God’s Word Translation
Matthew 3:16
16After Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up from the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove to him.
Matthew 3:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
- New International Version (NIV)As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
- New King James Version (NKJV)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Context of Matthew 3:16
14But John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you. Why are you coming to me?” 15Jesus answered him, “This is the way it has to be now. This is the proper way to do everything that God requires of us.” Then John gave in to him. After Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up from the water. Suddenly, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove to him. 17Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love—my Son with whom I am pleased.”
Read all of Matthew 3Matthew 3:16 word by word
Βαπτισθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος. καὶ ἰδοὺ ἠνεῴχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδεν τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- when he was baptizedβαπτίζωbaptizō · to baptizeG907
- went upἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
- straightwayεὐθέωςeutheōs · immediatelyG2112
- outἀπόapo · away fromG575
- of the waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- loὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- the heavensοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- were openedἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- descendingκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
- likeὡσείhōsei · like/as/aboutG5616
- a doveπεριστεράperistera · doveG4058
- lightingἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
Cross-references for Matthew 3:16
- Mark 1:10As Jesus came out of the water, he saw heaven split open and the Spirit coming down to him as a dove.
- Ezekiel 1:1On the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year, while I was living among the exiles by the Chebar River, the sky opened, and I saw visions from God.
- Luke 3:21When all the people were baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized. While he was praying, heaven opened,
- Acts 7:56So Stephen said, “Look, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the throne!”
- Isaiah 11:2The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of advice and power, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.
- Isaiah 42:1Here is my servant, whom I support. Here is my chosen one, with whom I am pleased. I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
- Isaiah 59:21“This is my promise to them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I put in your mouth will not leave you. They will be with your children and your grandchildren permanently,” says the Lord.
- Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me because the Lord has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released.
- Luke 3:22and the Holy Spirit came down to him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.”
- John 1:31I didn’t know who he was. However, I came to baptize with water to show him to the people of Israel.”
- John 3:34The man whom God has sent speaks God’s message. After all, God gives him the Spirit without limit.
- Colossians 1:18He is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that he would have first place in everything.
Commentaries on Matthew 3:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The heavens were opened unto him - That is, to John the Baptist - and he, John, saw the Spirit of God - lighting upon him, i.e. Jesus. There has been some controversy about the manner and form in which the Spirit of God rendered itself visible on this occasion. St. Luke, Luke 3:22, says it was in a bodily shape like to a dove: and this likeness to a dove some refer to a hovering motion, like to that of a dove, and not to the form of the dove itself: but…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Out of the water - This shows that he had descended to the river. It literally means, “he went up directly from the water.” The original does not imply that they had descended into the river, and it cannot be proved, therefore, from this passage, that his baptism was by immersion; nor can it be proved that even, if his baptism was by immersion, that therefore the same mode is binding on people now. In order to demonstrate from this passage that immersion…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. 16The Spirit of God came down like a dove to anoint Jesus, who would bring salvation. This was similar to a king being anointed with oil at his crowning. The Holy Spirit gave Jesus the strength to achieve God's salvation and defeat Satan (see Matthew 12:18, 28). This same Spirit gives strength to the disciples of Jesus (10:20; Acts 1:8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water--rather, "from the water." Mark has "out of the water" (Mr 1:10). "and"--adds Luke (Lu 3:21), "while He was praying"; a grand piece of information. Can there be a doubt about the burden of that prayer; a prayer sent up, probably, while yet in the water--His blessed head suffused with the baptismal element; a prayer continued likely as He stepped out of the stream, and again stood…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 3:16
In the dictionaries
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
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