Matthew 3:13-16

The Baptism of Jesus

3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. ¹  3:14 But John ²  tried to prevent ³  him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 3:15 So Jesus replied ⁴  to him, “Let it happen now, ⁵  for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John ⁶  yielded ⁷  to him. 3:16 After ⁸  Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the ⁹  heavens ¹⁰  opened ¹¹  and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove ¹²  and coming on him.

[3:13]  ¹ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[3:14]  ² tc ‡ The earliest mss (א* B sa) lack the name of John here (“but he tried to prevent him,” instead of “but John tried to prevent him”). It is, however, clearly implied (and is thus supplied in translation). Although the longer reading has excellent support (Ì⁹⁶ א¹ C D^s L W 0233 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat[t] sy mae bo), it looks to be a motivated and predictable reading: Scribes apparently could not resist adding this clarification.

[3:14]  ³ tn The imperfect verb has been translated conatively.

[3:15]  ³ tn Grk “but Jesus, answering, said.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to “replied to him.”

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Grk “Permit now.”

[3:15]  ⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Or “permitted him.”

[3:16]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[3:16]  ⁵ tn Grk “behold the heavens.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[3:16]  ⁶ tn Or “sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ourano") may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The same word is used in v. 17.

[3:16]  ⁷ tc ‡ αὐτῷ (autw, “to/before him”) is found in the majority of witnesses (א¹ C D^s L W 0233 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat), perhaps added as a point of clarification or emphasis. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[3:16]  ⁸ sn The phrase like a dove is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descended like one in some sort of bodily representation.