmed the people in their expectations of the long-promised Messiah. He could only exhort them to repent, and assure them of forgiveness upon repentance; but he could not work repentance in them, nor confer remission on them. Thus highly does it become us to speak of Christ, and thus humbly of ourselves. John can do no more than baptize with water, in token that they ought to purify…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie: The untying of sandals was done only by slaves. John was showing great honor to Jesus the Messiah. Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire: Old Testament prophets said God would give his Spirit to his people in the last times (Isaiah 32:15, Ezekiel 36:28–29; Joel 2:28). This prophecy partly came true on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Fire often represents judgment (see Luke 3:9). It can also…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1715-17. whether he were the Christ--showing both how successful he had been in awakening the expectation of Messiah's immediate appearing, and the high estimation, and even reverence, which his own character commanded. (Also see on Mt 3:10.)Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 3:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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