Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
- KJV And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
- BSB John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
- NKJV Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
- NLT John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John wears camel's hair and eats locusts and wild honey, living like a prophet of old. His rugged simplicity marks him as God's spokesman.
Overview
John's dress and diet recall Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), identifying him with the promised return of an Elijah-like prophet. His wilderness austerity embodies the repentance he preaches and his separation from worldly comfort. Everything about him points away from himself and toward the greater One to come.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 2 Kgs 1:8They answered him, “He was a hairy man, and wearing a leather belt around his waist.” He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”
- Lev 11:22Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper.
- Zech 13:4It will happen in that day, that the prophets will each be ashamed of his vision, when he prophesies; neither will they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:
- Matt 11:8But what did you go out to see? A man in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
- Mark 1:6John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.
- Mal 4:5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.
- Luke 1:17He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
- Matt 11:18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
- 1 Sam 14:25–27All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground.
- Deut 32:13He made him ride on the high places of the earth. He ate the increase of the field. He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, oil out of the flinty rock;
- Rev 11:3I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 3:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.