Lexical Summary Iordanés: Jordan Original Word: Ἰορδάνης Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jordan. Of Hebrew origin (Yarden); the Jordanes (i.e. Jarden), a river of Palestine -- Jordan. see HEBREW Yarden NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof Hebrew origin Yarden Definition the Jordan, the largest river of Pal. NASB Translation Jordan (15). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2446: ἸορδάνηςἸορδάνης, Ιορδάνου (Buttmann, 17), ὁ (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 18, 5 a.), (יַרְדֵּן, from יָרַד to descend; for other opinions about the origin of the name see Gesenius, Thesaurus, ii., p. 626 (cf. Alex.'s Kitto under the word Jordan)), the Jordan, the largest and most celebrated river of Palestine, which has its origin in numerous torrents and small streams at the foot of Anti-Lebanon, flows at first into Lake Samochonitis (Merom so-called; (modern: el-Huleh; see BB. DD. under the word Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting and Old Testament Background The Jordan River rises in the foothills of Mount Hermon, flows through the Sea of Galilee, and empties into the Dead Sea. In the Old Testament it marks both boundary and bridge. Israel under Joshua crossed the Jordan on dry ground (Joshua 3:14-17), entering covenant inheritance; Elijah and Elisha later re-enacted that miracle (2 Kings 2:8-14). Thus the river already carried connotations of divine intervention, covenant entrance, prophetic succession, and cleansing (2 Kings 5:14, Naaman). Symbolism of Crossing and Baptism Because the Jordan was where Israel “died” to wilderness wandering and arose to conquest, the river became a natural symbol of repentance and renewal. Immersion in its waters echoed the exodus pattern: death to the old life, emergence to the promised life. The prophets spoke of an eschatological washing (Ezekiel 36:25-27); the Jordan provided a tangible setting for that hope in the first century. The Ministry of John the Baptist All fifteen New Testament appearances of the term center on the Gospels’ description of John’s ministry. Crowds from “Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan” came confessing sins (Matthew 3:5-6). John’s choice of location was deliberate: his call to repentance paralleled Joshua’s call to consecration before entering the Land. By stepping into the Jordan, penitent Israelites were, in effect, re-crossing the boundary, acknowledging that mere physical descent from Abraham was insufficient without heart obedience. Jesus and the Jordan in the Gospel Narrative Matthew 3:13 records the deliberate journey: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.” This act identified Him with the remnant of Israel seeking cleansing and inaugurated His public ministry. Immediately after that baptism the heavens opened, the Spirit descended, and the Father’s voice authenticated the Son (Matthew 3:16-17), fulfilling Isaiah 42:1 and marking Jesus as the Servant-King who would lead a new exodus. Mark 1:9 underscores the same transition: Jesus comes “and is baptized in the Jordan.” Luke 3:3 notes that John was “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the whole region of the Jordan,” showing geographic reach and prophetic urgency. John 1:28, John 3:26, and John 10:40 mention later ministry east of the river, indicating that the Jordan corridor remained a strategic base for Jesus’ work even after John’s imprisonment. Patterns of Withdrawal and Advance On several occasions Jesus withdrew across the Jordan to escape hostile opposition (John 10:40). These retreats echo David’s flight across the Jordan (2 Samuel 17:22) and anticipate the Shepherd-King who would soon lay down His life. The crossing motifs therefore frame both the beginning (baptism) and the strategic pacing (withdrawals) of His public mission. Impact on Disciples and Early Preaching The Gospel writers preserved Jordan references to validate apostolic proclamation. Peter’s sermon in Caesarea draws a straight line: “after the baptism John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 10:37-38, implicit Jordan setting). The river thus became part of the apostolic kerygma: Messiah’s anointing, Spirit’s descent, Father’s approval. Theological Themes 1. Repentance and Cleansing: The Jordan scenes declare that entrance into God’s promises requires heart transformation, foreshadowing Christian baptism (Romans 6:3-4). Continuing Christian Reflection Pilgrims through the centuries have sought baptismal reaffirmation in the Jordan, not to replicate merit but to remember the gospel trajectory—repentance, identification with Christ, Spirit empowerment, entry into mission. Hymnody (“On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand”) and pastoral language often employ the river as metaphor for the believer’s passage from earthly toil to eternal rest, extending the river’s typology into eschatological hope. Summary The fifteen New Testament occurrences of the term focus exclusively on the Jordan River as the prophetic stage for John’s call and Jesus’ commissioning. Historically, the Jordan is boundary and gateway; theologically, it is symbol of repentance, judgment passed, and Spirit-anointed mission begun. From Israel’s earliest crossings to the Church’s ongoing proclamation, the Jordan stands as a perpetual reminder that God leads His people through death-to-life waters into covenant inheritance, ultimately fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations Ιορδανη Ἰορδάνῃ Ιορδανην Ἰορδάνην Ιορδανου Ἰορδάνου Iordane Iordanē Iordánei Iordánēi Iordanen Iordanēn Iordánen Iordánēn Iordanou IordánouLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 3:5 N-GMSGRK: περίχωρος τοῦ Ἰορδάνου NAS: the district around the Jordan; KJV: all the region round about Jordan, INT: region around of Jordan Matthew 3:6 N-DMS Matthew 3:13 N-AMS Matthew 4:15 N-GMS Matthew 4:25 N-GMS Matthew 19:1 N-GMS Mark 1:5 N-DMS Mark 1:9 N-AMS Mark 3:8 N-GMS Mark 10:1 N-GMS Luke 3:3 N-GMS Luke 4:1 N-GMS John 1:28 N-GMS John 3:26 N-GMS John 10:40 N-GMS Strong's Greek 2446 |
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