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Luke 3

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The Ministry of John the Baptist Begins 1–6

1
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, ​
2
Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. ​
3
And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; ​
4
As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ​
5
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. ​

John Preaches Repentance and Judgment 7–14

7
Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ​
8
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. ​
9
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. ​
10
And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11
He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. ​
12
Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? ​
13
And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14
And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. ​

John Points to the Messiah 15–20

15
And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; ​
16
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: ​
17
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. ​
18
And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.
19
But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, ​
20
Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus 21–22

21
Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, ​
22
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. ​

The Genealogy of Jesus 23–38

23
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, ​
24
Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,
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Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,
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Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,
27
Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, ​
28
Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,
29
Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,
30
Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,
31
Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, ​
32
Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
33
Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
34
Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,
35
Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,
36
Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
37
Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,
38
Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Luke 3

Verse 1

fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar — Luke dates by the emperor, then by rulers of the land: Pilate (hegemoneuo, to act as ruler) and three tetrarchs (tetrarcheo, from the ruler of a fourth part). Pilate is the governor of Matt 27:2; Herod is the one who bound John (Mark 6:17).

Verse 2

the word of God came unto John — Rhema, an utterance. The formula is that of the prophets: 'the word of the LORD came unto Jonah' (Jonah 1:1). 'In the wilderness' answers Luke 1:80, where John 'was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel'. Annas and Caiaphas: see John 18:24.

Verse 3

baptism of repentance for the remission of sins — Metanoia is a change of mind issuing in reformation; aphesis, 'remission', is release or pardon, the word of Luke 1:77, 'by the remission of their sins'. Paul later calls it 'the baptism of repentance' (Acts 19:4).

Verse 4

The voice of one crying in the wilderness — Isa 40:3, which John applies to himself: 'I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness' (John 1:23). Phone is the voice, boao a shout. 'Paths' is tribos, a worn track. Luke continues the quotation through vv.5–6 (Isa 40:4–5).

Verse 6

all flesh shall see the salvation of God — Closes the quotation from Isa 40:5, 'all flesh shall see it together'. Soterion is salvation, the neuter noun from the word for deliverance, the word of Simeon, 'mine eyes have seen thy salvation' (Luke 2:30), who called the child 'a light to lighten the Gentiles' (Luke 2:32).

Verse 7

O generation of vipers — Gennema is offspring, echidna a poisonous snake. Matt 3:7 records the same words to 'many of the Pharisees and Sadducees'; Christ uses them himself (Matt 12:34; 23:33). 'The wrath to come' (orge) is the judgment of vv.9, 17.

Verse 8

fruits worthy of repentance — Axios, of equal weight with. The fruit is that of the Spirit (Gal 5:22): love, joy, peace. Descent is no shelter: 'We have Abraham to our father' is answered by God raising 'children unto Abraham' (egeiro, to rouse up) from stones.

Verse 9

the axe is laid unto the root — Axine, an axe, laid at the rhiza, root; 'now' (ede) is 'already'. 'Hewn down' is ekkopto, cut out, the word of the owner's verdict on the fruitless fig tree, 'cut it down' (Luke 13:7); the vinedresser then pleads for one more year (Luke 13:8–9).

Verse 11

two coats — Chiton is the tunic worn next the skin; 'impart' is metadidomi, to give over a share. The command echoes Isa 58:7, 'when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him', and the apostle John's 'whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need' (1 John 3:17).

Verse 12

publicans — Telones, a collector of public revenue, here with the crowd at the baptism. 'Master' is didaskalos, teacher. Luke records that the publicans, 'being baptized with the baptism of John', 'justified God' (Luke 7:29), while the Pharisees murmured of Christ, 'This man receiveth sinners' (Luke 15:2).

Verse 14

Do violence to no man — Diaseio, to shake thoroughly, hence to intimidate for gain. 'Accuse any falsely' is sykophanteo, to act as informer (source of 'sycophant'). 'Wages' is opsonion, a soldier's rations and pay. The soldiers (strateuomai, those on campaign) are told to keep their calling honestly.

Verse 15

mused in their hearts — Dialogizomai, to reason through; the people were in prosdokao, expectation, of 'the Christ' (Christos, the Anointed). John's denial is on record: 'I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him' (John 3:28; cf. John 1:19–20).

Verse 16

with the Holy Ghost and with fire — 'Mightier' is ischyros; the 'latchet' (himas) is the sandal strap. The baptism with the Spirit is promised again by Christ: 'ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence' (Acts 1:5), and recalled by Peter (Acts 11:16).

Verse 17

Whose fan is in his hand — Ptyon, a winnowing fork that tosses threshed grain so the wind drives off the chaff (Ps 1:4). Halon is the threshing floor, apotheke the granary, asbestos 'unquenchable'. The same sentence stands in Matt 3:12; Christ's own harvest picture is in Matt 13:30.

Verse 19

being reproved by him — Elencho, to convict or expose a fault. The reproof is reported in Mark 6:18: 'It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.' Herod the tetrarch is the Herod of v.1; Herodias was the wife of his brother Philip (Matt 14:3–4).

Verse 21

and praying, the heaven was opened — Proseuchomai, to pray to God; Luke names Jesus at prayer here and at other times (Luke 5:16). Anoigo, 'was opened', is the word for opening up; the sight is given to John, who bore record of the Spirit descending (John 1:32).

Verse 22

a bodily shape like a dove — Somatikos (bodily) eidos (appearance): the Spirit is seen, as John testified, 'like a dove' (John 1:32). The voice, 'Thou art my Son', takes up Ps 2:7; eudokeo, 'well pleased', is the verb of the Father's voice at the transfiguration (Matt 17:5).

Verse 23

about thirty years of age — Archomai, 'began': thirty was the age at which service in the tabernacle began (Num 4:3). 'As was supposed' is nomizo, to reckon by custom, as the Nazareth hearers asked, 'Is not this Joseph's son?' (Luke 4:22). Matt 1:16 names Jacob as Joseph's father; the two lists are traced differently.

Verse 27

Zorobabel… Salathiel — The list passes through the two names that also stand in Matt 1:12, 'Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel'. Here Salathiel is called the son of Neri. Zorobabel (Hebrew Zerubbabel) led the return from Babylon in the line of David.

Verse 31

Nathan, which was the son of David — Nathan was born to David at Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:14; 1 Chr 3:5), as was Solomon, through whom Matthew traces the line: 'David the king begat Solomon' (Matt 1:6). Luke's route to Jesus runs through David's son Nathan; 'the house of Nathan' is named in Zech 12:12.

Verse 38

which was the son of God — The list ends with Adam, whom 'the LORD God formed… of the dust of the ground' (Gen 2:7), a son by creation, and stands directly after the Father's word 'Thou art my beloved Son' (v.22). Paul sets 'the first man Adam' beside 'the last Adam' (1 Cor 15:45).