those also who receive baptism (See Acts i. 5, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost), and also to the different times. — omffu /iou, after me) It was fitting that John should be born a little before the Messiah. — ep^ofttvos, that cometli) sc. immediately; see ver. 13. — /a%up6r£p6s fioi>, mightier than 7) One whom you ought to fear and to worship, rather than me, who am feeble. John teaches, both here and in ver. 12, that his power is not great ; whereas that of Christ, as God, is infinite.1 He does not say directly, " Messiah coineth after me," but expresses it by a paraphrase more obscurely, and yet more augustly. John, more over, said this at the time when he possessed the greatest power ; see Acts xiii. 25. — paffrdsai, to bear) As a servant bears the shoes, which his master has either called for, or commanded to be taken away. — Cf. Psa. Ix. 8. — A-iros, He) Believe on Him : see Acts xix. 4. — vpS,;, you) sc. as many as shall receive Him. — (SctvriGii, sliall baptize) i.e. abundantly impart ; see Titus iii. 6 ; Acts ii. 3, 4, 17, and x. 44 ; and shall thereby show Himself the mightier. The Holy Spirit and fire have the greatest power. — iv, x.r.X, in, etc.) This was the difference between John and Christ; see John i. 33. — TLvevpan 'Aylu, the Holy Ghost) See Gnomon on Luke iii. 16. — xai wpi, and with fire) St Luke has these words, though St Mark has not : even, therefore, were the reading doubtful in St Matthew, there would be no danger ;2 it is certain, however, that he also wrote xai <rvpt. The Holy Spirit, with which Christ baptizes, has a fiery power, and that fiery power was manifested to the eyes of men ; see Acts ii. 3.
12. ou, whose) This, and Avrou, His, being placed emphati cally thrice, shows the power of Christ, ol — aurotf is a Hebraism. — TO xrvov, the fan) i.e. the Gospel. — ev rjj %eipi AuroS, in His hand) even now. The whole of John's harangue, and therefore the commencement of the Gospel, agrees entirely with the last clause of Old Testament prophecy, in Mai. iii. 19—24, where the connection of things from Moses to the conclusion of ancient prophecy, and thence to Christ's forerunner and Christ Himself,
1 A power, which there is no one who shall not experience, either exercised for salvation, or else in terrible vengeance. — Vers. Germ.
2 Orig. 4, 131e, 132c, Iren. 321, Cypr. Hil. Vulg. have x*i w^i. It is only some more recent uncial MSS. (ESV in Tischend. Gr. Test.) and Syr. of Jerus., which have omitted the words. — ED.