Matthew 3 · Verse 14

Matthew 3:14

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Matthew 3:14, King James Version

Matthew 3:14 in other translations

BSBBut John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
WEBBut John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”
ASVBut John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
YLTbut John was forbidding him, saying, ‘I have need by thee to be baptized--and thou dost come unto me!'
DARBYbut John urgently forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee; and comest thou to me?
BBEBut John would have kept him back, saying, It is I who have need of baptism from you, and do you come to me?
WebsterBut John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?

What does Matthew 3:14 mean?

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 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).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 14. John forbad him.

I have need. It is more fit that I should be baptized with thy baptism, the Holy Ghost, than that thou shouldest be baptized in water by me. I am a sinner, and unworthy to administer this to the Messiah.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 John forbad him - Earnestly and pressingly opposed him: this is the proper import of the words διεκωλευεν αυτον. I have observed that δια, in composition, most frequently, if not always, strengthens the signification in classic authors. - Wakefield.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 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…

Read the full comment on Matthew 3:13-17 →

Matthew 3:14 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὁho<the>G3588
δὲdeButG1161
ἸωάννηςIōannēsJohnG2491
διεκώλυενdiekōluenwas hinderingG1254
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
λέγων·legōnsaying;G3004
ἐγὼegōI myselfG1473
χρείανchreianneedG5532
ἔχωechōhaveG2192
ὑπὸhupobyG5259
σοῦsouYouG4771
βαπτισθῆναι,baptisthēnaito be baptized,G907
καὶkaiandG2532
σὺsuYou yourselfG4771
ἔρχῃerchēcomeG2064
πρόςprostoG4314
με;meme?G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 3:14

  • John 3:3-7

    Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. …

  • Acts 1:5-8

    For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

  • John 13:6-8

    Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

  • John 1:16

    And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

  • Ephesians 2:3-5

    Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

  • Galatians 3:22

    But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

  • Luke 1:43

    And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

  • Galatians 3:27-29

    For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

  • Romans 3:23

    For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

  • Galatians 4:6

    And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

  • Romans 3:25

    Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

  • Revelation 7:9-17

    After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
John.
Lu 1:43; Joh 13:6-8
I have.
Joh 1:16; 3:3-7; Ac 1:5-8; Ro 3:23,25; Ga 3:22,27-29; 4:6
Eph 2:3-5; Re 7:9-17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 3:13

    Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

  • Matthew 3:14

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

  • Matthew 3:15

    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.

Read all of Matthew 3

Matthew 3:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Mas Juan lo resistía mucho, diciendo: Yo he menester ser bautizado de ti, ¿y tú vienes á mí?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
mais Jean l’en empêchait fort, disant: Moi, j’ai besoin d’être baptisé par toi, et toi, tu viens à moi!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Johannes aber wehrte ihm und sprach: Ich habe nötig, von dir getauft zu werden, und du kommst zu mir?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Joannes autem prohibebat eum, dicens: Ego a te debeo baptizari, et tu venis ad me?