Matthew 3:6

“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 (<410105>Mark 1:5). As to the name of this river, and the etymology of it, the Jews say f155 it was so called, ˆdm drwyç “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 John’s time and long after a considerable river, a river to swim in; we f156 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 f158 of ˆdryh…”

“And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins--probably confessing aloud. This baptism was at once a public seal of their felt need of deliverance from sin, of their expectation of the coming Deliverer, and of their readiness to welcome Him when He appeared. The baptism itself startled, and was intended to startle, them. They were familiar enough with the baptism of proselytes from heathenism; but this baptism of Jews themselves was quite new and strange to them.”

“Were baptized - The word “baptize” βαπτίζω baptizo signifies originally to tinge, to dye, to stain, as those who dye clothes. It here means to cleanse or wash anything by the application of water. See the notes at Mark 7:4. Washing, or ablution, was much in use among the Jews, as one of the rites of their religion, Numbers 19:7; Hebrews 9:10. It was not customary, however, among them to baptize those who were converted to the Jewish religion until after the Babylonian captivity. At the time of John, and for some time previous, they had been accustomed to administer a rite of baptism, or washing, to those who became proselytes to their religion; that is, to those who were converted from…”

“Confessing their sins - Of their own accord; freely and openly. Such prodigious numbers could hardly be baptized by immerging their whole bodies under water: nor can we think they were provided with change of raiment for it, which was scarcely practicable for such vast multitudes. And yet they could not be immerged naked with modesty, nor in their wearing apparel with safety. It seems, therefore, that they stood in ranks on the edge of the river, and that John, passing along before them, cast water on their heads or faces, by which means he might baptize many thousands in a day. And this way most naturally signified Christ's baptizing them with the Holy Ghost and with fire, which John spoke…”

“were: Mat 3:11, Mat 3:13-16; Eze 36:25; Mar 1:8, Mar 1:9; Luk 3:16; Joh 1:25-28, Joh 1:31-33, Joh 3:23-25; Act 1:5, Act 2:38-41, Act 10:36-38, Act 11:16, Act 19:4, Act 19:5, Act 19:18; Co1 10:2; Col 2:12; Tit 3:5, Tit 3:6; Heb 6:2, Heb 9:10 \*Gr: Pe1 3:21 confessing: Lev 16:21, Lev 26:40; Num 5:7; Jos 7:19; Job 33:27, Job 33:28; Psa 32:5; Pro 28:13; Dan 9:4; Mar 1:5; Luk 15:18-21; Act 2:38, Act 19:18, Act 22:16; Jam 5:16; Jo1 1:9 Matthew 3:7”