Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 3:1-20
Luke 3:1-Proverbs : . John the Baptist.— Mark 1:1-Ruth : *, Matthew 3:1-2 Kings : *. also Mark 6:17-Joel : *, Matthew 14:3-2 Kings : *. Lk. now (to Luke 9:50) follows the Marcan account of the Galilean ministry of Jesus and its antecedents; he adds material from Q and other sources. Luke 3:1 . On the chronology, see pp. 652f.; Pontius Pilate, p. 609; Herod (Antipas) and Philip, p. 609. Abilene was the district round Abila between Mt. Hermon and Anti-Lebanon, north-west of Damascus.... read more
Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 3:12-13
‘And there came also public servants to be baptised, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?” And he said to them, “Extort no more than that which is appointed you.” ’ The tax and custom collectors then came and asked what they should do. These would be looked on by most as unclean and as outcasts, almost worse than Gentiles, but John did not say, ‘Leave your treasonable job’ (which many would have said), he told them rather not to use their office to cheat people. They should collect... read more