Matthew 3:17 is the seventeenth (and final) verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Following Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist, a voice from heaven states that Jesus is "God's beloved son".
Content
In the King James Version of the Bible, the text reads:
:And lo a voice from heaven,
:saying, This is my beloved
:Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
:Behold, a voice out of the
:heavens said, "This is my beloved
:Son, with whom I am well pleased."
The 1881 Westcott-Hort Greek text is:
:και ιδου φωνη εκ των ουρανων λεγουσα
:ουτος εστιν ο υιος μου ο αγαπητος εν ω ευδοκησα
For a collection of other versions see BibleHub Matthew 3:17.
Textual witnesses
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this verse are:
- Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 405 (~ 200)
- Papyrus 101 (3rd century)
- Codex Vaticanus (~325–350)
- Codex Sinaiticus (~330–360)
- Codex Washingtonianus (~400)
- Codex Bezae (~400)
- Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450)
Analysis
This verse ends the baptism scene (verses 13–17). The voice is generally presumed to be that of God the Father. This is one of only two times in the Gospel of Matthew where God intervenes directly, the other being in Matthew 17:5. This is in contrast to most of the Old Testament where God's direct actions occur regularly. Hill notes that the word beloved can be interpreted as meaning only. The entire message is often seen as a reference to . There is also a possible link to Isaiah 42:1, the opening verse of the first of the "servant songs", which also speaks of a beloved of whom God is pleased. Matthew uses this verse at 12:18, and it is translated in the same manner as it is here. The editors of the Jerusalem Bible suggest that Matthew's purpose here is to show that Jesus is the "suffering servant" foretold by Isaiah. The substitution of "son" for "servant" is possible because the Greek word παῖς (pais) can mean either "son" or "servant".
There are also possible links to and .
Jesus' divine status was earlier implied at Matthew 1:18, but it does not become known to those around him until much later in the narrative. There is thus a debate over whether the voice in this verse was public pronouncement. In Luke the baptism occurs in front of a large crowd, but he and Mark both make the announcement seem private by having the message read "you are my son." Matthew's "this is my son" makes it seem as though all present were addressed. In Matthew no crowds are mentioned, and only Jesus and John are noted as being at the Jordan. The gospel is thus internally consistent, but is somewhat difficult to reconcile with the other two synoptics.
This verse, when combined with the one before it, is seen by many Christians as one of the most trinitarian passages in the entire New Testament. However, some writers disagree, since Matthew 3:16 already has the Holy Ghost present in the form of a dove. This verse does not clearly distinguish it as a distinct entity, the voice is assumed to be "God, the heavenly father", who makes explicit reference to Jesus as his son.
Commentary from the Church Fathers
Augustine: Not as before by Moses and the Prophets, neither in type or figure did the Father teach that the Son should come, but openly showed Him to be already come, This is my Son.
References
Bibliography
- Albright, W.F. and C.S. Mann. "Matthew." The Anchor Bible Series. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1971.
- Clarke, Howard W. The Gospel of Matthew and its Readers: A Historical Introduction to the First Gospel. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.