Lux Domini

Luke 3

Chapter context

What is happening in Luke 3?

salvationSpiritprayerjoy

Luke 3 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as infancy narratives and preparation. Luke emphasizes salvation for the poor and the outsider, prayer, joy, women, table fellowship, the Holy Spirit, and the universal reach of Christ’s mission. Read this chapter with the wider themes of salvation, Spirit, and prayer in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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.   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.   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.   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.   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,   25 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,   26 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.  

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Glossary

Abilene Place v. 1

A plain, a district lying on the east slope of the Anti-Lebanon range; so called from its chief town, Abila ( Luke 3:1 ), which stood in the Suk Wady Barada. Modern identification: Souq Wadi Barada.

Galilee Place v. 1, 19

Biblical region. Modern identification: Galilee.

Ituraea Place v. 1

A district in the north-east of Palestine, forming, along with the adjacent territory of Trachonitis, the tetrarchy of Philip ( Luke 3:1 ). The present Jedur comprehends the chief part of Ituraea. Modern identification: Mount Hermon.

Judea Place v. 1

Biblical region. Modern identification: Jerusalem.

Tetrarch Person v. 1, 19

Strictly the ruler over the fourth part of a province; but the word denotes a ruler of a province generally ( Matt. 14:1 ; Luke 3:1 , 19; 9:7; Acts 13:1 ).

Trachonitis Place v. 1

A rugged region, corresponds to the Heb. Argob (q. v. ), the Greek name of a region on the east of Jordan ( Luke 3:1 ); one of the five Roman provinces into which that district was divided. Modern identification: Lajat.

Annas Person v. 2

Was high priest A. D. 7-14. In A. D.

John Person v. 2, 15-16, 20

(1. ) One who, with Annas and Caiaphas, sat in judgment on the apostles Peter and John ( Acts 4:6 ). He was of the kindred of the high priest; otherwise unknown. (2. ) The Hebrew name of Mark (q. v. ).

Jordan Place v. 3

Biblical river. Modern identification: Jordan River.

Abraham Person v. 8, 34

Father of a multitude, son of Terah, named ( Gen. 11:27 ) before his older brothers Nahor and Haran, because he was the heir of the promises.

Heli Person v. 23

Elevation, father of Joseph in the line of our Lord’s ancestry ( Luke 3:23 ).

Levi Person v. 24, 29

Adhesion. (1. ) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah’s words ( Gen. 29:34 ).

Melchi Person v. 24, 28

My king. (1. ) The son of Addi, and father of Neri ( Luke 3:28 ). (2. ) Luke 3:24 .

Amos Person v. 25

Borne; a burden, one of the twelve minor prophets. He was a native of Tekota, the modern Tekua, a town about 12 miles south-east of Bethlehem.

Mattathias Person v. 25-26

Ibid. (1. ) The son of Amos, in the genealogy of our Lord ( Luke 3:25 ). (2. ) The son of Semei, in the same genealogy ( Luke 3:26 ).

Joanna Person v. 27

Whom Jehovah has graciously given. (1. ) The grandson of Zerubbabel, in the lineage of Christ ( Luke 3:27 ); the same as Hananiah ( 1 Chr. 3:19 ).

Rhesa Person v. 27

Affection, son of Zorobabel, mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord ( Luke 3:27 ).

Salathiel Person v. 27

Whom I asked of God, the son of Jeconiah ( Matt. 1:12 ; 1 Chr. 3:17 ); also called the son of Neri ( Luke 3:27 ).

Addi Person v. 28

Ornament, ( Luke 3:28 ), the son of Cosam, and father of Melchi, one of the progenitors of Christ.

Eliakim Person v. 30

Whom God will raise up. (1. ) The son of Melea ( Luke 3:30 ), and probably grandson of Nathan. (2. ) The son of Abiud, of the posterity of Zerubbabel ( Matt. 1:13 ).

Simeon Person v. 30

Hearing. (1. ) The second son of Jacob by Leah ( Gen. 29:33 ). He was associated with Levi in the terrible act of vengeance against Hamor and the Shechemites (34:25, 26).

David Person v. 31

Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .

Melea Person v. 31

Fulness, the son of Menan and father of Eliakim, in the genealogy of our Lord ( Luke 3:31 ).

Nathan Person v. 31

Given. (1. ) A prophet in the reigns of David and Solomon ( 2 Chr. 9:29 ). He is first spoken of in connection with the arrangements David made for the building of the temple.

Jesse Person v. 32

Firm, or a gift, a son of Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth ( Ruth 4:17 , 22; Matt. 1:5 , 6; Luke 3:32 ). He was the father of eight sons, the youngest of whom was David ( 1 Sam. 17:12 ).

Obed Person v. 32

Serving; worshipping. (1. ) A son of Boaz and Ruth ( Ruth 4:21 , 22), and the grandfather of David ( Matt. 1:5 ). (2. ) 1 Chr. 2:34-38 . (3. ) 1 Chr. 26:7 . (4. ) 2 Chr. 23:1 .

Isaac Person v. 34

Laughter. (1) Israel, or the kingdom of the ten tribes ( Amos 7:9 , 16). (2. ) The only son of Abraham by Sarah. He was the longest lived of the three patriarchs ( Gen. 21:1-3 ).

Heber Person v. 35

Passing over. (1. ) Son of Beriah and grandson of Asher ( Gen. 46:17 ; 1 Chr. 7:31 , 32). (2. ) The Kenite ( Judg. 4:11 , 17; 5:24), a descendant of Hobab. His wife Jael received Sisera.

Arphaxad Person v. 36

Son of Shem, born the year after the Deluge. He died at the age of 438 years ( Gen. 11:10-13 ; 1 Chr. 1:17 , 18; Luke 3:36 ).

Cainan Person v. 36-37

Possession; smith. (1. ) The fourth antediluvian patriarch, the eldest son of Enos. He was 70 years old at the birth of his eldest son Mahalaleel, after which he lived 840 years.

Enoch Person v. 37

Initiated. (1. ) The eldest son of Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ), who built a city east of Eden in the land of Nod, and called it “after the name of his son Enoch. ” This is the first “city” mentioned in Scripture.

Jared Person v. 37

Descent. (1. ) The fourth antediluvian patriarch in descent from Seth ( Gen. 5:15-20 ; Luke 3:37 ), the father of Enoch; called Jered in 1 Chr. 1:2 . (2. ) A son of Ezra probably ( 1 Chr. 4:18 ).

Enos Person v. 38

Man the son of Seth, and grandson of Adam ( Gen. 5:6-11 ; Luke 3:38 ). He lived nine hundred and five years. In his time “men began to call upon the name of the Lord”.

Seth Person v. 38

Appointed; a substitute, the third son of Adam and Eve ( Gen. 4:25 ; 5:3 ). His mother gave him this name, “for God,” said she, “hath appointed me [i. e., compensated me with] another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. ”.