Matthew Chapter 3 — John's Imprisonment

🔗Overview

UPDV chapter 3 now covers Jesus' withdrawal to Galilee after John's arrest (3:1) and the circumstances of John's imprisonment by Herod (3:2-4). The temptation narrative formerly printed at this location is no longer included; the decision is recorded in Variant Exceptions and Summary of Excluded Passages.

🔗Omitted Temptation Narrative

Canonical Matthew 4:1-11 is excluded from the reconstructed Matthew text. The same Synoptic temptation unit is also omitted at Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13.

The decision follows the reconstructed baseline gospel text (*Ev) policy. Klinghardt reports that the whole Luke 3:1b-4:13 complex was missing in *Ev and specifically names the temptation story among the absent units. Roth likewise lists Luke 4:1-13 as not present in the reconstructed text. This is a larger structural absence claim, not a word-level variant inside the surviving canonical manuscript tradition.

🔗Withdrawal to Galilee (3:1)

"Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee." This transitional verse comes from Mark 1:14, which the compiler reshaped editorially. The verb παρεδόθη (paredothē, "was delivered up") is a divine passive — the same verb used for Jesus' own passion — highlighting the theological parallel between John's fate and Jesus'. Davies and Allison note that the compiler's word ἀνεχώρησεν (anechōrēsen, "withdrew") echoes 2:22 where Joseph withdraws from danger, but the core historical notice — that Jesus began his Galilean ministry after John's arrest — is from Mark and is retained.

The canonical text continues with a formula quotation (Matt 4:13-16, citing Isaiah 9:1-2 to provide scriptural warrant for Jesus' move to Capernaum), which is omitted. The formula quotation follows the compiler's standard editorial pattern — a redactional sentence transfers Jesus to Capernaum (4:13), then the characteristic ἵνα πληρωθῇ (hina plērōthē, "that it might be fulfilled") formula introduces the Isaiah citation.

Canonical 4:17 — "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" — is retained as UPDV 4:1, opening the next chapter. Davies and Allison note that the compiler deliberately shaped this declaration to be identical to John's preaching at 3:2, dropping Mark's "the gospel of God," "the time is fulfilled," and "believe in the gospel" (from Mark 1:15) to create a parallel between the two preachers. This is the same phrase the UPDV deleted from John the Baptist's introduction in chapter 2 — but the logic is consistent. Placing it in John's mouth was an editorial fabrication, creating a parallel that did not exist in the source; placing it in Jesus' mouth is an editorial condensation of his authentic Markan preaching. The methodological question is: if the phrasing is the compiler's editorial work, why retain it rather than restoring Mark's fuller form? The answer lies in the distinction between editorial additions and editorial abbreviations. The UPDV strips material the compiler added to his sources — formula quotations, proof texts, transitional framework — and corrects the order he rearranged. But when the compiler condenses a Markan pericope without inserting new content, the shorter version still represents traditional material, not editorial invention. Mark 1:15 and Matthew 4:17 convey the same core proclamation; the compiler abbreviated rather than fabricated.

🔗John's Imprisonment (3:2-4)

The chapter closes with the circumstances of John's arrest: "For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John said to him, It is not lawful for you to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet."

In the canonical Gospel, this material appears at Matthew 14:3-5 as a flashback — Herod hears about Jesus, and the narrative pauses to explain why John is in prison. This flashback structure originates with Mark (6:17-29), who inserted John's imprisonment and death between the sending of the Twelve (Mark 6:7) and their return (Mark 6:30). The compiler of Matthew faithfully followed Mark's arrangement, abbreviating the account but preserving the flashback placement.

The UPDV relocates this material here, immediately after the notice of John's arrest (3:1), adopting the strict chronological framework preserved by Luke. Luke places John's imprisonment at Luke 3:19-20, immediately before Jesus' baptism. The UPDV follows this Lukan chronological instinct, untangling Mark's narrative device to restore the historical sequence.

Josephus independently confirms that Herod killed John the Baptist and that John was imprisoned at Machaerus, while giving Herod's fear of John's popular influence as the motive (Antiquities 18.5.2). Josephus also preserves the Herod-Herodias marriage entanglement in the immediate political background (Antiquities 18.5.1). The Synoptic tradition frames John's imprisonment around his rebuke of that marriage; Davies and Allison treat Matthew 14:3-12 as dependent on Mark 6:17-29, while noting that the prior history of Mark's account can only be guessed.

🔗References

• Davies, W. D. and Dale C. Allison Jr. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. 3 vols. International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1988–1997.
• Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews.
• Klinghardt, Matthias. The Oldest Gospel and the Formation of the Canonical Gospels, Part II: Reconstruction - Translation - Variants. Leuven: Peeters, 2021.
• Roth, Dieter T. The Text of Marcion's Gospel. Leiden: Brill, 2015.