Luke 3:19-20 NLT,NIV,ESV

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Luke 3:1-38

Chapter 6THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS.WHEN the Old Testament closed, prophecy had thrown upon the screen of the future the shadows of two persons, cast in heavenly light. Sketched in outline rather than in detail, still their personalities were sufficiently distinct to attract the gaze and hopes of the intervening centuries; while their differing, though related missions were clearly recognized. One was the Coming ONE, who should bring the "consolation" of Israel, and who should Himself be that... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Luke 3:1-38

II. The Beginnings of His Ministry -- Chapter 3-4:13 CHAPTER 3 1. The Ministry of John the Baptist. (Luke 3:1-14 .) 2. His Testimony to Christ and his Imprisonment. (Luke 3:15-20 .) 3. The Baptism of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 3:21-22 .) 4. The Genealogy of Mary, the Mother of our Lord. (Luke 3:23-38 .) Luke 3:1-14 Eighteen more years of silence follow. It is broken by the voice of the forerunner, John, who preached at Jordan the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. He is not... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Luke 3:19

3:19 {4} But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,(4) John’s preaching is confirmed with his death. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 3:1-38

A VOICE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS (vs.1-20) The first two verses of this chapter establish the precise time of the appearance of John the Baptist in his ministry, so that the reality of it cannot be disputed, and they indicate that this solemn call of Israel to repentance was at a time when wickedness was prospering in high places. Tiberius Caesar was notorious for his cruelty to the Jews, specially bitter toward them, though other religions meant nothing to him either. Pontius Pilate's... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Luke 3:1-38

PREPARATION FOR PUBLIC MINISTRY MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST John the Baptist’s ministry is the first event here (Luke 3:1-22 ). Also he quotes more fully from Isaiah 40:0 than the preceding evangelists, and for the purpose of giving the words, “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” The quotation is from the Septuagint, and is in harmony with Luke’s objective towards the verses, as he distinctively shows that the grace of God in Christ is for all people who will accept it, and not for... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Luke 3:1-38

The Descent of the Holy Ghost Luk 3:22 It is that "bodily shape" that creates all the difficulty in some lumbering and wooden minds. How to connect spirit and body is the profound and insoluble problem. Some persons can believe in matter; they think they see it. Others have a dim notion of the possibility of there being a force in creation that might be called Mind or Spirit. But how to connect the two, how to get the Holy Ghost into a bodily shape, that is the puzzle, the problem, the... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Luke 3:3-22

(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... read more

George Haydock

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary - Luke 3:19

See in St. Mark vi. 17. The wife of his brother (Philip.) The Greek adds the name, and he is also named in St. Mark; but he is a different person from the tetrarch, mentioned in chap. iii. ver. 1. (Bible de Vence) --- It was not at this time that John [the Baptist] was cast into prison; but, as St. John [the evangelist] relates, after our Saviour had begun to work miracles, and after his baptism. St. Luke anticipates this event, in order to describe more strongly the malice of Herod; who,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - Luke 3:15-20

15-20 John the Baptist disowned being himself the Christ, but confirmed the people in their expectations of the long-promised Messiah. He could only exhort them to repent, and assure them of forgiveness upon repentance; but he could not work repentance in them, nor confer remission on them. Thus highly does it become us to speak of Christ, and thus humbly of ourselves. John can do no more than baptize with water, in token that they ought to purify and cleanse themselves; but Christ can, and... read more

Frank Binford Hole

F. B. Hole's Old and New Testament Commentary - Luke 3:1-99

Luke 3 THE COMMENCEMENT of John’s ministry is very fully dated in the opening two verses. They show that things were entirely out of course, government was vested in the Gentiles, and even in Israel things were in confusion, for there were two high priests instead of one. Hence repentance was the dominant note in his preaching. Earlier prophets had reasoned with Israel and recalled them to the broken law. John no longer does this, but demands repentance. They were to acknowledge that they were... read more