Mattityahu 3
3
1Now in those days Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva appears, darshenen (preaching) as a mevaser (herald)#3:1 for the Moshiach in the midbar (wilderness) of Yehudah,
2saying, Make teshuva, for the Malchut HaShomayim has come near.
3For this#3:3 Yochanan is the one spoken of through Yeshayah the Navi, saying, KOL KOREY BAMIDBAR#3:3 Isa 40:3 (A voice of one shouting in the wilderness): Prepare the Derech Hashem (the way of the L-rd). Make his paths straight!
4Now Yochanan himself had camel-hair clothing and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was arbe (locusts) and devash (wild honey).
5Then all Yerushalayim and all Yehudah and the whole region of the Yarden were going out to him.
6Making vidduy (confession of sin)#3:6 to Hashem of their averos (sins), they were submitted to a tevilah (immersion) by him, using the Yarden River as a mikveh mayim (gathering of water).
7But when he saw many of the Perushim and Tzedukim coming to where he was using the Yarden as a mikveh mayim, Yochanan said to them, You banim (sons) of nachashim (snakes)! Who warned you to flee from the charon af#3:7 Hashem habah (the coming burning wrath) [of Hashem]?
8Produce pri tov l'teshuva (fruit worthy of repentance)!
9Do not presume to say to yourselves, We have the yichus (proud lineage), we have the zechut Avot (merit of the Fathers) of Avraham Avinu (our father Abraham). For I say to you that Hashem is able to raise up from these avanim (stones) banim (sons) of Avraham.
10And already the ax is laid at the shoresh haetzim (the root of the trees); therefore, every etz not producing pri tov (good fruit) is cut down and thrown into the eish (fire).
11I give you a tevilah (immersion) in a mikveh mayim for teshuva, but Hu Habah (He who Comes)#3:11 i.e., the Moshiach after me has more chozek (strength) than me. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will give you a tevilah (immersion) with the Ruach Hakodesh and eish (fire).
12The winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear out his threshing floor, and he will gather his wheat into the storehouse; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable eish (fire).
13Then Yehoshua comes from the Galil to the Yarden to Yochanan, to submit to Yochananʼs tevilah.
14But Yochanan would have deterred him, saying, I have need to submit to your tevilah,#3:14 T.N. i.e., Moshiachʼs tevilah and yet you come to me?
15But answering him, Yehoshua said, Permit it now, for thus it is proper to fulfill all Tzidkat Hashem.#3:15 Dan 9:24
16And having received the tevilah in the Yardenʼs mikveh mayim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach immediately came up. And, hinei! The Shomayim were opened to him, and he saw the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem descending like a yonah (dove) and coming upon him.
17And, hinei, a bat kol (a voice from heaven) came out of Shomayim, saying, ZEH BNI AHUVI ASHER BO CHAFATZTI (This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased).
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Mattityahu 3: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Matthew 3
3
John the Baptizer
1It was at this time that John the Baptizer # 3:1 Or “John the Immerser.” The name John means “Yahweh has graced him.” began to preach in the desert of Judah. # 3:1 This was the desert region west of the Dead Sea including the lower Jordan. The prophet John was of a priestly family and possibly a member of the Qumran community of the Essenes. His message was this: 2“Heaven’s kingdom # 3:2 Or “the kingdom realm of heaven.” The word heaven is found 238 times in the New Testament and hell 23 times. is about to appear—so you’d better keep turning away from evil and turn back to God!” # 3:2 Or “repent.” John was preaching in Aramaic, the language of the day. The word for “repent” in both Hebrew and Aramaic means “to return to God [and leave your sins behind].” This is much more than simply changing your mind; it is a powerful term for turning your life around and coming back to the holy God.
3Isaiah was referring to John when he prophesied:
A thunderous voice! One will be crying out in the wilderness,
“Prepare yourself for the Lord’s coming
and level a straight path inside your hearts for him.” # 3:3 See Isa. 40:3, which is quoted in all four Gospels. The Aramaic has in place of Lord, “Lord Yahweh,” an obvious implication of the deity of Christ. Isaiah’s prophecy is more than a road-construction project. He uses the metaphor of clearing a path as a parable of cleansing our hearts and being prepared in our hearts to receive the Christ.
4Now, John wore clothing made from camel’s hair, tied at his waist with a leather strap, and his food consisted of dried locusts # 3:4 See Lev. 11:22; 2 Kings 1:8; Joel 1:4; Zech. 13:4; Mal. 4:5–6; Matt. 11:14. and wild honey. 5A steady stream of people from Jerusalem, all the surrounding countryside, # 3:5 Or “Judea.” and the region near the Jordan came out to the wilderness to be baptized by him. 6And while they were publicly confessing their sins, he would immerse them in the Jordan River.
7But when he saw many coming from among the wealthy elite of Jewish society # 3:7 Or “the Sadducees.” and many of the religious leaders known as Pharisees # 3:7 Or “separated ones.” The Pharisees and Sadducees were two of the sects of Judaism of that day. coming to witness the baptism, he began to denounce them, saying, “You offspring of vipers! # 3:7 The word viper in the Aramaic is akidneh, which is really a reference to a scorpion. When a male scorpion mates it quickly dies. The mother scorpion dies when giving birth, so every scorpion is born into this world as an orphan without the guidance of a set of parents. The dual meaning is simply this: The Pharisees were indeed cunning as vipers, but they were also spiritual orphans. John implied in using the word akidneh that Abraham died giving them birth and they have lost his guidance. But if the Pharisees would only turn to their true loving Father, Elohim, they would no longer be orphans. Who warned you to slither away like snakes from the fire of God’s judgment? # 3:7 John is telling them they can’t escape the fire of judgment just by getting wet. 8You must prove your repentance by a changed life. 9And don’t presume you can get away with merely saying to yourselves, ‘But we’re Abraham’s descendants!’ For I tell you, God can awaken these stones to become sons of Abraham! # 3:9 There is an interesting word-play in the Hebrew and Aramaic that is lost in an English translation. The Hebrew words for sons (bĕnayyā) and stones (’abnayyā) are similar. God builds his house with sons, not stones. John baptized the people at the place of the crossing of the Jordan during the time of Joshua. After their miracle crossing of the Jordan they were instructed to set up twelve stones, representing the twelve sons of Israel, as a memorial. Perhaps John the Baptizer was referencing those very stones from which God could raise up sons. 10The axe # 3:10 The “axe” becomes a metaphor of the word of truth that judges hearts and nations. is now ready to cut down the trees at their very roots. Every fruitless, rotten tree will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. 11Those who repent I baptize with water, but there is coming a man after me who is more powerful than I. In fact, I’m not even worthy enough to pick up his sandals. He will submerge you into union with the Spirit of Holiness and with a raging fire! # 3:11 The text is somewhat ambiguous as to what fire is spoken of. Some see it as the fire of judgment, yet Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit, who baptized his church in fire at Pentecost. This last clause is a hendiadys and could be translated “He will baptize you in the raging fire of the Holy Spirit!” 12He comes with a winnowing fork # 3:12 This winnowing fork was like a pitchfork that would thresh grain by throwing it into the air so the wind could blow away the chaff. in his hands and comes to his threshing floor to sift what is worthless from what is pure. And he is ready to sweep out his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his granary, # 3:12 See Isa. 41:15–16. but the straw he will burn up with a fire that can’t be extinguished!”
13Then Jesus left Galilee to come to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But when he waded into the water, John resisted him, saying, “Why are you doing this? I’m the one who needs to be baptized by you, and yet you come to be baptized by me?”
15Jesus replied, “It is only right to do all that God requires.” # 3:15 Or “fulfill all righteousness [complete every righteous requirement].” This was the presentation of the Lamb of God as the sacrifice for sins. It was important that John publicly wash the Lamb of God and fulfill the requirements of the law, proving to Israel that the Lamb that was soon to be offered was spotless and without blemish. There are four baptisms in this chapter: (1) John baptizing with water, (2) Father God baptizing Jesus with the power of heaven, (3) Jesus will baptize believers with the same Holy Spirit, (4) the baptism of fire. Then John baptized Jesus. # 3:15 Jesus would have been about thirty years old, the age when Levitical priests were ordained and qualified to serve. This was his ordination as the High Priest over the household of faith. Jesus’ baptism was a form of dedication. Like Solomon, who dedicated the temple, John now dedicates the temple of Jesus’ body, the dwelling place of God. In a sense, John was the true high priest who was ordaining his replacement. Jesus was not repenting, but offering himself as God’s sinless Lamb. 16And as # 3:16 There are Latin manuscripts and external evidence dating to Jerome indicating that the Hebrew Matthew included this sentence: “A great light flashed from the water, so that all who had gathered there were afraid.” (Diatessaron and Romanos Melodos, First Hymn on the Epiphany, XVI.14.7–10.) Jesus rose up out of the water, the heavenly realm opened up over him # 3:16 See also Acts 7:56. and he saw the Holy Spirit descend out of the heavens and rest upon him in the form of a dove. # 3:16 The dove is a symbol for both meekness and purity. Two gentle animals are pictured at the baptism of Jesus, a dove resting upon a lamb. If you want the presence of the Dove you need to have the nature of the Lamb. The implication is that the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and never left him. 17Then suddenly the voice of the Father shouted from the sky, saying, “This is my Son—the Beloved! # 3:17 Jesus Christ is the Beloved referred to in the Song of Songs (Song. 1:13, 14; 2:3, 8, 9, 10; 6:10; 7:10). My greatest delight is in him.” # 3:17 Or “In him I find my delight.” See also Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1. The church historian Jerome affirms that additional words were spoken by the Father: “My Son, in all the prophets I was waiting for you, that you might come and I might rest in you. For you are my rest and my firstborn Son, who reigns forever!” (The Gospel of Matthew for the Hebrews and Commentary on Isaiah Chapter 4. Throckmorton: 14 fn. Nicholson: 43. OMG II: 156 et seq.)
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