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Selected Verse: Matthew 3:15 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Mt 3:15 |
Strong Concordance |
And [1161] Jesus [2424] answering [611] said [2036] unto [4314] him [846], Suffer [863] it to be so now [737]: for [1063] thus [3779] it becometh [4241] [2076] us [2254] to fulfil [4137] all [3956] righteousness [1343]. Then [5119] he suffered [863] him [846]. |
|
King James |
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now--"Let it pass for the present"; that is, "Thou recoilest, and no wonder, for the seeming incongruity is startling; but in the present case do as thou art bidden."
for thus it becometh us--"us," not in the sense of me and thee," or "men in general," but as in Joh 3:11.
to fulfil all righteousness--If this be rendered, with SCRIVENER, "every ordinance," or, with CAMPBELL, "every institution," the meaning is obvious enough; and the same sense is brought out by "all righteousness," or compliance with everything enjoined, baptism included. Indeed, if this be the meaning, our version perhaps best brings out the force of the opening word "Thus." But we incline to think that our Lord meant more than this. The import of circumcision and of baptism seems to be radically the same. And if our remarks on the circumcision of our Lord (see on Luk 2:21-24) are well founded, He would seem to have said, "Thus do I impledge Myself to the whole righteousness of the Law--thus symbolically do enter on and engage to fulfil it all." Let the thoughtful reader weigh this.
Then he suffered him--with true humility, yielding to higher authority than his own impressions of propriety.
Descent of the Spirit upon the Baptized Redeemer (Mat 3:16-17). |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Thus it becometh us - It is suitable and proper. And though you may feel yourself unworthy, yet it is proper it should be done.
All righteousness - There was no particular precept in the Old Testament requiring this, but he chose to give the sanction of his example to the baptism of John, as to a divine ordinance. The phrase "all righteousness," here, is the same as a righteous institution or appointment. Jesus had no sin. But he was about to enter on his great work. It was proper that he should be set apart by his forerunner, and show his connection with him, and give his approbation to what John had done. He submitted to the ordinance of baptism, also, in order that occasion might be taken, at the commencement of his work, for God publicly to declare his approbation of him, and his solemn appointment to the office of the Messiah. |
The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
Suffer it to be so
Why one who needed no repentance should insist upon receiving a rite which signified confession (Mat 3:6) and repentance (Mat 3:11) is nowhere directly explained. It may be suggested:
(1) That Jesus was now to receive His anointing with the Holy Spirit (Mat 3:16) unto His threefold office of Prophet, Priest, and King. In the Levitical order (Exo 29:4-7) the high priest was first washed, then anointed. While Christ's priestly work did not begin till He "offered Himself without spot to God" (Heb 9:14) and His full manifestation as the King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek awaits the kingdom
(See Scofield) - (Gen 14:18)
yet He was then anointed, once for all.
(2) But John's baptism was the voice of God to Israel, and the believing remnant responded (Mat 3:5). It was an act of righteousness on the part of Him who had become, as to the flesh, an Israelite, to take His place with this believing remnant.
righteousness
(See Scofield) - (Jo1 3:7). |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness - It becometh every messenger of God to observe all his righteous ordinances. But the particular meaning of our Lord seems to be, that it becometh us to do (me to receive baptism, and you to administer it) in order to fulfil, that is, that I may fully perform every part of the righteous law of God, and the commission he hath given me. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
To fulfill all righteousness - That is, Every righteous ordinance: so I think the words πασαν δικαιοσυνην should be translated; and so our common version renders a similar word, Luk 1:6. The following passage, quoted from Justin Martyr, will doubtless appear a strong vindication of this translation. "Christ was circumcised, and observed all the other ordinances of the law of Moses, not with a view to his own justification; but to fulfill the dispensation committed to him by the Lord, the God and Creator of all things." - Wakefield.
How remarkable are the following words of Creeshna (an Incarnation of the Supreme God, according to the Hindoo theology) related in the Bhagvat Geeta, p. 47. Addressing his disciple Arjoon, he says, "I myself, Arjoon, have not, in the three regions of the universe, any thing which is necessary for me to perform; nor any thing to obtain, which is not obtained; and yet I live in the exercise of the moral duties. If I were not vigilantly to attend to those duties, all men would presently follow my example. If I were not to perform the moral actions, this world would fail in their duties: I should be the cause of spurious births, and should drive the people from the right way. As the ignorant perform the duties of life from a hope of reward, so the wise man, out of respect to the opinions and prejudices of mankind, should perform the same without motives of interest. The wise man, by industriously performing all the duties of life, should induce the vulgar to attend to them."
The Septuagint use this word often for the Hebrew משפת mishpat, judgment, appointment. And in Eze 18:19, Eze 18:21, the person who δικαιοσυνην και ελεος πεποιηκε - hath done righteousness and mercy, is he who sacredly attended to the performance of all the religious ordinances mentioned in that chapter, and performed them in the genuine spirit of mercy. Δικαιωματα is used 1 Maccabees 1:13, 49; 2:21, and in Heb 10:1, Heb 10:10, to denote religious ceremonies. Michaelis supposes that כל חק kol chok, all religious statutes or ordinances, were the words used in the Hebrew original of this Gospel.
But was this an ordinance? Undoubtedly: it was the initiatory ordinance of the Baptist's dispensation. Now, as Christ had submitted to circumcision, which was the initiatory ordinance of the Mosaic dispensation, it was necessary that he should submit to this, which was instituted by no less an authority, and was the introduction to his own dispensation of eternal mercy and truth. But it was necessary on another account: Our Lord represented the high priest, and was to be the high priest over the house of God: - now, as the high priest was initiated into his office by washing and anointing, so must Christ: and hence he was baptized, washed, and anointed by the Holy Ghost. Thus he fulfilled the righteous ordinance of his initiation into the office of high priest, and thus was prepared to make an atonement for the sins of mankind.
Then he suffered him - In the Opus Imperfectum, quoted by Griesbach, there is the following addition, which, at least, may serve to show the opinion of its author: Et Johannes quidem baptizauit ilium in aqua, ille autem Johannem cum Spiritu. "Then John baptized him with water, and he baptized John with the Spirit." |
16 And [2532] Jesus [2424], when he was baptized [907], went up [305] straightway [2117] out of [575] the water [5204]: and [2532], lo [2400], the heavens [3772] were opened [455] unto him [846], and [2532] he saw [1492] the Spirit [4151] of God [2316] descending [2597] like [5616] a dove [4058], and [2532] lighting [2064] upon [1909] him [846]:
17 And [2532] lo [2400] a voice [5456] from [1537] heaven [3772], saying [3004], This [3778] is [2076] my [3450] beloved [27] Son [5207], in [1722] whom [3739] I am well pleased [2106].
21 And [2532] when [3753] eight [3638] days [2250] were accomplished [4130] for the circumcising [4059] of the child [3813], [2532] his [846] name [3686] was called [2564] JESUS [2424], which [3588] was so named [2564] of [5259] the angel [32] before [4253] he [846] was conceived [4815] in [1722] the womb [2836].
22 And [2532] when [3753] the days [2250] of her [846] purification [2512] according [2596] to the law [3551] of Moses [3475] were accomplished [4130], they brought [321] him [846] to [1519] Jerusalem [2414], to present [3936] him to the Lord [2962];
23 (As [2531] it is written [1125] in [1722] the law [3551] of the Lord [2962], [3754] Every [3956] male [730] that openeth [1272] the womb [3388] shall be called [2564] holy [40] to the Lord [2962];)
24 And [2532] to offer [1325] a sacrifice [2378] according [2596] to that which is said [2046] in [1722] the law [3551] of the Lord [2962], A pair [2201] of turtledoves [5167], or [2228] two [1417] young [3502] pigeons [4058].
11 Verily [281], verily [281], I say [3004] unto thee [4671], We speak [2980] that [3754] [3739] we do know [1492], and [2532] testify [3140] that [3739] we have seen [3708]; and [2532] ye receive [2983] not [3756] our [2257] witness [3141].
7 Little children [5040], let [4105] no man [3367] deceive [4105] you [5209]: he that doeth [4160] righteousness [1343] is [2076] righteous [1342], even as [2531] he [1565] is [2076] righteous [1342].
5 Then [5119] went out [1607] to [4314] him [846] Jerusalem [2414], and [2532] all [3956] Judaea [2449], and [2532] all [3956] the region round about [4066] Jordan [2446],
18 And Melchizedek [04442] king [04428] of Salem [08004] brought forth [03318] bread [03899] and wine [03196]: and he was the priest [03548] of the most high [05945] God [0410].
14 How much [4214] more [3123] shall [2511] the blood [129] of Christ [5547], who [3739] through [1223] the eternal [166] Spirit [4151] offered [4374] himself [1438] without spot [299] to God [2316], purge [2511] your [5216] conscience [4893] from [575] dead [3498] works [2041] to [1519] serve [3000] the living [2198] God [2316]?
4 And Aaron [0175] and his sons [01121] thou shalt bring [07126] unto the door [06607] of the tabernacle [0168] of the congregation [04150], and shalt wash [07364] them with water [04325].
5 And thou shalt take [03947] the garments [0899], and put [03847] upon Aaron [0175] the coat [03801], and the robe [04598] of the ephod [0646], and the ephod [0646], and the breastplate [02833], and gird [0640] him with the curious girdle [02805] of the ephod [0646]:
6 And thou shalt put [07760] the mitre [04701] upon his head [07218], and put [05414] the holy [06944] crown [05145] upon the mitre [04701].
7 Then shalt thou take [03947] the anointing [04888] oil [08081], and pour [03332] it upon his head [07218], and anoint [04886] him.
16 And [2532] Jesus [2424], when he was baptized [907], went up [305] straightway [2117] out of [575] the water [5204]: and [2532], lo [2400], the heavens [3772] were opened [455] unto him [846], and [2532] he saw [1492] the Spirit [4151] of God [2316] descending [2597] like [5616] a dove [4058], and [2532] lighting [2064] upon [1909] him [846]:
11 I [1473] indeed [3303] baptize [907] you [5209] with [1722] water [5204] unto [1519] repentance [3341]: but [1161] he that cometh [2064] after [3694] me [3450] is [2076] mightier than [2478] I [3450], whose [3739] shoes [5266] I am [1510] not [3756] worthy [2425] to bear [941]: he [846] shall baptize [907] you [5209] with [1722] the Holy [40] Ghost [4151], and [2532] with fire [4442]:
6 And [2532] were baptized [907] of [5259] him [846] in [1722] Jordan [2446], confessing [1843] their [846] sins [266].
10 By [1722] the which [3739] will [2307] we are [2070] sanctified [37] through [1223] the offering [4376] of the body [4983] of Jesus [2424] Christ [5547] once [2178] for all.
1 For [1063] the law [3551] having [2192] a shadow [4639] of good things [18] to come [3195], and not [3756] the very [846] image [1504] of the things [4229], can [1410] never [3763] with those [846] sacrifices [2378] which [3739] they offered [4374] year by year [2596] [1763] continually [1519] [1336] make [5048] the comers thereunto [4334] perfect [5048].
21 But if the wicked [07563] will turn [07725] from all his sins [02403] that he hath committed [06213], and keep [08104] all my statutes [02708], and do [06213] that which is lawful [04941] and right [06666], he shall surely [02421] live [02421], he shall not die [04191].
19 Yet say [0559] ye, Why? doth not the son [01121] bear [05375] the iniquity [05771] of the father [01]? When the son [01121] hath done [06213] that which is lawful [04941] and right [06666], and hath kept [08104] all my statutes [02708], and hath done [06213] them, he shall surely [02421] live [02421].
6 And [1161] they were [2258] both [297] righteous [1342] before [1799] God [2316], walking [4198] in [1722] all [3956] the commandments [1785] and [2532] ordinances [1345] of the Lord [2962] blameless [273].