Matthew 3:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Having said that he is the voice of one crying in the desert, the Evangelist well adds, John had his clothing of camel’s hair; thus shewing what his life was; for he indeed testified of Christ, but his life testified of himself. No one is fit to be another’s witness till he has first been his own.

The herald also proclaimed a call to repentance through his appearance, attire marked by mourning. It is stated that the camel occupies a position between clean and unclean animals: clean due to its ability to chew the cud, yet unclean because of its unpartitioned hooves. By serving as a bridge for both the seemingly righteous Jewish populace and the unclean Gentiles, John became a mediator between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, donning garments made from camel's hair. Throughout Scripture, the saints are depicted as girded, representing either their constant exertion in labor—unlike the negligent and indulged, such as the Saracens today—or their victory over the desires of sinful flesh, since the skin is derived from a lifeless creature. Some interpret 'acrides' as herbs, also referred to as melagra, while others consider them to be nuts or wild fruits. Wild honey, sourced from the work of feral bees, can be found within trees and nestled among rocks.

There exists a plant known as prugh, as Solomon instructs us, stating, ‘The almond will blossom, and the grasshopper will be weighed down (Ecclesiastes 12:5). However, wild honey is not simply any common herb; it is truly wild honey, quite bitter and unpleasant to all palates.

John was dressed in a robe made of camel's hair since our sacred Lamb had not yet been sheared.

His raiment of camel’s hair, not of wool—the one the mark of austerity in dress, the other of a delicate luxury.

He spoke of his attire and sustenance, underscoring their simplicity and hardship, which served to instruct him to be indifferent towards his physical form and to reject wastefulness. It is of little importance to ask who crafted his garments or the origin of his belt; what is far more remarkable is how he, having been a child raised in the wilderness, adapted to such an unstable environment from such a tender age. Understand this: just as God's providence provided for him in that instance, he was fortified through enduring various challenges. There are differing opinions regarding "acridia"; some believe they refer to the tops of certain herbs, others suggest it is a herb named acridus, while some consider it a type of insect.

For the preaching of John no place more suitable, no clothing more useful, no food more fitted.

Initially, the sublime life and profound humility of John are vividly illustrated. He who disregarded the world did not seek after its valuable attire; he who looked down upon worldly pleasures had no need for excess in nourishment. What value do fine earthly garments hold for one clothed in the robe of righteousness? And what delicacies from the earth would one long for who is sustained by heavenly truths, for whom the teachings of Christ serve as true sustenance? He who dedicated himself entirely to the divine, rejecting worldly distractions, certainly exemplifies the role of the Lord's forerunner, serving as both prophet and apostle of Christ.

The sustenance that John the Baptist consumed, often misinterpreted by some as living creatures like insects, were in fact the tender shoots of plants. Likewise, the honey he ate, referred to as wild honey, was truly honey harvested from mountainous regions by wild bees, known for its bitterness and unpalatability. Through this, John exemplified the profound trials he endured, not only through deprivation but also through the harshness of his conditions, as he disciplined all physical cravings.

When the Forerunner of Christ wore a garment made of coarse camel's hair, it symbolizes that Christ, who was to arrive, took on a mortal form tainted by the sins of humanity, wrapped as He was in the hair of the most unclean of animals, representing the Gentile nations, He carried their transgressions.

Furthermore, the leather belt illustrates that our frail flesh, which prior to Christ's arrival held sway over us, leading us to sin, was transformed to promote righteousness after His coming. Previously, due to a lack of self-control, it was overindulgent and bulky, but now, through self-discipline, it has become streamlined and refined.

Content with poor fare; to wit, small insects and honey gathered from the trunks of trees. In the sayings of Arnulphusa, Bishop of Gaul, we find that there was a very small kind of locust in the deserts of Judæa, with bodies about the thickness of a finger and short; they are easily taken among the grass, and when cooked in oil form a poor kind of food. He also relates, that in the same desert there is a kind of tree, with a large round leaf, of the colour of milk and taste of honey, so friable as to rub to powder in the hand, and this is what is intended by wild honey.

In this clothing and this poor food, he shews that he sorrows for the sins of the whole human race.

He could have chosen to craft garments from the wool of goats, yet there was no necessity for it. Instead, he selected the wool of the most unrefined creature, lacking in straightness, beauty, or elegance, one that nature had deemed fit for arduous labor, burdened with heavy loads, and subjected to severe toil. The teacher of repentance was to don such attire so that all who had strayed from the true faith and had become utterly marred by sin would take upon themselves the significant weight of repentance, subjecting themselves to harsh afflictions in pursuit of justification, and offering deep sighs of remorse.

The Lord is close at hand: He stands at the threshold of your heart, so prepare yourself to encounter Him! John, who mirrored Isaiah the prophet in his messages, also bore resemblance to the ancient prophet Elijah through his coarse attire and austere lifestyle of fasting. His stern, sun-weathered countenance marked by his fasting, his penetrating gaze, and his overall demeanor compelled listeners to pay heed. He was adorned with a mane of rough hair, long and spiky, and wore a leather belt, akin to that of Elijah. A belt traditionally symbolizes readiness for service, but a leather belt also indicates the mortification of the flesh.

This is not the fine hair of a camel, which is now used for making elegant garments, but rather a long, coarse, and prickly hair that in ancient times was utilized to create a rough fabric, similar to that which is still made in the East for the attire of the less fortunate and for monks. The prophet John the Baptist thus called people to repentance through both his message and his appearance, as he donned garments of mourning. It is noted that the camel is considered an animal that straddles the line between clean and unclean: it is deemed clean since it chews its cud but classified as unclean due to its un-split hooves.