SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:6
y eran bautizados de l en el Jordn, confesando sus pecados.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 3:6
Verse 6. Were baptized] In what form baptism was originally administered, has been deemed a subject worthy of serious dispute. Were the people dipped or sprinkled? for it is certain baptw and baptizw mean both. They were all dipped, say some. Can any man suppose that it was possible for John to dip all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea, and of all the country round about the Jordan? Were both men and women dipped, for certainly both came to his baptism? This could never have comported either with safety or with decency. Were they dipped in their clothes? This would have endangered their lives, if they had not with them change of raiment: and as such a baptism as John's (however administered) was, in several respects, a new thing in Judea, it is not at all likely that the people would come thus provided. But suppose these were dipped, which I think it would be impossible to prove, does it follow that, in all regions of the world, men and women must be dipped, in order to be evangelically baptized? In the eastern countries, bathings were frequent, because of the heat of the climate, it being there so necessary to cleanliness and health; but could our climate, or a more northerly one, admit of this with safety, for at least three-fourths of the year? We may rest assured that it could not. And may we not presume, that if John had opened his commission in the north of Great Britain, for many months of the year, he would have dipped neither man nor woman, unless he could have procured a tepid bath? Those who are dipped or immersed in water, in the name of the Holy Trinity, I believe to be evangelically baptized-those who are washed or sprinkled with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, I believe to be equally so; and the repetition of such a baptism I believe to be profane. Others have a right to believe the contrary, if they see good. After all, it is the thing signified, and not the mode, which is the essential part of the sacrament. See the note on Mark x. 16. Confessing their sins.] exomologoumenoi, earnestly acknowledging that their sins were their own. And thus taking the whole blame upon themselves, and laying nothing to the charge of GOD or man. This is essential to true repentance; and, till a man take the whole blame on himself, he cannot feel the absolute need he has of casting his soul on the mercy of God, that he may be saved.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. And were baptized of him , etc.] The place where they were baptized of him was, in Jordan; some copies read, in the river Jordan, as in ( Mark 1:5). As to the name of this river, and the etymology of it, the Jews say it was so called, dm drwy because it descended from Dan, i.e. Leshem Dan, or Pamias, which they say is a cave at the head of it.
It was in Johns time and long after a considerable river, a river to swim in; we read that Resh Lakish andryb yjs hwh was swimming in Jordan. And elsewhere f157 , that one day R. Jochanan was swimming in Jordan. Also it was a river for boats and ships to pass in, so that it was a navigable river; hence we read of dryh tbyr[ the boat of Jordan, and of ships in it, and of such and such things being forbidden to be carried over Jordan in a ship f159 ; particularly, a man might not take the water of the sin offering, and the ashes of the sin offering, and carry them over Jordan in a ship.
Pliny f160 , Pausanias f161 , Solinus f162 , and others, speak of it as a very considerable and delightful river; (see Joshua 3:15,16,17). The Christians of Christs time are called by the Jews, in a way of contempt, apostates, that received the doctrine of baptism, and were dryb ylwbj dipped in Jordan f163 . The manner in which they were baptized by him was by immersion or plunging them in the water: this may be concluded from the signification of the word baptizw where used, which in the primary sense of it signifies to dip or plunge; from the place in which they were baptized, the river Jordan; and from Johns constant manner of baptizing elsewhere, who chose places for this purpose, where and because there was there much water; (see John 1:28 John 3:23). The character of the persons baptized by him is this, they were such as were confessing their sins . They were called to repentance by Johns ministry, and had the grace of it bestowed upon them; being thoroughly convinced of sin, and truly sorry for it, they were ready to acknowledge and confess it to God and men; and such an abiding sense they had of it upon their minds, that they continued doing it: they were not only confessing their sins before baptism, which engaged John to administer it to them; since we find afterwards he refused to admit others, because of their want of repentance and fruits meet for it; but also whilst they were going into the water, and when they came up out of it, so full were they of a sense of sin, and so ready to own it. Even in baptism itself there is a tacit confession and acknowledgment of sin, for it represents the sufferings and death of Christ which were for sin, into which persons are baptized, and profess to be dead to sin thereby; and also the resurrection of Christ for justification from sin, which obliges the baptized person to walk in newness of life, (see Romans 6:3,4,5) besides, in this ordinance believers are led to the blood of Christ, both for the cleansing and remission of their sins, which suppose filth and guilt, ( Acts 22:16) and ( Acts 2:38). Now this is the character given of the very first persons that were baptized by John, and ought surely to be attended to, by us; and as much care as possible should be taken, that none but such as have a true sense of sin, and are brought to an humble and hearty acknowledgment of it, be admitted to this ordinance.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - After Malachi there was no prophet until John the Baptist came. He appeared first in the wilderness of Judea. This was not an uninhabite desert, but a part of the country not thickly peopled, nor muc enclosed. No place is so remote as to shut us out from the visits of Divine grace. The doctrine he preached was repentance; "Repent ye." The word here used, implies a total alteration in the mind, a change in the judgment, disposition, and affections, another and a better bias of the soul. Consider your ways, change your minds: you have thought amiss think again, and think aright. True penitents have other thoughts of God and Christ, sin and holiness, of this world and the other, tha they had. The change of the mind produces a change of the way. That is gospel repentance, which flows from a sight of Christ, from a sense of his love, and from hopes of pardon and forgiveness through him. It is great encouragement to us to repent; repent, for your sins shall be pardoned upon your repentance. Return to God in a way of duty, and he will, through Christ, return unto you in the way of mercy. It is stil as necessary to repent and humble ourselves, to prepare the way of the Lord, as it then was. There is a great deal to be done, to make way for Christ into a soul, and nothing is more needful than the discovery of sin, and a conviction that we cannot be saved by our own righteousness The way of sin and Satan is a crooked way; but to prepare a way for Christ, the paths must be made straight, Heb 12:13. Those whose business it is to call others to mourn for sin, and to mortify it ought themselves to live a serious life, a life of self-denial, an contempt of the world. By giving others this example, John made way for Christ. Many came to John's baptism, but few kept to the professio they made. There may be many forward hearers, where there are few tru believers. Curiosity, and love for novelty and variety, may bring man to attend on good preaching, and to be affected for a while, who neve are subject to the power of it. Those who received John's doctrine testified their repentance by confessing their sins. Those only ar ready to receive Jesus Christ as their righteousness, who are brough with sorrow and shame to own their guilt. The benefits of the kingdo of heaven, now at hand, were thereupon sealed to them by baptism. Joh washed them with water, in token that God would cleanse them from all their iniquities, thereby intimating, that by nature and practice all were polluted, and could not be admitted among the people of God unless washed from their sins in the fountain Christ was to open, Ze 13:1.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ εβαπτιζοντο 907 5712 V-IPI-3P εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSM ιορδανη 2446 N-DSM υπ 5259 PREP αυτου 846 P-GSM εξομολογουμενοι 1843 5734 V-PMP-NPM τας 3588 T-APF αμαρτιας 266 N-APF αυτων 846 P-GPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. Were baptized (ebaptizonto). See on Mark vii. 4. Confessing their sins (exomologoumenoi tav amartiav autwn). The words imply: 1. That confession was connected with baptism. They were baptized while in the act of confessing.
2. An open confession, not a private one to John (ejx, compare Acts xix. 18; Jas. v. 16).
3. An individual confession; possibly a specific one. (See Luke iii. 10-15.)
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:6 {And they were baptized} (kai ebaptizonto). It is the imperfect tense to show the repetition of the act as the crowds from Judea and the surrounding country kept going out to him (exeporeueto), imperfect again, a regular stream of folks going forth. Moffatt takes it as causative middle, "got baptized," which is possible. "The movement of course was gradual. It began on a small scale and steadily grew till it reached colossal proportions" (Bruce). It is a pity that baptism is now such a matter of controversy. Let Plummer, the great Church of England commentator on Matthew, speak here of John's baptising these people who came in throngs: "It is his office to bind them to a new life, symbolized by immersion in water." That is correct, symbolized, not caused or obtained. The word "river" is in the correct text, "river Jordan." They came "confessing their sins" (exomologoumenoi), probably each one confessing just before he was baptized, "making open confession" (Weymouth). Note ex. It was a never to be forgotten scene here in the Jordan. John was calling a nation to a new life. They came from all over Judea and even from the other side of El Ghor (the Jordan Gorge), Perea. Mark adds that finally all Jerusalem came.
