John 3:25

25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew ^[a] over the issue of ceremonial washing.

John 3:25 Meaning and Commentary

John 3:25

Then there arose a question
A dispute, or controversy, occasioned by the baptism, of John and Christ: between [some] of John's disciples, and the Jews.
The Syriac and Persic versions read, "between one of John's disciples, and a certain Jew"; and Nonnus renders it, "with an Hebrew man"; and so the Alexandrian manuscript; many others read, "with a Jew": the contention between them was about purifying;
either about the ceremonial purifications, and ablutions commanded in the law of Moses; or concerning the various washings of persons, and vessels, according to the traditions of the elders, which the Jews in common were very tenacious of; and which they thought were brought into neglect, and contempt, by the baptism of John: and this seems to have been occasioned by the baptism of Christ; which the Jew might improve against the disciple of John, and urge, that since another, besides his master, had set up baptizing, who could tell which was most right and safest to follow? and therefore it would have been much better, if no such rite at all had been used by any, but that the purifications required by the law of Moses, and by their elders, had been strictly and solely attended to.

John 3:25 In-Context

23 Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized.

24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)

25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the issue of ceremonial washing.

26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”

27 John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.

Footnotes

• [a]. TR and the Jews