Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 3:1

"And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying," — Matthew 3:1 (ASV)

John the Baptist—For the birth and early life of the forerunner of the Christ, see the notes on Luke 1. The way he is mentioned here shows that his name was already well known to the Gospel’s readers. Similarly, Josephus names him as popularly known by the same title (Antiquities 18.5.2) and describes his work as a preacher of repentance in nearly the same terms as Matthew.

The symbolism of washing as the outward sign of inner purification was, of course, derived from the Mosaic ritual. It was commanded for the consecration of the priests (Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 8:6) and for the purification of the leper and other unclean persons (Leviticus 14:8; Leviticus 15:31–32).

This symbolism gained new prominence from the language of Isaiah 1:16, Ezekiel 36:25, and Zechariah 13:1. It was also likely used when admitting proselytes from paganism, though the date of this practice cannot be fixed with certainty. The question asked by the priests and Levites in John 1:25 implies that baptism was expected as one of the signs of the Messiah’s coming, probably as a result of these prophecies.

What distinguished John’s baptism from all previous forms of this symbolism was that it was not only for those affected by a specific uncleanness, nor only for pagans, but for everyone. All were equally unclean and needed purification, and their coming to be baptized was itself a confession of this fact. The baptism was, as the name implied, an immersion, and it was commonly, though not necessarily, performed in running water.

The abrupt way the narrative is introduced with the phrase “in those days,” after a thirty-year interval from the end of Matthew 2, can be explained in two ways. It may refer to the well-known period when John’s ministry began. Or, it may loosely refer back to Matthew 1:23, implying that time had passed with no change in the general circumstances (see the Excursus on the intervening history in the Notes on this Gospel).

Came—Literally, with the vividness of the historic present, comes.

Preaching—Here, as everywhere in the New Testament, the word implies proclaiming in the manner of a herald.

In the wilderness of Judea—This name was commonly applied to the sparsely populated region in the southern Jordan valley. It was therefore equivalent to “the country about Jordan” of Luke 3:3, and even included part of the district east of the river. John had grown up in this region (Luke 1:80).