Discovery BoxMatthew 3:4 
Context3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. 1
Matthew 3:15
Context3:15 So Jesus replied 2 to him, “Let it happen now, 3 for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John 4 yielded 5 to him.
Matthew 9:14
Context9:14 Then John’s 6 disciples came to Jesus 7 and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees 8 fast often, 9 but your disciples don’t fast?”
Matthew 10:2
Context10:2 Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: 10 first, Simon 11 (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother;
Matthew 11:12
Context11:12 From 12 the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. 13
Matthew 14:3
Context14:3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, 14 and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
Matthew 17:1
Context17:1 Six days later 15 Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, 16 and led them privately up a high mountain.
1 sn John’s lifestyle was in stark contrast to many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem who lived in relative ease and luxury. While his clothing and diet were indicative of someone who lived in the desert, they also depicted him in his role as God’s prophet (cf. Zech 13:4); his appearance is similar to the Prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). Locusts and wild honey were a common diet in desert regions, and locusts (dried insects) are listed in Lev 11:22 among the “clean” foods.
2 tn Grk “but Jesus, answering, said.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to “replied to him.”
3 tn Grk “Permit now.”
4 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Or “permitted him.”
6 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
7 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
8 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
9 sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
10 sn The term apostles is rare in the gospels, found only here, Mark 3:14, and six more times in Luke (6:13; 9:10; 11:49; 17:5; 22:14; 24:10).
11 sn In the various lists of the twelve, Simon (that is, Peter) is always mentioned first (see also Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13) and the first four are always the same, though not in the same order after Peter.
12 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
13 tn Or “the kingdom of heaven is forcibly entered and violent people take hold of it.” For a somewhat different interpretation of this passage, see the note on the phrase “urged to enter in” in Luke 16:16.
14 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א2 C D L W Z Θ 0106 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat) read αὐτόν (auton, “him”) here as a way of clarifying the direct object; various important witnesses lack the word, however (א* B 700 pc ff1 h q). The original wording most likely lacked it, but it has been included here due to English style. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.
15 tn Grk “And after six days.”
16 tn Grk “John his brother” with “his” referring to James.
