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Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
Matthew 3:5 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him.
  • KJV Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
  • BSB People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan.
  • NASB At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan;
  • NLT People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.

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

Crowds from Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordan region stream out to John. His preaching stirs a widespread response.

Overview

The great numbers coming to John show a genuine spiritual hunger and expectation among the people. His ministry awakens a national movement of repentance in anticipation of the Messiah. Yet, as the following verses show, sincerity of heart still had to be tested.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • Mark 1:5All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.
  • John 5:35He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
  • Luke 3:7He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
  • Luke 16:16The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
  • Matt 11:7–12As these went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
  • John 3:23John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized.
  • Matt 4:25Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 3:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 3:5 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.