Fathers

Matthew 3

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In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!” Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. “Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.” Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?” But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him. Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

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What the Fathers say

Matthew 3:4

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins." Observe, how the prophets foretold some things, others they left to the evangelists. Wherefore also Matthew both sets down the guided by what they then beheld, to the memory of that blessed man; or rather, even to a greater astonishment. For the one indeed was brought up in cities and in houses, the other dwelt entirely in the wilderness from his very swaddling clothes. …

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 10 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Now this John wore a garment of camel's hair. Even by his appearance John called them to repentance, for he wore the garb of mourning. It is said that the camel is somewhere between a clean and unclean animal: it is clean in that it chews its cud, but it is unclean in that its hoof is not cloven (Levit. 11:1-8). Another reason, then, that John wore camel's hair is that he was leading to God both the Jewish people, who appeared clean, and the Gentiles, who were unclean, and he was a mediator between the Old and the New Testaments. …

Commentary on Matthew ↗

Western Saints

Jerome

Now John himself had a garment made of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist. He said, 'It is made of hair, not wool.' The type of clothing indicates austerity, not luxury. The leather belt that he wore, just like Elijah, is a symbol of mortification (IV Kings 1). Furthermore, what follows is... But his food was locusts and wild honey. It is fitting for a dweller of solitude to fulfill not the delights of food, but the necessity of human flesh.

Commentary on Matthew ↗

Gregory the Dialogist

And there are some who do not think that the wearing of fine and costly garments is a sin. But if indeed it were not a fault, the Word of God would never so carefully express that the rich man who is tormented in hell had been clothed in fine linen and purple. For no one seeks exceptional garments except for vainglory, that is, to appear more honorable than others. …

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 40 ↗

Hilary of Poitiers

For the preaching of John no place more suitable, no clothing more useful, no food more fitted. The preacher of Christ is clad in the skins of unclean beasts, to which the Gentiles are compared, and so by the Prophets' dress is sanctified whatever in them was useless or unclean. The girdle is a thing of much efficacy to every good work, that we may be girt for every ministry of Christ. …

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗