Bible Strands
Mark 1:5
People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Crowds from Jerusalem and Judea travel to John the Baptist to receive baptism. This occurs immediately after John begins preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the wilderness.
The words — ἐξεπορεύετο (exeporeueto) translates literally to "were going out," detailing the outward movement of the crowds. πᾶσα (pasa) and χῶρα (chōra) combine to mean "all the region," emphasizing the geographic scope of those responding.
The thread — The text records people confessing their sins before baptism, paralleling Leviticus 26:40 on national confession and Acts 19:18 on believers disclosing their deeds. Matthew 3:5 documents the identical event, confirming the widespread movement to the Jordan River.
Why it lands — The passage requires explicit confession of sin as the necessary condition for receiving John's baptism. Readers must acknowledge that physical proximity to a prophet carries no weight without the accompanying admission of guilt.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
Cross-references
- Leviticus 26:40 But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me—
- Acts 19:18 Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.
- Matthew 3:5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan.
- Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Joshua 7:19 So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
- Psalms 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
- Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
- Matthew 4:25 Large crowds followed Him, having come from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
- John 1:28 All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
- John 3:23 Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized.