Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word

Matthew 3:14

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

KJV

ὁ δὲ διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων· ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με;

Greek NT

Joannes autem prohibebat eum, dicens : Ego a te debeo baptizari, et tu venis ad me ?

Vulgate

But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

ASV

But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?

Douay-Rheims

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In this verse

People John

In the original Greek

14 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
βαπτίζω
baptizo
verb · 77×
δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
διακωλύω
diakoluo
verb · 1×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
πρός
pros
preposition · 697×
σύ
su
pronoun · 1071×
χρεία
chreia
noun · 49×
ἐγώ
ego
pronoun · 1720×
ἔρχομαι
erchomai
verb · 627×
ἔχω
echo
verb · 707×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
ὑπό
upo
preposition · 221×

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

trivial
SBLGNT: Ἰωάννης | Treg/NIV/RP: Ἰωάννης
  • Ἰωάννης — SBLGNT
  • Ἰωάννης — Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Historic Christian voices

8 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§535Jesus' public life begins with his baptism by John in the Jordan.228 John preaches "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins".229 A crowd of sinners230 - tax collectors and soldiers, Pharisees and Sadducees, and prostitutes - come to be baptized by him. "Then Jesus appears." the Baptist hesitates, but Jesus insists and receives baptism. Then the Holy Spirit, in the f…
§608After agreeing to baptize him along with the sinners, John the Baptist looked at Jesus and pointed him out as the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world".422 By doing so, he reveals that Jesus is at the same time the suffering Servant who silently allows himself to be led to the slaughter and who bears the sin of the multitudes, and also the Paschal Lamb, the symbol …
§1286In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving mission.90 The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism by John was the sign that this was he who was to come, the Messiah, the Son of God.91 He was conceived of the Holy Spirit; his whole life and his whole mission are carried out in total commun…
Homilies on Matthew · 2 passages
2. Then he suffers Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. For inasmuch as many supposed that John was greater than He, because John had been brought up all his time in the wilderness, and was son of a chief priest, and was c…
2. What then is it which he is bringing about? For that it belongs not to John to have doubt hereupon, no nor to any ordinary person, nor even to one extremely foolish and frenzied; so much is evident from what we have said. And now we have only to add the solution. For what intent then did he send to ask? John's disciples were starting aside from Jesus, and this surely any one…
1. A great virtue is boldness and freedom of speech, and the making all things second in importance to the confessing of Christ; so great and admirable, that the Only-begotten Son of God proclaims such an one in the presence of the Father. Luke 12:8 Yet the recompense is more than just, for you confess upon earth, He in heaven, thou in the presence of men, He before the Father …

Cross-references

  • 1Kgs 3:9 — Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
  • Acts 1:5 — For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
  • Eph 2:3 — Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
  • Gal 3:22 — But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
  • Gal 3:27 — For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
  • Gal 4:6 — And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
  • John 1:16 — And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
  • John 1:16 — And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
  • John 3:3 — Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
  • John 13:6 — Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
  • Luke 1:43 — And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
  • Mark 1:7 — And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
  • Matt 8:8 — The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
  • Rom 3:23 — For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
  • Rom 3:25 — Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;