John 3:23 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

Aenon is here said to be near Salim: it was the name of a city, as some think; others say, a river or brook near that city: neither the river nor the city are elsewhere mentioned in Scripture; but topographers place it on the eastern part of the lot of Manasseh, not far from Bethshan or Scythopolis. There John was baptizing; because this Aenon was a brook or river that had much water, which in Judea was rare. There is no water more holy than the other. John baptized in Jordan, and in Bethabara, and in Aenon. The ordinance sanctified the water, but did not require consecrated water for the due administration of it. It is from this apparent that both Christ and John baptized by dipping the body in the water, else they need not have sought places where had been a great plenty of water; yet it is probable that they did not constantly dip, from what we read of the apostles baptizing in houses, Acts 9:17,18 Acts 10:47,48. The people came to John and were baptized, that is, great numbers of them did so.

John 3:23

23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.