Commentaires bibliques

Lu 3:1-20.

PREACHING, BAPTISM, AND IMPRISONMENT OF JOHN.

(See on

Mt 3:1-12;

Mr 6:17,

&c.).

1, 2. Here the curtain of the New Testament is, as it were, drawn up, and the greatest of all epochs of the Church commences. Even our Lord's own age

(Lu 3:23)

is determined by it [BENGEL]. No such elaborate chronological precision is to be found elsewhere in the New Testament, and it comes fitly from him who claims it as the peculiar recommendation of his Gospel, that he had "accurately traced down all things from the first"

(Lu 1:3).

Here, evidently, commences his proper narrative. Also see on

Mt 3:1.

the fifteenth year of Tiberius--reckoning from the period when he was admitted, three years before Augustus' death, to a share of the empire [WEBSTER and WILKINSON], about the end of the year of Rome 779, or about four years before the usual reckoning.

Pilate . . . governor of Judea--His proper title was Procurator, but with more than the usual powers of that office. After holding it about ten years he was ordered to Rome, to answer to charges brought against him, but ere he arrived Tiberius died (A.D. 35), and soon after Pilate committed suicide.

Herod--(See on

Mr 6:14).

Philip--a different and very superior Philip to the one whose wife Herodias went to live with Herod Antipas. (See

Mr 6:17).

Iturea--to the northeast of Palestine; so called from Ishmael's son Itur or Jetur

(1Ch 1:31),

and anciently belonging to the half tribe of Manasseh.

Trachonitis--farther to the northeast, between Iturea and Damascus; a rocky district, infested by robbers, and committed by Augustus to Herod the Great to keep in order.

Abilene--still more to the northeast, so called from Abila, eighteen miles from Damascus [ROBINSON].

2. Annas and Caiaphas . . . high priests--the former, though deposed, retained much of his influence, and, probably, as sagan or deputy, exercised much of the power of the high priesthood along with Caiaphas

(Joh 18:13; Ac 4:6).

Both Zadok and Abiathar acted as high priests in David's time

(2Sa 15:35),

and it seems to have become the fixed practice to have two

(2Ki 25:18).

(Also see on

Mt 3:1.)

word of God came unto John--Such formulas, of course, are never used when speaking of Jesus, because the divine nature manifested itself in Him not at certain isolated moments of His life. He was the one everlasting manifestation of the Godhead--THE WORD [OLSHAUSEN].

5. Every valley, &c.--levelling and smoothing, obvious figures, the sense of which is in the first words of the proclamation, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord."

6. all flesh, &c.--(quoted literally from the Septuagint of

Isa 40:5).

The idea is that every obstruction shall be so removed as to reveal to the whole world the Salvation of God in Him whose name is the "Saviour" (compare

Ps 98:3; Isa 11:10; 49:6; 52:10; Lu 2:31, 32; Ac 13:47).

10-14. What shall we do then?--to show the sincerity of our repentance. (Also see on

Mt 3:10.)

11. two coats--directed against the reigning avarice. (Also see on

Mt 3:10.)

12. publicans, &c. (Also see on

Mt 3:10.)

13. Exact no more, &c.--directed against that extortion which made the publicans a byword. (See on

Lu 19:2;

Lu 19:8).

(Also see on

Mt 3:10.)