Matthew 3:5

“Then went out to him Jerusalem, etc.] The uncommon appearance of this person, the oddness of his dress, the austerity of his life, together with the awfulness and importance of his doctrine, and the novelty of the ordinance of baptism he administered, and the Jews having had no prophet for some hundreds of years, and imagining he might be the Messiah, quickly drew large numbers of people to him. Some copies read “all Jerusalem”: that is, the inhabitants of that city, a very large number of them; and “all Judea”, a great number of people from all parts of that country. “All” is here put for “many”. And all the region round about Jordan; multitudes from thence, which seems to be the same…”

“Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan--From the metropolitan center to the extremities of the Judean province the cry of this great preacher of repentance and herald of the approaching Messiah brought trooping penitents and eager expectants.”

“Jerusalem - The people of Jerusalem. All Judea - Many people from Judea. It does not mean that literally all the people went, but that great multitudes went. It was general. Jerusalem was in the part of the country called Judea. Judea was situated on the west side of the Jordan. See the notes at Matthew 2:22. Region about Jordan - On the east and west side of the river. Near to Jordan. return to 'Top of Page'”

“3:5-6 John’s ministry became so popular that many people from Jerusalem and Judea came to hear him. • they confessed their sins: Those who responded to John’s preaching and turned away from sin were prepared to receive Jesus’ ministry (Luke 7:27, 29). • he baptized them: John’s practice of baptism may have originated with the Old Testament idea of purification (see Isa 1:16; 4:4; Ezek 36:25).”

“Mat 4:25, Mat 11:7-12; Mar 1:5; Luk 3:7, Luk 16:16; Joh 3:23, Joh 5:35 Matthew 3:6”