Luke 3:16

John answered, and said to all men, I baptize you in water; but a stronger (One) than I shall come after me, of whom I am not worthy to unbind the lace [or the thong] of his shoes; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire (or he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire).

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

In Context

15When all the people guessed, and all men thought in their hearts of John, lest peradventure he were Christ (or that perhaps he was the Messiah),

17Whose winnowing tool, or fan, is in his hand, and he shall purge his floor of corn, [or and he shall purge his cornfloor], (or and he shall purge his floor of grain, or his threshing floor), and shall gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he shall burn with fire unquenchable.

Read all of Luke 3

Cross References

Isaiah 4:4for the Lord washeth away the filths of the daughters of Zion, and washeth (away) the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, in the spirit of doom, and in the spirit of heat, (or by the spirit of judgement, and by the spirit of burning).

Isaiah 44:3For I shall shed out waters on the thirsty, and floods on the dry land; I shall shed out my spirit on thy seed, and my blessing on thy generation. (For I shall pour out water upon the thirsty land, and floods upon the dry ground; I shall pour out my Spirit upon thy children, and my blessing upon thy descendants.)

Joel 2:28And it shall be, after these things I shall shed out my spirit on each man, (or And it shall be, after these things I shall pour out my spirit upon everyone); and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your eld men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

Malachi 3:2and who shall be able to think (on) the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? For he shall be as fire welling together, and as the herb of fullers, either tuckers; (and then who shall be able to even think, let alone endure, on the day of his coming? and who shall be able to stand firm to see him? For he shall be like a fire welling together, or purging and refining, and like fuller’s, or tucker’s, soap;)

Mark 1:7and preached, and said, A stronger than I shall come after me, and I am not worthy to kneel down, and unloose, [or to undo, or unbind], [the thong of] his shoes.

John 1:33And I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize in water, said to me, On whom thou seest the Spirit coming down, and dwelling on him, this is he, that baptizeth in the Holy Ghost, (or this is he, who baptizeth with the Holy Spirit).

Matthew Henry on Luke 3:16-21

Imprisonment of John the Baptist. 15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Luke 3:16