Paragraph 3:7–9
These verses are similar to the text in Matthew 3:7–10.
3:7a
Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him: In some languages, it may be helpful to change the order of information in this part of the verse. For example:
Crowds of people were coming out to be baptized by John. So John said to them….
Then At the end of 3:6, Luke ended his quote from the book of Isaiah. In 3:7, Luke began to tell how John fulfilled this prophecy by his preaching. In Greek, there is a conjunction at the beginning of 3:7 that indicates this connection. The Berean Standard Bible and some other versions (CSB, New King James Version) translate this conjunction as “then,” introducing the next event that happened. Other versions (New American Standard Bible, NET Bible) translate this conjunction as “so,” indicating that what John did fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. Some other ways to express this connection are:
John ⌊did as the words from Isaiah’s book said⌋
-or-
In keeping with ⌊the words of Isaiah’s book⌋
Connect these verses in a natural way in your language. In some languages a connector may not be needed.
crowds: The word crowds is a plural form. In this context it has the same meaning as the singular form “crowd.” It refers to many people. It does not focus on different groups that may have been included in the crowd.
coming out: The crowds were coming out of the towns and villages to where John was, in the desert.
to be baptized by him: The phrase to be baptized by him is passive. It also indicates the purpose for which the people came to John in the desert. They came out to John in order to be baptized by him.
In some languages it may be more natural to use an active phrase here. For example:
in order for John to baptize them
be baptized: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as be baptized means to be ceremonially washed/purified with a special ritual that uses water. In this context people were purified from their sins. They were not washed to remove dirt from their bodies. A person was baptized as an initiation into a new spiritual condition.
The verb be baptized is another form of the word that was translated as “baptism” in 3:3c. You should translate the verb baptize in a similar way as you translate the noun “baptism.” See the note on “baptism” in 3:3c. Here are some ways to translate baptize in this context:
• Use a descriptive term. For example:
⌊ritually⌋ wash
-or-
initiate ⌊people⌋ in/with water
-or-
enter water
• Use a term for a similar ritual that is already part of your culture. You may need to indicate that in this context it has a special connection with God. For example:
purify people with God’s ceremonial bath
-or-
wash people in initiation water for God
• Use a term that is already accepted by the local churches. In some areas this term may have been borrowed from the national language or transliterated from Greek or English.
See baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.
3:7b
You brood of vipers: Many English versions punctuate the phrase You brood of vipers as a separate sentence, as an exclamation. They begin a new sentence, a question, in 3:7c. Other versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, punctuate it as part of the same sentence as 3:7c. Connect 3:7b and 3:7c in the most natural way in your language.
brood of vipers: The word vipers refers to poisonous snakes. Another name for this type of snakes is “adders.” The phrase brood of vipers means “children/offspring of poisonous snakes.”
John used a metaphor here to criticize the people in the crowds. He called them a group of poisonous snakes. This phrase was an insult to the people. It meant that they were treacherous and evil, like deadly snakes.
In some cultures people may not understand the meaning of this metaphor. In some languages it may not be considered an insult. If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate it are:
• Use a simile and make the point of comparison explicit. For example:
You are ⌊as treacherous/dangerous as⌋ a group of vipers!
-or-
You are ⌊dangerous, like⌋ a bunch of poisonous snakes!
• Use an idiom that has the same meaning in your culture. If you do this, you may want to include a footnote that gives the biblical metaphor. For example:
The Greek text literally says, “you brood of vipers.”
• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:
You treacherous deceivers!
-or-
You deceitful people!
-or-
You evil frauds!
brood: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as brood means offspring. However, John was not saying that the people were young or childlike. Some English translations do not translate the word brood. For example:
You snakes! (Good News Translation)
-or-
You poisonous snakes! (God’s Word)
3:7c
who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?: This is a rhetorical question. John asked the question to rebuke the people. He implied that the people were coming to be baptized so that God would not punish them in the future. John also implied that the people did not really intend to repent of their sins.
Some ways to translate this rhetorical question include:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Who warned you to run away from God’s coming punishment? (New Century Version)
• As a statement. For example:
⌊So,⌋ someone has told you to try to escape God’s wrath!
If you translate this rebuke as a question, it may be necessary to have a transition to the next verse. For example:
Who warned you to run away from God’s coming punishment? Now that you have been warned….
See the note on the connection in 3:8a. Translate this rhetorical question in a natural way in your language.
flee: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as flee means “to run away from (something)” or “avoid/escape danger.”
the coming wrath: The word wrath means “anger” or “the punishment that comes as a consequence of someone’s anger.” In this context the phrase the coming wrath refers to the fact that God will judge and punish people because of their rebellious attitudes and their sins. Some other ways to translate the coming wrath are:
the punishment God is about to send (Good News Translation)
-or-
the coming judgment (Contemporary English Version)
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