John 3:23 tells us that John the Baptist was also baptizing people at Enon, a place near Salim, and the reason he chose that spot was that it had plenty of water. The verse is a simple travel and logistics note, but it also shows John’s ministry continuing alongside Jesus’s own work in Judea. John the Baptist is the speaker, and the verse is written by the Gospel writer John, who describes the scene for readers who knew the region.
John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized.
John 3:23 (WEB)
What John 3:23 Means
The phrase “John also was baptizing” links John’s work to what the previous verse described, where Jesus had come into Judea and was baptizing there. The word “also” tells you that two baptizing ministries were happening at the same time, and neither one replaced the other. The Gospel is not hiding a rivalry here. It is simply recording that both men were active.
“In Enon near Salim, because there was much water there” explains the choice of location. Baptism in this period involved full immersion, so a place with a good supply of water was practical. The verse does not describe a theology of water or claim that water itself does anything. It gives a plain reason for where John set up.
The last sentence, “They came, and were baptized,” shows people responding in large numbers. The verse does not say why they came, what they believed, or what the baptism meant to each person. It is a short report of what happened. It promises nothing for the reader beyond an accurate picture of John’s early work.
The Context of John 3:23
John’s Gospel was written late in the first century and is traditionally attributed to the apostle John. Its readers were primarily Christians who needed to understand who Jesus was and how his coming related to the earlier work of John the Baptist. Verse 23 sits inside a passage (3:22-26) that is careful to show John as the one who prepared the way, not as a rival to Jesus.
Just before this verse, Jesus is in Judea baptizing, and just after it, the Gospel explains that John had not yet been thrown into prison. Verse 24 makes sure you know the timing: John’s ministry was still open at this point. Verse 25 then introduces a dispute between John’s disciples and some Jews about purification. Read in that setting, the verse helps explain why questions about baptism were coming up at all.
Key Phrases in John 3:23
John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.
(WEB)
This verse, spoken by John himself, expresses his view that Jesus must increase while he must decrease. It helps you see how John understood his own role alongside the work described in verse 23.
Matthew 3:5-6
5 Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. 6 They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
(WEB)
Matthew describes the crowds coming out to John and being baptized in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. It gives a fuller picture of the same ministry John’s Gospel mentions briefly in verse 23.
A Short Prayer From John 3:23
Lord, you were at work through John the Baptist and through your Son in the same land, and nothing was wasted in that season. Help me to be faithful in the place you have given me, without measuring my work against what others are doing. Give me a steady heart when I am not the center of attention, and make me willing to point others toward you. Let the people who come to you find a real welcome, and let my life be a quiet witness to your faithfulness. Amen.
