Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 3].
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3:1 {And in those days cometh John the Baptist} (\en de tais
h•merais paraginetai I•an•s ho Baptist•s\). Here the synoptic
narrative begins with the baptism of John (Mt. 3:1; Mr 1:2; Lu
3:1) as given by Peter in Ac 1:22, "from the baptism of John,
unto the day that he was received up from us" (cf. also Ac
10:37-43, Peter's summary to Cornelius very much like the
outline of Mark's Gospel). Matthew does not indicate the date
when John appeared as Luke does in ch. 3 (the fifteenth year of
Tiberius's reign). It was some thirty years after the birth of
John, precisely how long after the return of Joseph and Mary to
Nazareth we do not know. Moffatt translates the verb
(\paraginetai\) "came on the scene," but it is the historical
present and calls for a vivid imagination on the part of the
reader. There he is as he comes forward, makes his appearance.
His name John means "Gift of Jehovah" (cf. German _Gotthold_) and
is a shortened form of Johanan. He is described as "the Baptist,"
"the Baptizer" for that is the rite that distinguishes him. The
Jews probably had proselyte baptism as I. Abrahams shows
(_Studies in Pharisaism and the Gospels_, p. 37). But this rite
was meant for the Gentiles who accepted Judaism. John is treating
the Jews as Gentiles in demanding baptism at their hands on the
basis of repentance.
{Preaching in the wilderness of Judea} (\K•russ•n en t•i er•m•i
t•s Ioudaias\). It was the rough region in the hills toward the
Jordan and the Dead Sea. There were some people scattered over
the barren cliffs. Here John came in close touch with the rocks,
the trees, the goats, the sheep, and the shepherds, the snakes
that slipped before the burning grass over the rocks. He was the
Baptizer, but he was also the Preacher, heralding his message out
in the barren hills at first where few people were, but soon his
startling message drew crowds from far and near. Some preachers
start with crowds and drive them away.
3:2 {Repent} (\metanoeite\). Broadus used to say that this is the
worst translation in the New Testament. The trouble is that the
English word "repent" means "to be sorry again" from the Latin
_repoenitet_ (impersonal). John did not call on the people to be
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Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Matthew: Chapter 3)