Advanced Commentary
Texts -- Matthew 3:4 (NET)
Pericope
NET
- Mat 3:1-12 -- The Ministry of John the Baptist
Bible Dictionary
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Camel
[ebd] from the Hebrew gamal, "to repay" or "requite," as the camel does the care of its master. There are two distinct species of camels, having, however, the common characteristics of being "ruminants without horns, without muzzl...
[isbe] CAMEL - kam'-el (gamal; kamelos; bekher, and bikhrah (Isa 60:6; Jer 2:23 "dromedary," the American Revised Version, margin "young camel"), rekhesh (1 Ki 4:28; see HORSE), kirkaroth (Isa 66:20, "swift beasts," the American St...
[smith] The species of camel which was in common use among the Jews and the heathen nations of Palestine was the Arabian or one-humped camel, Camelus arabicus . The dromedary is a swifter animal than the baggage-camel, and is used ch...
[nave] CAMEL, herds of, Gen. 12:16; 24:35; Gen. 30:43; 1 Sam. 30:17; 1 Chr. 27:30; Job 1:3, 17; Isa. 60:6. Docility of, Gen. 24:11. Uses of: For riding, Gen. 24:10, 61, 64; 31:17; posts, Esth. 8:10, 14; Jer. 2:23; drawing chariots...
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Leather
[ebd] a girdle of, worn by Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) and John the Baptist (Matt. 3:4). Leather was employed both for clothing (Num. 31:20; Heb. 11:37) and for writing upon. The trade of a tanner is mentioned (Acts 9:43; 10:6, 32). It w...
[smith] The notices of leather in the Bible are singularly few; indeed the word occurs but twice in the Authorized Version, and in each instance in reference to the same object, a girdle. (2Â Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4) There are, howe...
[nave] LEATHER Girdles of, 2 Kin. 1:8; Matt. 3:4. Taing of, Acts 9:43; 10:5, 6. Called skin, Gen. 3:21; Mark 1:6; hide, Lev. 8:17.
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Locust
[ebd] There are ten Hebrew words used in Scripture to signify locust. In the New Testament locusts are mentioned as forming part of the food of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6). By the Mosaic law they were reckoned "clean," ...
[isbe] LOCUST - lo'-kust: The translation of a large number of Hebrew and Greek words: 1. Names: (1) 'arbeh from the root rabhah, "to increase" (compare Arabic raba', "to increase"). (2) sal`am, from obsolete [?] cal`am, "to swallo...
[nave] LOCUST Authorized as food, Lev. 11:22; used as, Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6. Plague of, Ex. 10:1-19; Psa. 105:34, 35. Devastation by, Deut. 28:38; 1 Kin. 8:37; 2 Chr. 7:13; Isa. 33:4; Joel 1:4-7; Rev. 9:7-10. Sun obscured by, Joe...
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Honey
[ebd] (1.) Heb. ya'ar, occurs only 1 Sam. 14:25, 27, 29; Cant. 5:1, where it denotes the honey of bees. Properly the word signifies a forest or copse, and refers to honey found in woods. (2.) Nopheth, honey that drops (Ps. 19:10; ...
[isbe] HONEY - hun'-i (debhash; meli): One familiar with life in Palestine will recognize in debhash the Arabic dibs, which is the usual term for a sweet syrup made by boiling down the juice of grapes, raisins, carob beans, or date...
[nave] HONEY. Ex. 16:31; 2 Sam. 17:29; Prov. 25:27; Song 4:11; Isa. 7:15; Matt. 3:4; Luke 24:42. Not to be offered with sacrifices, Lev. 2:11. Found in rocks, Deut. 32:13; Psa. 81:16; upon the ground, 1 Sam. 14:25. Samson's rid...
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FOOD
[isbe] FOOD - food: I. VEGETABLE FOODS 1. Primitive Habits 2. Cereals 3. Leguminous Plants 4. Food of Trees II. ANIMAL FOOD LITERATURE In a previous article (see BREAD) it has been shown that in the Bible "bread" usually stands for...
[smith] The diet of eastern nations has been in all ages light and simple. Vegetable food was more used than animal. The Hebrews used a great variety of articles, (John 21:5) to give a relish to bread. Milk and its preparations hold ...
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GIRDLE
[ebd] (1.) Heb. hagor, a girdle of any kind worn by soldiers (1 Sam. 18:4; 2 Sam. 20:8; 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 3:21) or women (Isa. 3:24). (2.) Heb. 'ezor, something "bound," worn by prophets (2 Kings 1:8; Jer. 13:1), soldiers (Isa....
[smith] an essential article of dress in the East, and worn by both men and women. The common girdle was made of leather, (2Â Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4) like that worn by the Bedouins of the present day. A finer girdle was made of lin...
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DRESS
[ebd] (1.) Materials used. The earliest and simplest an apron of fig-leaves sewed together (Gen. 3:7); then skins of animals (3:21). Elijah's dress was probably the skin of a sheep (2 Kings 1:8). The Hebrews were early acquainted ...
[isbe] DRESS - In the Hebrew and Greek there is a wonderful wealth of terminology having to do with the general subject of dress among the ancient Orientals. This is reflected in the numerous synonyms for "dress" to be found in Eng...
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MATTHEW, THE GOSPEL OF
[isbe] MATTHEW, THE GOSPEL OF - (euaggelion kata Maththaion (or Matthaion)): 1. Name of Gospel--Unity and Integrity 2. Canonicity and Authorship 3. Relation of Greek and Aramaic Gospels 4. Contents, Character, and Purpose 5. Proble...
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HANDICRAFT
[smith] (Acts 18:3; 19:25; Revelation 18:22) A trade was taught to ail the Jewish boys as a necessary part of their education. Even the greatest rabbis maintained themselves by trades (Delitzsch). Says Rabbi Jehuda, "He who does not ...
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TANNER
[isbe] TANNER - tan'-er (burseus, from bursa "a hide"): The only references to a tanner are in Acts 9:43; 10:6,32. The Jews looked upon tanning as an undesirable occupation and well they might, for at best it was accompanied with u...
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SHEPHERD
[smith] In a nomadic state of society every man, from the sheikh down to the slave, is more or less a shepherd. The progenitors of the Jews in the patriarchal age were nomads, and their history is rich in scenes of pastoral life. The...
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Minister
[nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...
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Stoicism
[nave] STOICISM A Grecian philosophy, inculcating doctrines of severe morality, self-denials, and inconvenient services. Scripture analogies to: John the Baptist wears camel's hair with a diet of locusts and wild honey, Matt. 3:4; ...
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Sash
[nave] SASH Worn by the high priest, Ex. 28:4, 39; 39:29; Lev. 8:7; 16:4; other priests, Ex. 28:40; 29:9; Lev. 8:13; women, Isa. 3:24. Embroidered, Ex. 28:8, 27, 28; 29:5; Lev. 8:7. Made of linen, Prov. 31:24; of leather, 2 Kin. ...
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Repentance
[nave] REPENTANCE Attributed to God, Gen. 6:6, 7; Ex. 32:14; Deut. 32:36; Judg. 2:18; 1 Sam. 15:11, 29, 35; 2 Sam. 24:16; 1 Chr. 21:15; Psa. 106:45; 110:4; 135:14; Jer. 15:6; 18:8, 10; 26:3; 42:10; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:9...
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LOINS
[isbe] LOINS - loinz (chalats, Aramaic charats, mothen, kecel, yarekh; osphus): This variety of Hebrew synonyms seems to be used rather promiscuously for the loins, though there is no little difference in the secondary meanings of ...
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WEAVING
[smith] The art of weaving appears to be coeval with the first dawning of civilization. We find it practiced with great skill by the Egyptians at a very early period; The vestures of fine linen" such as Joseph wore, (Genesis 41:42) w...
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CRAFTS
[isbe] CRAFTS - || I. SOURCES OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CRAFTS OF THE BIBLE 1. Written Records and Discoveries of Craftsmanship (1) Jewish (2) Canaanitish and Phoenician (3) Assyrian and Babylonian (4) Egyptian 2. Post-Biblical Writi...
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Kings, The Books of
[ebd] The two books of Kings formed originally but one book in the Hebrew Scriptures. The present division into two books was first made by the LXX., which now, with the Vulgate, numbers them as the third and fourth books of Kings...
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John the Baptist
[ebd] the "forerunner of our Lord." We have but fragmentary and imperfect accounts of him in the Gospels. He was of priestly descent. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia (1 Chr. 24:10), and his mother, Elisab...
Arts
Questions
- Good question. The Matthew text certainly seems to square with the Book of Jonah. In chapter 1 the pagan sailors become worshippers of God (1:16). In chapter 3 we see the whole city of Nineveh repenting (the sackcloth and ash...
- You've raised a very good question. I think the problem is more a result of the translation than of the text itself. The King James Version renders, "And I knew him not. . ." which suggests that John did not know Jesus person...
- The Bible has quite a bit to say about Mary and you can read this for yourself in the gospels, especially in Luke 1-3 and some in Matthew 1-3. But Scripture does not affirm what is believed about Mary by the Catholic church. ...
Resources/Books
Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)
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Matthew often grouped his material into sections so that three, five, six, or seven events, miracles, sayings, or parables appear together.27Jewish writers typically did this to help their readers remember what they had writt...
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I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17B. The King's birth 1:18-25C. The King's childhood 2:1-231. The prophecy about Bethlehem 2:1-122. The prophecies about Egypt 2:13-183. The prophecies about...
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It was common when Jesus lived for forerunners to precede important individuals to prepare the way for their arrival. For example, when a king would visit a town in his realm his emissaries would go before him to announce his...
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Jesus' baptism was the occasion at which His messiahship became obvious publicly. Matthew recorded this event as he did to convince his readers further of Jesus' messianic qualifications.3:13-14 John hesitated to baptize Jesu...
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Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
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John had borne witness to Jesus, and now Jesus bore witness to John. In doing so Jesus pointed to Himself as the person who would bring in the kingdom.11:7-8 As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus took the opportunity to spe...
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16:1 Matthew introduced the Pharisees and Sadducees with one definite article in the Greek text. Such a construction implies that they acted together. That is remarkable since they were political and theological enemies (cf. ...
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Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1937.Albright, W. F. and Mann, C. S. Matthew. The Anchor Bible series. Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.Alford, Henry. The Greek Testa...
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1:8-9 Zechariah was serving God faithfully by discharging some temple function as a member of his priestly division. There were so many priests then that the great privilege of offering incense on the golden incense altar in ...
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John the Apostle introduced John the Baptist because John the Baptist bore witness to the light, namely Jesus. John the Baptist was both a model evangelist pointing those in darkness to the light and a model witness providing...
Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)
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Matthew 1-8
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In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2. And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3. For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one ...
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Our Lord here places Himself in the line of the prophets as coming for a similar purpose. The mission to Israel was the same. The mission of His life was the same.The last words of the lawgiver certainly point to a person (De...
