Matthew 3:1

Matthew 3:1 is the first verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse takes up the narrative some thirty years after Matthew 2:23 beginning the description of Jesus' ministry. This verse introduces the figure of John the Baptist.

In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:

The World English Bible translates the passage as:

For a collection of other versions see here: Matthew 3:1

Unlike the infancy narrative this verse begins a section that is closely paralleled in Mark 1 and Luke 3. According to the theory of Markan Priority both Matthew and Luke are rewritten versions of Mark. Keener notes that the hypothetical Q source also likely begins with John, explaining the overlap between Matthew and Luke in the non Markan-material, and why there is so little overlap in the nativity story.

The phrase "in those days" marks a substantial shift of time frame from the previous verse. Matthew nowhere indicates how long this break is, but Luke places it as some thirty years. Hill notes that "in those days" is frequently used as an indication that important events are taking place. To him the phrase thus more accurately means "in those crucial days." Other scholars, such as France and Nolland, take a different view. They see the word those as a direct reference to Matthew 2:23 and thus sees the phrase as meaning "in those days that he lived in Nazareth."

This verse introduces the character of John the Baptist. Guthrie notes that John likely does not need much of an introduction to Matthew's largely Jewish readers, as he was a well-known figure at the time. Matthew gives none of his early history, unlike Luke. John is a much less important character in Matthew than in the other gospels, appearing only in a supporting role to Jesus. While Matthew and Luke refer to John the Baptist, Mark refers to him by the slightly different title "John the Baptizer." The word baptist is also somewhat controversial. To Anabaptists the correct translation is "John the Immerser."

...
Wikipedia