Keraia
Matthew 3

Matthew 3:4

The Mission of John the Baptist · Matthew 3:1–12
Read Matthew 3

Translations

Modern
John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
Traditional
And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Literal
And John himself had his clothing of camel’s hair and a belt of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Latin
Ipse autem Joannes habebat vestimentum de pilis camelorum, et zonam pelliceam circa lumbos suos: esca autem ejus erat locustæ, et mel silvestre.

Original

Greek
English
John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Notes

Matthew 3:4

John wore the same kind of clothes and ate the same kind of food as Elijah, a prophet who had lived many years before (2 Kings 1:8; Malachi 4:5; Sirach 48:10–11).

Theme notes and profiles

John the Baptist Returning to the Lord

Events

Parallels

Isaiah 40:1–5 Mark 1:1–8 Luke 3:1–20 John 1:19–28

People

John: The Baptist, a prophet who prepared the way for Jesus

Glossary

Camel Carob Tree Clothing Desert Food and Food Preparation Gospel of Matthew Jesus Christ Leather

Topics

Camel: Hair of, Made Into Cloth Christian Minister: Faithful: John the Baptist Garments: Materials Used for Camel's Hair Girdle: Made of Leather Girdles: Made of Leather Honey was Eaten with Locusts Honey: General Scriptures Concerning Leather: Belts of Locust used As Food Prophets: Simple in Their Manner of Life Prophets: Wore a Coarse Dress of Hair-Cloth Sackcloth was Worn by God's Prophets Sackcloth: Made of Coarse Hair Stoicism: Scripture Analogies to John the Baptist Wore Camel's Hair and Subsisted on Locusts and Wild Honey The Camel: Coarse Cloth Made from Its Hair The Locust: The Jews used As Food