Verses 7-10 agree word for word with Luke 3.7-9, except for the introduction in verse 7 and a few minor changes (Matthew “fruit” for Luke “fruits” in verse 8, and Matthew “do not presume to say” for Luke “do not begin to say” of verse 9). Both Matthew and Luke reproduce in the same way what John the Baptist said, but they direct his message to two entirely different audiences. According to Luke (3.7-9), God’s wrath is directed against all Israel, whereas Matthew makes a distinction within Israel: God’s wrath is directed against the Pharisees and Sadducees. The TEV word list provides a description of these two religious groups. For Matthew both are “representative of disbelief and opposition to Jesus.” And it is probably best to agree with those scholars who conclude that these two groups in Matthew’s Gospel represent the collective leadership of Israel in its opposition against Jesus.
The important thing in translating Pharisees is to indicate to readers that they were members of a group or sect. Too often the translation makes it seem they were people from some place called “Pharisee.” Thus translators can say “Many people from the group Pharisee” or “Many members of the religious group that is called Pharisee.” Where the Pharisees are mentioned several times in the passage, it should not be necessary to use such a complete translation in every place. After the first occurrence it may be sufficient to say “Pharisees” or “Pharisee people” in the rest of the passage.
Similarly with Sadducees, “members from the group Sadducee” or “people from the religious group Sadducee” are common translations.
For both Sadducees and Pharisees, it is important to have a fuller definition in a word list.
The Greek word construction for baptism means “in order to be baptized” or “in order to get themselves baptized.” It can be translated as “coming to him to be baptized,” “coming to him so he would baptize them,” or “coming to receive the baptism he was giving.” These phrases make it explicit that it was John’s baptism they were seeking.
You brood of vipers!: John addresses his audience in words that are sharper than those of any Old Testament prophet. So sharp are his words that elsewhere in Matthew’s Gospel (12.34; 23.33) only Jesus himself uses them. The employment of such a figure of speech is almost without parallel, although the group of pious Jews who withdrew to the desert did refer to the “dragon’s venom and viper’s poison” of unfaithful Israelites. According to the Old Testament and Israelite popular thought, the snake is the most cunning of all beasts, a demonic creature who leads people astray (Gen 3.1; Job 20.16; Psa 58.4; 140.3; Sirach 39.30).
Many translators try to translate brood of vipers literally as “family (or, group) of vipers.” If there are no vipers in their area, they substitute some other venomous snake. However, it is better to recognize that John is using a metaphor to call the Pharisees and Sadducees clever and wicked deceivers, hypocrites who lead people astray. It is more important in the translation to have something that is insulting and vivid than to have a literal translation of brood of vipers. It may be enough to say “You snakes” or “You deceiving snakes.” In some cases a simile can be used, as in “You are like a bunch of wicked (or, clever) snakes” or “You are as clever as snakes.”
Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? is rendered somewhat more dynamically by Good News Translation: “who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send?” Both Who and you are emphatic, and “the tone is one of ironical surprise,” so one commentator notes, and he translates “Can it actually be the case that you have been persuaded to believe that the divine judgment is near, and stirred to endeavor to escape from it?” The notion of “could escape” (Good News Translation) or “endeavor to escape” is not explicitly marked out in the Greek text, but it is clearly implicit in the overall context.
It is important in translation to realize that Who warned you is a rhetorical question. It is not asking for information about who it was that actually warned the Pharisees and Sadducees, or how they came to learn of the impending judgment. Further, the literal expression in English can give the impression that someone told them that they should try to escape. Rather, as we pointed out above, the phrase is actually expressing ironical surprise: “Where did you get the idea God’s judgment is near? What roused you to escape it?”
Although the phrase the wrath to come does not mention God by name, the wrath refers to God’s wrath. All commentators agree that this is the meaning, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has made it explicit: “the imminent judgment of God.” It is important not to speak of the wrath of God and the emotion of anger as if they were the same thing. Although God is totally and constantly opposed to evil, what is indicated is not God’s anger, but rather the reaction of a holy and loving God toward sin which defiles and destroys his creation. This always results in judgment. Thus the sentence can be translated “Where did you get the idea you needed to escape the punishment God will bring soon?” or “What? You, too, have decided you need a way to escape God’s judgment?” or “I’m surprised to see you have decided you need to escape the punishment God will carry out.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .