Matthew 3:6
New International Version
Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

New Living Translation
And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

English Standard Version
and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Berean Standard Bible
Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Berean Literal Bible
and confessing their sins, were being baptized by him in the Jordan River.

King James Bible
And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

New King James Version
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

New American Standard Bible
and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

NASB 1995
and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

NASB 1977
and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

Legacy Standard Bible
and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

Amplified Bible
and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

Christian Standard Bible
and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

American Standard Version
and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Contemporary English Version
They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.

English Revised Version
and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

Good News Translation
They confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan.

International Standard Version
being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.

Majority Standard Bible
Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan.

NET Bible
and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

New Heart English Bible
and they were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

Webster's Bible Translation
And were baptized by him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

Weymouth New Testament
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, making full confession of their sins.

World English Bible
They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and they were immersed in the Jordan by him, confessing their sins.

Berean Literal Bible
and confessing their sins, were being baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Young's Literal Translation
and they were baptized in the Jordan by him, confessing their sins.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they were immersed in Jordan by him, acknowledging their sins.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they were baptized by him in the Jordan, acknowledging their sins.

New American Bible
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

New Revised Standard Version
and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, as they confessed their sins.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River while confessing their sins.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
and were immersed by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Godbey New Testament
and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Haweis New Testament
and were baptized by him in Jordan, on making confession of their sins.

Mace New Testament
and having confess'd their sins, they were baptized by him in Jordan.

Weymouth New Testament
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, making full confession of their sins.

Worrell New Testament
and they were being immersed by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Worsley New Testament
and they were baptized by him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Mission of John the Baptist
5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?…

Cross References
Mark 1:5
People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Luke 3:3
He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

Acts 19:4
Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 22:16
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’

Romans 6:3-4
Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? / We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.

1 Peter 3:21
And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

John 3:23
Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized.

Acts 8:36-38
As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?” / And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may be baptized.” The eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” / And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Acts 10:47-48
“Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!” / So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.

Acts 16:31-33
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” / Then Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. / At that hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their wounds. And without delay, he and all his household were baptized.

Acts 18:8
Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his whole household believed in the Lord. And many of the Corinthians who heard the message believed and were baptized.

Isaiah 1:16
Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!

Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.

Zechariah 13:1
“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.


Treasury of Scripture

And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

were.

Matthew 3:11,13-16
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: …

Ezekiel 36:25
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

Mark 1:8,9
I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost…

confessing.

Leviticus 16:21
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

Leviticus 26:40
If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;

Numbers 5:7
Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.

Jump to Previous
Baptised Baptism Baptized Confessed Confessing Confession Full Jordan Making Openly River Sins Wrong
Jump to Next
Baptised Baptism Baptized Confessed Confessing Confession Full Jordan Making Openly River Sins Wrong
Matthew 3
1. John preaches: his office, life, and baptism.
7. He reprimands the Pharisees,
13. and baptizes Jesus in Jordan.














and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins
and they were baptized
The act of baptism here is significant in its symbolism and practice. The Greek word for "baptized" is "βαπτίζω" (baptizō), which means to immerse or submerge. This act of immersion in water represents purification and the washing away of sins. In the Jewish context, ritual washings were common, but John's baptism was unique as it was a one-time act signifying repentance and preparation for the coming Messiah. Baptism here is not just a physical act but a spiritual declaration of turning away from sin and towards God.

by him
The "him" refers to John the Baptist, a pivotal figure in the New Testament. John was a prophet and forerunner to Jesus, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah about a voice crying in the wilderness. His role was to prepare the way for the Lord by calling people to repentance. John's authority to baptize came from God, and his ministry was marked by a call to moral and spiritual renewal. His baptism was a precursor to the baptism that Jesus would later institute, which would be in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

in the Jordan River
The Jordan River holds significant historical and theological importance in the Bible. It was the river that the Israelites crossed to enter the Promised Land, symbolizing a transition from the old life of slavery in Egypt to a new life in the land God had promised. By baptizing in the Jordan, John was symbolically inviting people to enter into a new covenant with God, leaving behind their old ways. The Jordan River thus becomes a place of new beginnings and divine encounters, as it would later be the site of Jesus' own baptism.

as they confessed their sins
Confession of sins is a crucial aspect of repentance. The Greek word for "confessed" is "ἐξομολογέω" (exomologeō), which means to acknowledge or agree fully. This confession was not merely a private matter but a public acknowledgment of one's sins and a desire to turn away from them. In the Jewish tradition, confession was often accompanied by acts of repentance and restitution. Here, it signifies a heart ready to receive God's forgiveness and grace. The act of confessing sins before baptism underscores the sincerity and depth of the repentance that John was calling for, preparing the people for the coming of Jesus, who would offer ultimate forgiveness through His sacrifice.

(6) Were baptized.--The Greek tense implies continual succession. Crowd after crowd passed on, and still they came confessing their sins--i.e., as the position of the word implies, in the closest possible connection with the act of immersion. The Greek word (sometimes used for "confessing" in the sense of "praising," as in Luke 12:8), always implies public utterance, and included, as the plural of the noun seems to show, a specific mention of, at least, the more grievous individual sins.

Verse 6. - And (they, Revised Version) were baptized. The Revised Version probably desires to call attention to the change in the verb from singular to plural. In Jordan; in the river Jordan (Revised Version, with manuscripts). So also parallel passage in Mark (cf. Introduction, p. 5.). By him; i.e. their baptism was not self-imposed, but an act of submission to his teaching, and of acceptance of his message. The forerunner saw results, not merely in crowds of listeners, but in external actions. By him (contrast John 4:2). Confessing their sins; i.e. in at least some detail; cf. Josephus, 'Ant.,' 8:04. 6, "confessing their sins and their transgressions of the laws of their country ( ἐξομολογουμένων τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς τῶν πατρίων νομίμων παραβάσεις);" also Acts 19:18, "confessing and declaring their deeds" (cf. James 5:16).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Confessing
ἐξομολογούμενοι (exomologoumenoi)
Verb - Present Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1843: From ek and homologeo; to acknowledge or agree fully.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

sins,
ἁμαρτίας (hamartias)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 266: From hamartano; a sin.

they were baptized
ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 907: Lit: I dip, submerge, but specifically of ceremonial dipping; I baptize.

by
ὑπ’ (hyp’)
Preposition
Strong's 5259: A primary preposition; under, i.e. of place, or with verbs; of place (underneath) or where (below) or time (when).

him
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Jordan
Ἰορδάνῃ (Iordanē)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2446: Of Hebrew origin; the Jordanes, a river of Palestine.

River.
ποταμῷ (potamō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4215: A river, torrent, stream. Probably from a derivative of the alternate of pino; a current, brook or freshet, i.e. Running water.


Links
Matthew 3:6 NIV
Matthew 3:6 NLT
Matthew 3:6 ESV
Matthew 3:6 NASB
Matthew 3:6 KJV

Matthew 3:6 BibleApps.com
Matthew 3:6 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 3:6 Chinese Bible
Matthew 3:6 French Bible
Matthew 3:6 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 3:6 They were baptized by him (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 3:5
Top of Page
Top of Page