Matthew 3:1 is the first verse of the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse takes up the narrative some thirty years after Matthew 2:23, beginning the account of Jesus' ministry. This verse introduces the figure of John the Baptist. Content In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, The World English Bible translates the passage as: In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, The Novum Testamentum Graece text is: Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις παραγίνεται Ἰωάνης ὁ βαπτιστὴς κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, For a collection of other versions see BibleHub Matthew 3:1. Other versions which refer to "John the Baptizer" include the Bible in Worldwide English (1996) and the Bible League International's Easy-to-Read Version (ERV, 2006). Analysis Unlike the infancy narrative, this verse begins a section that is closely paralleled in Mark 1 and Luke 3. According to the theory of Markan Priority, both Matthew and Luke are rewritten versions of Mark. Keener notes that the hypothetical Q source also likely begins with John, explaining the overlap between Matthew and Luke in the non Markan-material, and why there is so little overlap in the nativity story. The phrase "in those days" marks a substantial shift of time frame from the previous verse. Matthew nowhere indicates how long this break is, but Luke places it as some thirty years. Biblical commentator David Hill notes that "in those days" is frequently used as an indication that important events are taking place. To him the phrase thus more accurately means "in those crucial days". Other scholars, such as R. T. France and John Nolland, take a different view. They see the word those as a direct reference to Matthew 2:23 and thus treat the phrase as meaning "in those days that he lived in Nazareth". This verse introduces the character of John the Baptist. Guthrie notes that John likely does not need much of an introduction to Matthew's largely Jewish readers, as he was a well-known figure at the time. Unlike Luke, Matthew gives none of John's early history: John is a much less important character in Matthew than in the other gospels, appearing only in a supporting role to Jesus. While Matthew and Luke refer to John the Baptist, Mark