tius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea 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;

step-son and successor of Augustus, with whom he reigned two years. He was a cruel and sanguinary prince. After a reign of about twenty-five years, in all, he closed his unhappy career by appointing the infamous Caligula his successor. He died, A. D. 37. Pontius Pilate. Appointed governor of Judea by Tiberius. See note on Matt. xxvii. 2. Herod being tetrarch, &c. See notes on Matt. ii. 19, 22; xiv. 1. This was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. Philip. Another son of Herod the Great, whose wife Herod Antipas married, and for rebuking whose incestuous conduct John was subsequently beheaded. Iturea. A province of Syria, lying south of Trachonitis, east of Batanea or Bashan, on the east of the Jordan, and northeasterly from Jerusalem. Some apply this name to a large tract of country extending northeasterly from the Sea of Galilee, which they suppose to have formed a part of its southwestern border.

Tra

chonitis. "Rocky or rugged; a province between Palestine and Syria, having Arabia Deserta east, Batanea west, Iturea south, and the country of Damascus north."-Calmet. Lysanias. Little is known of him. He is supposed to have been a son or grandson of that Lysanias mentioned by Diodorus, whom Mark Antony destroyed, and gave part of his kingdom to Cleopatra. Abilene. A country, lying near Damascus, on the northwest; so called from the city Abila.

The particularity with which Luke fixes the date of the events he records, furnishes strong evidence in favor of his narrative. No sane person, disposed to forge a history, would intentionally furnish the means of detection. Fabulous

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

histories are generally deficient, or very obscure in names and dates. Luke multiplies both, as if he would court the severest scrutiny, and thus makes full proof of his honesty.

2. Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests. There could not be more than one acting high priest, at the same time, according to the Jewish law. Various interpretations have been given of the phrase here used. None appear more reasonable than that which is briefly mentioned in the note on Matt. xxvi. 57: namely, that Annas had been high priest, and continued to be called by that title after his son-in-law was appointed to that office. He seems to have still possessed a degree of civil or ecclesiastical power, either by virtue of his former office, or by express appointment; for our Lord, when apprehended by his enemies, was presented to Annas for examination before he was sent to Caiaphas. John xviii. 13-24. However this be, Luke is not alone in mentioning_two high priests as contemporary; for Josephus, the accredited historian of the Jews, frequently does the same. J. War, B. ii., ch. 12, §6; B. iv., ch. 3, 59, &c. The word of God came unto John, &c. He was moved by a divine impulse. He felt that he was required to deliver a message from God to men, and to commence the public duties of the ministry to which he was appointed.

3-9. See notes on Matt. iii. 1-6. 5. Every valley, &c. This is merely an amplification of the idea expressed in ver. 4, and Matt. iii. 3.

6. All flesh shall see the salvation of God. The blessing to be communicated by the Messiah, whose advent is here announced, was to be universal in extent. 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.

11. The special duty here mentioned, is charity, or the imparting from our abundance to relieve the wants of others. But we are rather to regard the great principle on which this duty is founded; namely, a spirit of universal love and benevolence. This is a cardinal principle of Christianity. To love mankind fervently and sincerely, is the second great commandment; and to do to others as we would that others should do to us, is the legitimate effect of such love. Hence he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law; for this duty embraces all the rest, provided always that this love he not only a matter of feeling, but a principle of action. Matt. vii. 12; xxii. 39, 40; Rom. xiii. 8-10; James ii. 15, 16; 1 John iii. 17, 18. By a common figure of speech, a part is here put for the whole; and by a single instance, we are admonished that the proper fruit of repentance, or work of

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

reformation, is to renounce selfishness and all hatred or indifference towards our brethren, and to cultivate and manifest by our actions a spirit of love towards all men as our brethren, the children of our heavenly Father.

12. Publicans. See note on Matt. v. 46. The Jews seem to have partaken largely of that deep-rooted and inveterate hatred of taxation which is so commonly manifested by men; insomuch that they openly rebelled against the government, resisting by force the collection of a tax. Acts v. 37. The publicans, or taxgatherers, were therefore objects of utter detestation among the Jews, and were reckoned with the vilest of sinners. Their business itself was doubtless lawful and honorable, though disagreeable and sometimes difficult of execution. But it has been supposed, and with apparently good reason, that, in John's day, many of the publicans were dishonest, and, under pretence of collecting taxes, unlawfully took property from others and converted it to their own use. This practice, as it would seem, is reprehended in the succeeding verse.

13. Exact no more, &c. That is, do not require any man to pay more than the sum which is legally assessed upon him. 14. Soldiers. It is not certainly known whether these were Jews or Gentiles. There were, at this period, Roman troops stationed in Judea; and some of the Jews had also become soldiers. As the Jews would be much more likely than Gentiles to listen to John and submit to his baptism, it is 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 thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat

probable that the soldiers here mentioned were Jews. Do violence, &c. This word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament, and is found only once in the LXX., where it is rendered to shake. Job iv. 14. Literally, the language of John would prohibit what is generally regarded as the great duty of soldiers, fighting. It is generally interpreted, however, to forbid a practice of extorting money by threats of personal violence, said to have been common among soldiers in ancient times. I can see no material difference, in principle, between extorting money or goods from individuals, by threats or the exercise of violence, and making similar extortions from nations, by like threats or by force of arms. Defensive war may be justified, on the ground that we are under obligation to preserve the blessings and protect the persons committed to our custody by our Father. But offensive war cannot be thus justified. And I think the text may with propriety be understood to condemn the use of violence in extorting anything, not only from individuals, but from nations. It has often been said, in strong language, but with much truth, that offensive war is simply robbery and murder on a large scale. It is certainly condemned by the spirit of the gospel, whether or not John be supposed to refer to the subject here. Neither accuse any falsely. It is said to have been a practice of soldiers, to denounce innocent persons as guilty of treason or other crimes; and to extort money in the form of bribes to refrain

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 descend

from such accusations. The whole practice is utterly condemned. Be content with your wages. That is, with the pay and provisions prescribed by the law. Seek not to obtain more than is justly your due, by plundering others, or using any unlawful method whatever. 15. In expectation, &c. There was a general expectation at that time among the Jews, and to some extent among the Gentiles, that an extraordinary person, whom the Jews called the Messiah, was about to appear. When the people heard the message of John, so different from the language which they were accustomed to hear from their religious teachers, they suspected that he might be the individual whom they were looking for, and mused in their hearts, or seriously considered the subject.

16-18. See notes on Matt. iii. 11, 12.

19, 20. See notes on Matt. xiv. 1-12. This account of the imprisonment of John is not here placed in the order of time, but is inserted by Luke as indicating the manner in which his ministry was closed, and to complete the history of his life. Philip's wife. Griesbach, Knapp, and others omit the word Philip here; but they retain it in Matt. xiv. 3; and there can be no question that the same person is intended in both_cases. Added yet this above all, &c. It need not be understood that this was Herod's greatest crime; for it was equalled if not exceeded by others committed by this unprincipled ruler. The meaning is simply that he added yet another ed 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

crime to the long and black catalogue of his iniquities.

17.

21, 22. See notes on Matt. iii. 13

23. Began to be about thirty years of age. Either was about thirty years old, or was entering upon his thirtieth year. This was the age at which the Jews were admitted to the priesthood. We need not suppose that Jesus was bound by the same rule, as his priesthood was of a different order. But the Jews might have been unwilling to listen to his public instructions had he commenced at an earlier period; and he never excited their prejudices unneces- |

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

sarily. This may have been one reason why both he and John commenced preaching at the age of thirty years.

Being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph. This implies, of course, that he was not the actual son of Joseph, but only so reputed among men, and perhaps legally so regarded, being registered, very probably, as the son of Joseph and Mary. Which was the son of Heli. Joseph is called the son of Heli, in the opinion of very many commentators, not because he was his actual son, but because he married the daughter of Heli, or Eli, and thus became his legal son, or son-in-law. Hence the