Matthew 3:4

“I know that permission was granted unto Noah to eat every kind of flesh that was good for food; that Elias was fed with flesh; that John, endued with a wonderful abstinence, was not polluted by the living creatures (that is, the locusts ) which he fed on.” — editor's note: Matt. iii. 4.

“…whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” — editor's note: Matt. iii. 4–12.

“John feared to baptize the flesh of the Lord, John forbade Him, saying: “I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?”” — editor's note: S. Matt. iii. 4.

““And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins.”” — editor's note: Matt. iii. 4.

For the kingdom of God denotes Himself, of whom it is written in another place, “The kingdom of God is among you; [Luke 17:21] and, “There standeth one in the midst of you whom ye know not.” [John 1:26]. Or surely…

Having said that he is the voice of one crying in the desert, the Evangelist well adds, “John had his clothing of camel’s hair;” thus shewing what his life was; for he indeed testified of Christ, but his life…

For the preaching of John no place more suitable, no clothing more useful, no food more fitted.

His raiment of camel’s hair, not of wool - the one the mark of austerity in dress, the other of a delicate luxury.

It becomes the servants of God to use a dress not for elegant appearance, or for cherishing of the body, but for a covering of the nakedness. Thus John wears a garment not soft and delicate, but hairy, heavy, rough,…

Food moreover suited to a dweller in the desert, no choice viands, but such as satisfied the necessities of the body.

Content with poor fare; to wit, small insects and honey gathered from the trunks of trees. In the sayings of Arnulphus [ed. note: Arnulphus, who visited Palestine 705; his travels to the Holy Land written from his…

In this clothing and this poor food, he shews that he sorrows for the sins of the whole human race.

His dress and diet express the quality of his inward conversation. His garment was of an austere quality, because he rebuked the sinner’s life.

His girdle of skin, which Elias also bare, is the mark of mortification.

He ate locusts and honey, because his preaching was sweet tot he multitude, but was of short continuance; and honey has sweetness, locusts a swift flight but soon fall to the ground.

In John (which name is interpreted ‘the grace of God,’) is figured Christ who brought grace into the world; in his clothing, the Gentile Church.

The preacher of Christ is clad in the skins of unclean beasts, to which the Gentiles are compared, and so by the Prophets’ dress is sanctified whatever in them was useless or unclean. The girdle is a thing of much…

“John wears a leathern girdle.” — editor's note: Matt. iii. 4.

“He was called an angel; he baptized the Lord Himself, and yet he was clothed in raiment of camel’s hair, and girded with a leathern girdle.” — editor's note: Matt. iii. 4.

“The second shunned cities, wore a leathern girdle, and had for his meat locusts and wild honey.” — editor's note: Matt. iii. 4.

“She was filled with admiration for the manner of life followed by Elijah and by John the Baptist; both of whom confined and mortified their loins with girdles of skin, while the second of them is said to have come in the spirit and power of Elijah as the forerunner of the Lord.” — editor's note: 2 Kings i. 8; Matt. iii. 4.

“…restrained by a girdle of continence, so that you may eat the Passover purely, having mortified your members which are upon the earth, and copying the girdle of John, the Hermit and Forerunner and great Herald of the Truth.” — editor's note: Matt. iii. 4.

“Of John also, who came as a sort of sacred boundary between the Old and New Testament, being both a beginning and an ending, we know by the testimony of the Evangelist that “the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair and a girdle of skin about his loins.”” — editor's note: S. Matt. iii. 4.

Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6 share the same wording (10 words).

Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 12:27–28 (2) (Catena Aurea).

Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 12:27–28 (2) (Catena Aurea).

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.

Cited together in The Institutes I.1.