New Living Translation
Matthew 3:2
2“Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
Matthew 3:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
- New International Version (NIV)and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
- New King James Version (NKJV)and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Context of Matthew 3:2
1In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 3The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” 4John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
Read all of Matthew 3Matthew 3:2 word by word
καὶ λέγων· μετανοεῖτε· ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Matthew 3:2
- Matthew 4:17From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
- Matthew 11:20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.
- Matthew 12:41“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.
- Matthew 21:29The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway.
- 1 Kings 8:47But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’
- Job 42:6I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
- Ezekiel 18:30“Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you!
- Ezekiel 33:11As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?
- Mark 1:4This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
- Mark 6:12So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God.
- Luke 13:3Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
- Luke 15:7In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
- Luke 16:30“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
- Luke 24:47It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’
- Acts 2:38Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 3:19Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
Commentaries on Matthew 3:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Repent - . This was the matter of the preaching. The verb is either compounded of , after, and to understand, which signifies that, after hearing such preaching, the sinner is led to understand, that the way he has walked in was the way of misery, death, and hell. Or the word may be derived from after, and , madness, which intimates that the whole life of a sinner is no other than a continued course of madness and folly: and if to live in a constant…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Repent ye - Repentance implies sorrow for past offences 2 Corinthians 7:10; a deep sense of the evil of sin as committed against God Psalm 51:4; and a full purpose to turn from transgression and to lead a holy life. A true penitent has sorrow for sin, not only because it is ruinous to his soul, but chiefly because it is an offence against God, and is that abominable thing which he hates, Jeremiah 44:4. It is produced by seeing the great danger and misery…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2The prophetic call to return to God means turning away from pride and sin and choosing humble obedience to God (compare Isaiah 1:16–20 and Jeremiah 3:11–22). John’s message included specific practical advice (Luke 3:11–14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. And saying, Repent ye--Though the word strictly denotes a change of mind, it has respect here (and wherever it is used in connection with salvation) primarily to that sense of sin which leads the sinner to flee from the wrath to come, to look for relief only from above, and eagerly to fall in with the provided remedy. for the kingdom of heaven is at hand--This sublime phrase, used in none of the other Gospels, occurs in this peculiarly Jewish Gospel…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 3:2
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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