Matthew 3:14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

◄ Matthew 3:14 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

English Standard Version
John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

New American Standard Bible
But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But John tried to stop Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?"

International Standard Version
But John tried to stop him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?"

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

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

Darby Bible Translation
but John urgently forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee; and comest thou to me?

Young's Literal Translation
but John was forbidding him, saying, 'I have need by thee to be baptized -- and thou dost come unto me!'

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

3:13-17 Christ's gracious condescensions are so surprising, that even the strongest believers at first can hardly believe them; so deep and mysterious, that even those who know his mind well, are apt to start objections against the will of Christ. And those who have much of the Spirit of God while here, see that they need to apply to Christ for more. Christ does not deny that John had need to be baptized of him, yet declares he will now be baptized of John. Christ is now in a state of humiliation. Our Lord Jesus looked upon it as well becoming him to fulfil all righteousness, to own every Divine institution, and to show his readiness to comply with all God's righteous precepts. In and through Christ, the heavens are opened to the children of men. This descent of the Spirit upon Christ, showed that he was endued with his sacred influences without measure. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. At Christ's baptism there was a manifestation of the three Persons in the sacred Trinity. The Father confirming the Son to be Mediator; the Son solemnly entering upon the work; the Holy Spirit descending on him, to be through his mediation communicated to his people. In Him our spiritual sacrifices are acceptable, for He is the altar that sanctifies every gift, 1Pe 2:5. Out of Christ, God is a consuming fire, but in Christ, a reconciled Father. This is the sum of the gospel, which we must by faith cheerfully embrace.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

14. But John forbade him—rather, "was (in the act of) hindering him," or "attempting to hinder him."

saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?—(How John came to recognize Him, when he says he knew Him not, see on [1217]John 1. 31-34.) The emphasis of this most remarkable speech lies all in the pronouns: "What! Shall the Master come for baptism to the servant—the sinless Saviour to a sinner?" That thus much is in the Baptist's words will be clearly seen if it be observed that he evidently regarded Jesus as Himself needing no purification but rather qualified to impart it to those who did. And do not all his other testimonies to Christ fully bear out this sense of the words? But it were a pity if, in the glory of this testimony to Christ, we should miss the beautiful spirit in which it was borne—"Lord, must I baptize Thee? Can I bring myself to do such a thing?"—reminding us of Peter's exclamation at the supper table, "Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?" while it has nothing of the false humility and presumption which dictated Peter's next speech. "Thou shalt never wash my feet" (Joh 13:6, 8).