Matthew 3:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

NIV: The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

NASB: And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

CSB: The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

NLT: Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

KJV: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

NKJV: And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

As prophesied (Isaiah 40:3), John the Baptist had been declaring his message to Israel in the wilderness: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven in near. Perhaps surprisingly, some of Israel's religious leaders had come to the wilderness to see and hear John for themselves. They were likely shocked at his public response to them.

John called them a brood of vipers and asked who had warned them to run away from God's wrath (Matthew 3:7–9). If they truly repent, John said, they will produce different results by their changed actions. Now he describes just how close God's judgment is. The coming of Messiah's kingdom is accompanied by the arrival of God's wrath against the unfaithful. John describes the axe of God's judgment as being "even now" at the root of the trees. The religious leaders may have recognized John's reference to Scriptures like Isaiah 10:33–34 and Jeremiah 46:22.

John has already told them not to expect to be spared merely because they are descended from Abraham. God will always keep His promises to Israel, but He is not bound to spare every Israelite from His wrath. Those who do not bear good fruit—by leading holy, faithful lives—will be pruned from the tree. They will be cut down and thrown into the fire as dead branches from a tree are removed and used for fuel.

Matthew 3:1–12 introduces John the Baptist, preaching and baptizing in the wilderness of Judea near the Jordan River. John, dressed in camel hair and a leather belt in the style of the prophet Elijah, has a simple message: repent because the kingdom of heaven is coming. Crowds come from miles around, including even Israel's religious leaders. John calls those leaders vipers and warns that Messiah will bring the wrath of God against the unrepentant. The Messiah will baptize the repentant with the Holy Spirit and fire. The trees that do not bear fruit, spiritually speaking, will be cut down and burned.

Matthew introduces John the Baptist as a fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3. He is the voice crying in the wilderness as he prepares the way for the Lord. John calls the crowds who travel to hear him to repent from their sins. The kingdom of heaven is close! He also warns of God's judgment, specifically on Israel's spiritually-barren religious leaders. Finally, the Messiah he has been speaking of arrives and insists that John baptize Him. When he does, the heavens break open, the Holy Spirit comes to rest on Jesus, and the voice of God the Father says Jesus is His Son and that He is pleased with Him.

Matthew's story of Jesus jumps forward several decades from the moment when His family settled in Nazareth. This passage finds John the Baptist preaching about repentance in the wilderness and baptizing those who are willing. Crowds come from all around to hear John preach in the look and style of Elijah, including Israel's religious leaders. John warns them of God's coming judgment on those who do not truly repent. Jesus arrives and insists that John baptize Him. As Jesus emerges from the water, the heavens break open, the Holy Spirit descends to rest on Jesus in dove-like form, and the voice of God declares that Jesus is His Son. After this baptism, Jesus will be led into the desert to be tempted by Satan, in chapter 4.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.