1 Now G1161 in G1722 the fifteenth G4003 year G2094 of the reign G2231 of Tiberius G5086 Caesar, G2541 Pontius G4194 Pilate G4091 being governor G2230 of Judaea, G2449 and G2532 Herod G2264 being tetrarch G5075 of Galilee, G1056 and G1161 his G846 brother G80 Philip G5376 tetrarch G5075 of Ituraea G2484 and G2532 of the region G5561 of Trachonitis, G5139 and G2532 Lysanias G3078 the tetrarch G5075 of Abilene, G9
2 Annas G452 and G2532 Caiaphas G2533 being G1909 the high priests, G749 the word G4487 of God G2316 came G1096 unto G1909 John G2491 the son G5207 of Zacharias G2197 in G1722 the wilderness. G2048
3 And G2532 he came G2064 into G1519 all G3956 the country about G4066 Jordan, G2446 preaching G2784 the baptism G908 of repentance G3341 for G1519 the remission G859 of sins; G266
4 As G5613 it is written G1125 in G1722 the book G976 of the words G3056 of Esaias G2268 the prophet, G4396 saying, G3004 The voice G5456 of one crying G994 in G1722 the wilderness, G2048 Prepare ye G2090 the way G3598 of the Lord, G2962 make G4160 his G846 paths G5147 straight. G2117
5 Every G3956 valley G5327 shall be G2071 filled, G4137 and G2532 every G3956 mountain G3735 and G2532 hill G1015 shall be brought low; G5013 and G2532 the crooked G4646 shall be made G1519 straight, G2117 and G2532 the rough G5138 ways G3598 shall be made G1519 smooth; G3006
6 And G2532 all G3956 flesh G4561 shall see G3700 the salvation G4992 of God. G2316
7 Then G3767 said G3004 he to the multitude G3793 that came forth G1607 to be baptized G907 of G5259 him, G846 O generation G1081 of vipers, G2191 who G5101 hath warned G5263 you G5213 to flee G5343 from G575 the wrath G3709 to come? G3195
8 Bring forth G4160 therefore G3767 fruits G2590 worthy G514 of repentance, G3341 and G2532 begin G756 not G3361 to say G3004 within G1722 yourselves, G1438 We have G2192 Abraham G11 to our father: G3962 for G1063 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 God G2316 is able G1410 of G1537 these G5130 stones G3037 to raise up G1453 children G5043 unto Abraham. G11
9 And G1161 now G2235 also G2532 the axe G513 is laid G2749 unto G4314 the root G4491 of the trees: G1186 every G3956 tree G1186 therefore G3767 which bringeth G4160 not G3361 forth G4160 good G2570 fruit G2590 is hewn down, G1581 and G2532 cast G906 into G1519 the fire. G4442
10 And G2532 the people G3793 asked G1905 him, G846 saying, G3004 What G5101 shall we do G4160 then? G3767
11 He answereth G611 and G1161 saith G3004 unto them, G846 He that hath G2192 two G1417 coats, G5509 let him impart G3330 to him that hath G2192 none; G3361 and G2532 he that hath G2192 meat, G1033 let him do G4160 likewise. G3668
12 Then G1161 came G2064 also G2532 publicans G5057 to be baptized, G907 and G2532 said G2036 unto G4314 him, G846 Master, G1320 what G5101 shall we do? G4160
13 And G1161 he said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 Exact G4238 no G3367 more G4119 than G3844 that which is appointed G1299 you. G5213
14 And G1161 the soldiers G4754 likewise G2532 demanded G1905 of him, G846 saying, G3004 And G2532 what G5101 shall we G2249 do? G4160 And G2532 he said G2036 unto G4314 them, G846 Do violence G1286 to no man, G3367 neither G3366 accuse any falsely; G4811 and G2532 be content G714 with your G5216 wages. G3800
15 And G1161 as the people G2992 were in expectation, G4328 and G2532 all men G3956 mused G1260 in G1722 their G846 hearts G2588 of G4012 John, G2491 whether G3379 he G846 were G1498 the Christ, G5547 or not; G3379
16 John G2491 answered, G611 saying G3004 unto them all, G537 I G1473 indeed G3303 baptize G907 you G5209 with water; G5204 but G1161 one mightier than G2478 I G3450 cometh, G2064 the latchet G2438 of whose G3739 G846 shoes G5266 I am G1510 not G3756 worthy G2425 to unloose: G3089 he G846 shall baptize G907 you G5209 with G1722 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 and G2532 with fire: G4442
17 Whose G3739 fan G4425 is in G1722 his G846 hand, G5495 and G2532 he will throughly purge G1245 his G846 floor, G257 and G2532 will gather G4863 the wheat G4621 into G1519 his G846 garner; G596 but G1161 the chaff G892 he will burn G2618 with fire G4442 unquenchable. G762
18 And G2532 G3767 many G4183 other G2087 things G4183 G3303 in his exhortation G3870 preached G2097 he unto the people. G2992
19 But G1161 Herod G2264 the tetrarch, G5076 being reproved G1651 by G5259 him G846 for G4012 Herodias G2266 his G846 brother G80 Philip's G5376 wife, G1135 and G2532 for G4012 all G3956 the evils G4190 which G3739 Herod G2264 had done, G4160
20 Added G4369 yet G2532 this G5124 above G1909 all, G3956 that G2532 he shut up G2623 John G2491 in G1722 prison. G5438
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Luke 3
Commentary on Luke 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
Nothing is related concerning our Lord Jesus from his twelfth year to his entrance on his thirtieth year. We often think it would have been a pleasure and advantage to us if we had journals, or at least annuls, of occurrences concerning him; but we have as much as Infinite Wisdom thought fit to communicate to us, and, if we improve not that, neither should we have improved more if we had had it. The great intention of the evangelists was to give us an account of the gospel of Christ, which we are to believe, and by which we hope for salvation: now that began in the ministry and baptism of John, and therefore they hasten to give us an account of that. We could wish, perhaps, that Luke had wholly passed by what was related by Matthew and Mark, and had written only what was new, as he has done in his two first chapters. But it was the will of the Spirit that some things should be established out of the mouth, not only of two, but of three witnesses; and we must not reckon it a needless repetition, nor shall we do so if we renew out meditations upon these things, with suitable affections. In this chapter we have,
Luk 3:1-14
John's baptism introducing a new dispensation, it was requisite that we should have a particular account of it. Glorious things were said of John, what a distinguished favourite of Heaven he should be, and what a great blessing to this earth (ch. 1:15, 17); but we lost him in the deserts, and there he remains until the day of his showing unto Israel, ch. 1:80. And now at last that day dawns, and a welcome day it was to them that waited for it more than they that waited for the morning. Observe here,
Luk 3:15-20
We are now drawing near to the appearance of our Lord Jesus publicly; the Sun will not be long after the morning-star. We are here told,
The evangelist concludes his account of John's preaching with an et caetera (v. 18): Many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people, which are not recorded.
Luk 3:21-38
The evangelist mentioned John's imprisonment before Christ's being baptized, though it was nearly a year after it, because he would finish the story of John's ministry, and then introduce that of Christ. Now here we have,
One difficulty occurs between Abraham and Noah, which gives us some perplexity, v. 35, 36. Sala is said to be the son of Cainan, and he the son of Arphaxad, whereas Sala was the son of Arphaxad (Gen. 10:24; 11:12), and there is no such man as Cainan found there. But, as to that, it is sufficient to say that the Seventy Interpreters, who, before our Saviour's time, translated the Old Testament into Greek, for reasons best known to themselves inserted that Cainan; and St. Luke, writing among the Hellenist Jews, was obliged to make use of that translation, and therefore to take it as he found it.
The genealogy concludes with this, who was the son of Adam, the son of God.