Matthew 3:16

Kαὶ βαπτισθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδού ἀνεῴχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί καὶ εἶδεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν·

And when he had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him;

Matt 3:16 [Textus Receptus (Elzevir) (1624)]
Καὶ βαπτισθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνέβη εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδού, ἀνεῴχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδε τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν, καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν.

MSS: 8, 10, 11 (f19r-v), 12 (p50-51), 18, 35, 43, 157, 230 (f19rc2), 490, 500, 556 (f5v)

Matt 3:16 [Peshitta]
ܟ݁ܰܕ݂ ܥܡܰܕ݂ ܕ݁ܶܝܢ ܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܡܶܚܕ݂ܳܐ ܣܠܶܩ ܡܶܢ ܡܰܝܳܐ ܘܶܐܬ݂ܦ݁ܬ݂ܰܚܘ ܠܶܗ ܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܘܰܚܙܳܐ ܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܕ݁ܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܕ݁ܢܳܚܬ݁ܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ݂ ܝܰܘܢܳܐ ܘܶܐܬ݂ܳܬ݂ ܥܠܰܘܗ݈ܝ܂

Matt 3:16 [Old Syriac Curetonian (Codex Curetonianus Syriacus sy^c)]
ܘܥܡܕ ܗܘܐ ܝܫܘܥ܂ ܘܟܕ ܥܡܕ܂ ܒܗܿ ܒܫܥܬܐ ܕܣܠܩ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܢ ܡ̈ܝܐ܂ ܘܗܐ ܐܬܦܬܚܘ ܫܡܝܐ܂ ܘܚܙܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܕܢܚܬܬ ܐܝܟ ܝܘܢܐ ܘܩܘܝܬ ܥܠܘܗܝ܂

Matt 3:16 [Old Syriac Sinaitic (Codex Sinaiticus Syriacus sy^s)]
ܘܟܕ ܥܡܕ ܘܣܠܩ ܡܢ ܡܝܐ ܘܗܐ ܐܬܦܬܚܘ ܫܡܝܐ ܘܚܙܐ ܪܘܚܐ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܕܢܚܬܬ ܒܕܡܘܬܐ ܕܝܘܢܐ ܘܩܘܝܬ ܥܠܘܗܝ

Matt 3:16 [Vulgate]
baptizatus autem confestim ascendit de aqua et ecce aperti sunt ei caeli et vidit Spiritum Dei descendentem sicut columbam venientem super se

Early Church Fathers

(1) Eusebius of Caesarea (Demonstratio Evangelica, p418, 2, Eusebius Werke, Ivar A. Heikel)
βαπτισθεὶς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ ἀνεῴχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδεν τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν, καὶ μένον ἐπ’ αὐτόν,

Critical Apparatus :

(1) και βαπτισθεις : E, K, M, S, W, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 22, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority
(2) και βαπτσθεις : L*
(3) και βαπτησθεις : L¹
(4) βαπτισθεις δε : א, B, C, 4, 13, 892, Peshitta, Vulgate, Bohairic, Sahidic
(5) OMIT καὶ βαπτισθεις : Δ

(6) ανεβη ευθυς : C, E, K, L, M, S, Δ, Σ, Ω, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501?, 504, 505, 556, 699, 892, 1424, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority
(7) ευθυς ανεβη : א, B, W, 1, 33?, 113, 700, 1203, 1582, Peshitta (ܡܶܚܕ݂ܳܐ ܣܠܶܩ)
(8) ευθεις ανεβη : 901

(9) υδατος : א, B, C, E, K, L, M, S, W, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 33, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority
(10) ιδατος : Δ

(11) ανεωχθησαν : א, C, E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 22, 33, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority, Eusebius of Caesarea
(12) ηνεωχθησαν : B, 13, 1203

(13) αυτω : C, E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 33?, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority, Peshitta, Eusebius of Caesarea
(14) OMIT αυτω : א, B

(15) ειδε : 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 18, 35, 43, 72, 83, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 490, 500, 504, 505, 556, 700, 892, 901, 1203, Eusebius of Caesarea
(16) ειδεν : א, B, E, M, S, Ω, 1, 3, 22, 34, 36, 44, 65, 476, 699, 1424, 1582, 2835, ℓ1086, Eusebius of Caesarea
(17) ιδε : 9, 501, 2603
(18) ιδεν : C, K, L, W, Δ, Σ, 13, 109, 478

(19) το πνευμα : E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority, Eusebius of Caesarea
(20) OMIT το : א, B

(21) του θεου : C, E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83,  109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority, Eusebius of Caesarea
(22) OMIT του : א, B

(23) καταβαινον : א, B, C, E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 33?, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority, Eusebius of Caesarea
(24) καταβαινων : Ω
(25) καταβαινοντα εκ του ουρανου : D

(26) ωσει : א, B, C, E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 33, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority, Eusebius of Caesarea
(27) ως : D (ως = ωσει ?)

(28) περιστεραν : א, B, C, D, E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 33?, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority
(29) ADD εξ ουρανου : 505

(30) και ερχομενον : C, D, E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 33?, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority, Eusebius of Caesarea
(31) OMIT και (iv) : B, א^*

(32) επ : א, B, D¹, E, K, L, M, S, W, Δ, Σ, Ω, 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 22, 34, 35, 36, 43, 44, 65, 72, 83, 109, 113, 157, 201, 230, 438, 439, 476, 478, 490, 500, 501, 504, 505, 556, 699, 700, 892, 901, 1203, 1424, 1582, 2603, 2835, ℓ1086, Majority, Eusebius of Caesarea
(33) εις : D*, Eusebius?
(34) προ : C
(35) προς : 7

ΙΔ / Α :

K (f18v), S (f22rc1), Ω (f25c2), 9 (f13r-v), 10 (f11v-12r), 11 (f19r-v), 34 (f20v-21r), 36 (f21v), 43 (f15v), 44 (f17v-18r), 113 (f30v), 476 (f11v), 478 (f12v), 500 (f13v), 556 (f5v), 699 (f4r), 700 (f18r-v), 892 (f26v), 901 (f11v-12r), 1582 (f10v)

ΙΔ / Ι :

2603 (f8v|20)

Tischendorf Mt 3:16

A Textual Commentary On Matthew 3:16

(a) Καὶ βαπτισθεὶς or βαπτισθεὶς δὲ? Καὶ and δὲ are often interchanged by the scribes, and when conjoined, not infrequently one or the other was expunged as superfluous. But where the manuscripts fluctuate between καὶ and δὲ, internal evidence, more particularly in Matthew and John, is in favour of the former, as being Hellenistic and founded on the Hebrew idiom. Compare Rom 4:3 and James 2:23 with Gen 15:6 in the Septuagint.

(b) καὶ εἶδεν τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν – like a dove : see Philo’s Quis Rerum Divinarum Heres sit (Who is the Heir of Divine Things?) where Philo compares Wisdom with a dove.

XLVIII. (234) For our own mind is here compared to a dove, since that is a creature which is tame and domesticated among us; and the turtle dove is compared to the model presented by the other, that is to say, by the mind of the world, the heaven; for the word of God is fond of retirement, and solitude, and privacy; not mixing itself up with the crowd of things which have been created and will be destroyed, but being at all times accustomed to roam on high, and being anxious to be an attendant only on the one supreme Being. Therefore, the two natures are indivisible; the nature, I mean, of the reasoning power in us, and of the divine Word above us; but though they are indivisible themselves, they divide an innumerable multitude of other things. (235) For it is the divine Word which divided and distributed every thing in nature; and it is our own mind which divides every thing and every body which it comprehends, by the exertion of its intellect in an infinite manner, into an infinite number of parts, and which, in fact, never ceased from dividing. (236) And this happens by reason of its resemblance to the Creator and Father of the universe; for the divine nature, being unmingled, uncombined with any thing else, and most completely destitute of parts, has been to the whole world the cause of mixture, and combination, and of an infinite variety of parts: so that, very naturally, the two things which thus resemble each other, both the mind which is in us and that which is above us, being without parts and indivisible, will still be able in a powerful manner to divide and distribute all existing things.

(c) This verse is far nearer to Matt. than to the other accounts, with one very noticeable exception, ‘in shape of a dove’ : cf. Luke iii. 22, ‘in a bodily shape like a dove.’ Hilgenfeld quotes Irenaeus (copied also by Hippolytus), Epiphanius, and Theodoret, all of whom say that Kerinthus and his sect held that the Spirit descended into him in shape of a dove.’ We know that the Kerinthians used Matthew, if not the Gospel according to the Hebrews.
Prof. Westcott (Introduction, 467) renders which came down and came upon him. ‘But entering into him ’ is the natural and almost necessary rendering of εισελθούσης εις αὐτόν ; in the N. T. for instance there is not a single passage in which eis is used merely of motion to a person.
In Matt. iii. 16 D and Eusebius read ἐρχόμενον εις αὐτόν, ‘coming into him,’ instead of ἐ. ἐπ’ αὐτόν, ‘coming upon him,’ while C E and some cursives have προς ‘to,’ which points to eis as the original reading. In Mark i. 10 B D 13. 69. and a few others (followed by Tischendorf, Tregelles, and Alford) read εις. And in Lake iii. 22 D, the Old Latin, the revised Latin, and the Vulgate all have the same. To my mind this version of the descent of the Holy Spirit is to (the much more intelligible one. No evangelist says that the dove flew away, and John (i. 32, tells as positively that it abode (εμεινεν, “remained”) upon him, ‘pointing to the Spirit “as not removing from Jesus ‘ (Alford). It would thus become, at least in appearance, fused in him. In this way the supernatural cha racter of the dove would be manifest ; but if on the other hand the dove flew away there would be no evidence of its being more than a mere dove. That Luke speaks of the Spirit as descending ‘in bodily shape of a dove’ does not in the least militate against such an explanation of the evangelic tradition : bodily shape does not necessitate bodily substance.
The various MS. readings yield strong reason to believe that ‘into’ was the original reading in Matthew, and in Luke we find 2nd cent. authority for it – older than any for ‘upon’ (in the parallel passage of Mark this authority is on the other side).
But, although Eusebius and Jerome (in the Vulgate of Luke) adopt this reading without suspicion, it was dangerously convenient for those who maintained that the divine Christ entered into the man Jesus at baptism : hence it would be glossed, and the gloss would pass into the text, or the pious copyist, fearful of sowing error, might even think it allowable to avoid that danger by changing a preposition.
(E.B. Nicholson, The Gospel According to the Hebrews, pp. 39-40)