Luke 3:2-6

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Luke 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 (Luke 1:15, 17); but we lost him in the deserts, and there he remains until the day of his showing unto Israel, Luke 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.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 3:1-6

3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, and when Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and the district of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, when he was in the desert. So he came into the territory around Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance whereby sins might be forgiven--as it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 3:2

Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests ,.... Some difficulty here arises, how these two could be both high priests; when according to the law of God, and the usages of the Jewish nation, there was to be, and was but one high priest at a time: many things are observed by writers, to solve this difficulty: some go this way; that though according to the divine institution, and the practice of former times, there was but one high priest at a time; yet now, through the corruption of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 3:3

And he came into all the country about Jordan ,.... He came out of the wilderness of Judea, where he first began his ministry, to some parts of the country that bordered on Jordan, and was near unto it, on either side the river; sometimes he was at Bethabara, and sometimes at Aenon, near Salim; for he did not take a tour round about all, the country that encompassed Jordan, but being at it, or in places adjacent to it, all the country round about came to him; see Matthew 3:5 . Preaching... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 3:4

As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet ,.... Isaiah 40:3 saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight; See Gill on Matthew 3:3 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 3:5

Every valley shall be filled ,.... Luke cites more out of the same prophecy, as relating to the times of John the Baptist, and the Messiah, than the other Evangelists Matthew and Mark do: in the prophet it is, "every valley shall be exalted"; which is done, by filling it up; the metaphor is persisted in, of preparing and clearing the way, for the coming of the Messiah, done by the ministry of John; under which, such souls as were lowly and humble, and depressed with the sense of sin, should... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 3:6

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. "By the salvation of God" is meant, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of God's appointing and sending; and who is the author of that salvation which God resolved on, contrived, and approved of; and is his ordinance for salvation, unto the ends of the earth, for all his elect; Luke 2:30 whom a great number among the Jews should, and did see, with their bodily eyes; and whom not only God's elect among them, but also all of them... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 3:2

Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests - Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas or Ananias, and it is supposed that they exercised the high priest's office by turns. It is likely that Annas only was considered as high priest; and that Caiaphas was what the Hebrews termed משנה כהן cohen mishneh , or כהנים סגן sagan cohanim , the high priest's deputy, or ruler of the temple. See the note on Matthew 2:4 , and on John 18:13 . The facts which St. Luke mentions here tend much to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 3:3

The baptism of repentance - See on Matthew 3:4-6 ; (note), and Mark 1:1 ; (note), etc., and Mark 16 (note) at the end. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 3:4

Prepare ye the way - It was customary for the Hindoo kings, when on journeys, to send a certain class of the people two or three days before them, to command the inhabitants to clear the ways. A very necessary precaution where there are no public roads. - Ward. read more

Group of Brands