Matthew 3:6 kjv
And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Matthew 3:6 nkjv
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Matthew 3:6 niv
Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Matthew 3:6 esv
and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Matthew 3:6 nlt
And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
Matthew 3 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 1:5 | And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. | Echoes the baptism and confession. |
| Lk 3:3 | And he went into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. | Links John's baptism directly to repentance and forgiveness. |
| Acts 2:38 | Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins..." | Connects repentance and baptism to forgiveness. |
| Acts 13:24 | Before His coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. | John's ministry emphasized repentance. |
| 1 Jn 1:9 | If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. | Divine response to sin confession. |
| Ps 32:5 | I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. | Personal confession leading to forgiveness. |
| Prov 28:13 | He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. | Highlights the necessity and benefit of confession and turning from sin. |
| Jam 5:16 | Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. | Encourages mutual confession. |
| Lev 5:5 | ...then it shall be when he becomes guilty of one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. | Requirement of confession under Old Covenant law. |
| Num 5:7 | ...they shall confess their sin which they have committed... | Restitution linked with confession of sin. |
| Deut 30:2 | ...and you return to the Lord your God and obey Him... then the Lord your God will restore you... | Emphasizes turning back to God and obedience. |
| Ezra 10:1 | ...a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel, for the people wept bitterly. And Shecaniah... said to Ezra, “We have acted unfaithfully... Now let's make a covenant... by all who tremble at the commandment of our God...” | National confession and weeping. |
| Neh 9:2-3 | ...the descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. | Corporate confession of national sin. |
| Ps 38:18 | For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. | Personal sorrow and confession for iniquity. |
| Isa 1:16 | “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil.” | Call for cleansing and turning from evil actions. |
| Eze 18:21-22 | “But if the wicked person turns from all his sins which he has committed... he will surely live...” | Emphasis on turning from sin for life. |
| Joel 2:12-13 | “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping, and mourning; and tear your heart and not your garments.” | Call for sincere, inward repentance. |
| Zech 13:1 | “On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.” | Future cleansing from sin. |
| Rom 6:4 | Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead... we also may walk in newness of life. | Broader theological significance of baptism as death to old life and newness of life. |
| Col 2:12 | having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. | Baptism as identification with Christ's death and resurrection. |
| Jos 3:15-17 | ...the Jordan had overflowed all its banks... and the priests... stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan... until all the nation had crossed over on dry ground. | Jordan as a place of new beginnings, entry into the Promised Land. |
| 2 Ki 5:10-14 | Elisha sent a messenger... “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times... Then Naaman went down and plunged himself in the Jordan seven times... and his flesh was restored...” | Jordan as a place of cleansing and healing. |
Matthew 3 verses
Matthew 3 6 Meaning
Matthew 3:6 describes those who responded to John the Baptist's preaching by publicly submitting to his baptism in the Jordan River. This act was intrinsically linked with their open acknowledgment of their sins, signifying a turn from their former ways in preparation for the coming kingdom of heaven. It underscored a genuine, inward change of heart publicly demonstrated.
Matthew 3 6 Context
Matthew 3 introduces John the Baptist as the prophetic forerunner of Jesus, fulfilling prophecies from Isaiah (Isa 40:3) and Malachi (Mal 3:1). His ministry focused on preparing people for the Messiah by calling them to repentance. The verse fits into the larger narrative depicting John's widespread influence, drawing diverse crowds from Jerusalem, Judea, and the surrounding regions. These individuals, whether common people or religious adherents, acknowledged their need for God's forgiveness, distinguishing them from the self-righteous Pharisees and Sadducees who resisted John's call (Mat 3:7-10). The baptism served as a public act symbolizing this readiness for God's approaching kingdom.
Matthew 3 6 Word analysis
- and: (καὶ - kai) Connects the act of baptism and confession to the previous statement about the broad demographic coming to John. It signifies the ongoing, collective response of those arriving.
- they were baptized: (ἐβαπτίζοντο - ebaptizonto) The Greek verb is in the imperfect passive tense. This conveys a continuous or repeated action, indicating that many people were continually being immersed by John. The term "baptize" fundamentally means to immerse, submerge, or dip, pointing to the method of John's rite. This was a unique baptism, distinct from Jewish proselyte baptism or later Christian baptism, focused specifically on repentance and preparation for Christ.
- by him: (ὑπ' αὐτοῦ - hyp' autou) Specifies John the Baptist as the instrument or agent performing the baptism. It underscores his divinely appointed role and authority in carrying out this ministry of repentance.
- in the Jordan: (ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ - en tō Iordanē) Refers to the Jordan River. This location allowed for full immersion, necessary for John's baptism. The Jordan also holds significant biblical history, associated with cleansing (Naaman) and entering new beginnings (Israel's crossing into the Promised Land under Joshua). This adds symbolic weight to the new spiritual start sought by the people.
- confessing: (ἐξομολογούμενοι - exomologoumenoi) A strong Greek verb in the present participle, indicating a concurrent and active process with being baptized. It means to agree thoroughly, acknowledge openly and publicly, to admit, or declare forth. This was not a passive admission but an earnest, heartfelt declaration of personal guilt, a necessary step demonstrating genuine repentance. It implied a willingness to expose their wrongdoings and renounce them.
- their sins: (τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν - tas hamartias autōn) Plural, indicating specific acts of transgression against God's law or His will. The confession was not merely general sinfulness, but an acknowledgment of their individual failures and wicked deeds, underscoring the personal responsibility people took for their actions. This specific focus signifies true conviction rather than a vague sense of wrongdoing.
Word-group analysis
- "they were baptized by him in the Jordan": This phrase highlights the visible, public, and active nature of John's ministry. It emphasizes John's specific ritual, immersion in a geographically and biblically significant river, symbolizing purification and a readiness to change, differentiating his ministry from other forms of purification.
- "confessing their sins": This clarifies the spiritual prerequisite and internal attitude accompanying the external act of baptism. The public, verbal acknowledgment of individual wrongdoings marked a profound shift from hypocrisy or denial, signifying genuine brokenness and a desire for forgiveness and restoration before God. It emphasizes that John's baptism was for repentance, not merely ceremonial.
Matthew 3 6 Bonus section
- John's baptism, as depicted here, functioned as a "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Lk 3:3), pointing forward to the Christ who would truly forgive sins and impart the Holy Spirit. This differs from later Christian baptism (e.g., in Acts 19:1-5), which points back to the death and resurrection of Christ and incorporation into His body.
- The public nature of the confession underscored the break from their former life. For the Jewish audience, who might have relied on their lineage from Abraham, this act demanded individual spiritual accountability rather than assumed covenant blessing.
- The emphasis on "their sins" (plural) highlights a specific, rather than general, repentance, demanding acknowledgment of actual deeds that violated God's law.
Matthew 3 6 Commentary
Matthew 3:6 concisely reveals the profound impact of John the Baptist's ministry. The outward act of being "baptized by him in the Jordan" was not a mere ritual, but an essential public declaration of repentance. Crucially, this outward symbol was accompanied by the inward work of "confessing their sins," signifying a deeply personal and open acknowledgment of specific transgressions before God and man. This pairing—a symbolic washing with sincere admission of guilt—formed the essence of preparation for the Messiah. It was an act of genuine humility, indicating a breaking from past conduct and an embrace of God's righteous demands, which differentiated true seekers from mere onlookers or those relying on ancestral privilege. This verse therefore sets the stage for Christ's ministry by depicting those who truly welcomed His arrival with repentant hearts.