Matthew 3:16

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 prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 15So Jesus replied to him, “Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John yielded to him. After Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my one dear Son; in him I take great delight.”

Matthew 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 1:10And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
• Ezekiel 1:1In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles at the Kebar River, the heavens opened and I saw a divine vision.
• Luke 3:21Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. And while he was praying, the heavens opened,
• Acts 7:56“Look!” he said. “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
• Isaiah 11:2The Lord’s spirit will rest on him – a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord.
• Isaiah 42:1“Here is my servant whom I support, my chosen one in whom I take pleasure. I have placed my spirit on him; he will make just decrees for the nations.
• Isaiah 59:21“As for me, this is my promise to them,” says the Lord. “My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” says the Lord.
• Isaiah 61:1The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives, and the freeing of prisoners,
• Luke 3:22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.”
• John 1:31I did not recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.”
• John 3:34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly.
• Colossians 1:18He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.

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

• Baptism
• Dove, Turtle
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus, the Christ
• John
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Trinity
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• God
• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Dove
• Kingdom
• Meet
• Please
• Region
• Repentance

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