Luke 3:16

16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with[a] water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire.

Luke 3:16 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 3:16

John answered, saying unto them all
For some of them might not only so think in their hearts, but express with their mouths the apprehension they had of him; and might put the question to him, as the priests and Levites from Jerusalem afterwards did; or he might know the secret thoughts of their hearts by divine revelation; or be apprized by his disciples of the private sentiments of the people concerning him: and therefore, to put them out of doubt, and that he might not have an honour conferred on him, which did not belong to him, he addressed himself, in a very public manner, to the whole multitude, in the hearing of them all: though the word "all" is left out in the Syriac and Persic versions, but rightly retained in others, being in all copies, and having a considerable emphasis on it: and said the following words.

I indeed baptize you with water;
Matthew adds "unto repentance"; upon the profession of repentance:

but one mightier than I cometh;
that is, after me;
as Matthew records it:

the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose;
neither to bear his shoes after him, as Matthew says, nor to untie his shoe string, or unbuckle his shoe, both which were menial actions with the Jews: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire; as he did some of their nation, his own disciples, on the day of pentecost; (See Gill on Matthew 3:11)

Luke 3:16 In-Context

14 Some soldiers also questioned him: "What should we do?" He said to them, "Don't take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages."
15 Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were debating in their minds whether John might be the Messiah.
16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 His winnowing shovel is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with a fire that never goes out."
18 Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.

Footnotes 2

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