Luke 3

Luke · Chapter 3

Luke 3:4

1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;4As 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.5Every 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;6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?8Bring 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.9And 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.10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?11He 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.12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.15And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;16John 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:17Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.18And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.19But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,20Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,22And the Holy Ghost descended 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.23And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,24Which 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,25Which 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,26Which 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,27Which 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,28Which 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,29Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,30Which 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,31Which 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,32Which 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,33Which 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,34Which 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,35Which 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,36Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,37Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,38Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
4As 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.as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
asὡςhōsG5613
as/when

ὡς (hōs) ὡς, adverbial form of the relative pron. ὅς, ἥ, ὅ. I. As relat. adv. of manner, as, like as, just as, even as; 1. with a demonstrative, like οὕτως, expressed or understood: οὕτως . . . ὡς, Mrk.4:26, 1Co.3:15, Eph.5:28, Jas.2:12, al.; ὡς . . . οὕτως, Act.8:32, 1Co.7:17, al.; elliptically (sc. οὕτως, οὕτω), with nom., Mat.6:29, al.; with accusative, Mat.19:19, Mrk.12:31, al.; with prep., Mat.26:55, Mrk.14:48, Luk.22:52, Jhn.7:10, al.; with verb., Jhn.15:6, 2Co.3:1, Eph.2:3, 1Th.5:6, al.; with ptcp. (the ptcp. however not having the special force wh. it has in cl.; see Bl., §73, 5; 74, 6), Mat. …

it has been writtenγέγραπταιgegraptaiG1125
to write

γράφω (graphō) γράφω, [in LXX chiefly for כּתב ]; 1. to scrape, graze (Hom.), and later (Hdt.) to sketch, draw. 2. to write; (a) of forming or tracing letters on writing material: Jhn.8:[6], Gal.6:11, 2Th.3:17; (b) to express in writing, commit to writing, record: Luk.1:63, Jhn.19:21, 22 Rev.1:11, 19 al.; of scripture as a standing authority (Deiss., BS, 112ff.), γέγραπται, it stands written (Luther), Mat.4:4, Mrk.7:6, Luk.4:8, Rom.1:17, 1Co.1:31, al.; id. before ἐν, Mrk.1:2, Act.1:20, al.; with accusative, to write of: Jhn.1:46, Rom.10:5; before περί, Mat.26:24, Mrk.14:21, Jhn.5:46; al.; with dative (WM …

inἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af …

[the] bookβίβλῳbiblōG0976
book

βίβλος (biblos) βίβλος, -ου, ἡ (variant form of βύβλος, the Egyptian papyrus, paper made from its fibrous coat), [in LXX for סֶפֶר, the form βύβ- being sometimes used ;] a book, a roll, used much less frequently than βιβλίον, and with a "connotation of sacredness and veneration" (MM, Exp., x), Mat.1:1 Mrk.12:26, Luk.3:4 20:42 Act.1:20 7:42 19:19; β. τ. ζωῆς, Php.4:3, Rev.3:5 20:15.† (AS)

of [the] wordsλόγωνlogōnG3056
word

λόγος (logos) λόγος, -ου, ὁ (λέγω) [in LXX chiefly for דָּבָר, also for מִלָּה ,אֵמֶר, etc. ;] I. Of that by which the inward thought is expressed, Lat. oratio, sermo, vox, verbum. 1. a word, not in the grammatical sense of a mere name (ἔπος, ὄνομα, ῥῆμα), but a word as embodying a conception or idea: Mat.8:8, Luk.7:7, 1Co.14:9, 19 Heb.12:19, al. …

of IsaiahἨσαΐουĒsaiouG2268
Isaiah

Ἡσαΐας (Hēsaias) Ἠσαίας (Rec. Ἠσαΐας), -ου, ο (Heb. יְשַׁעְיָה), Isaiah, the prophet: Mat.3:3 4:14 8:17 12:17 13:14, 35 15:7, Mrk.7:6, Luk.3:4 4:17, Jhn.1:23 12:38-39, 41, Act.8:28 28:25, Rom.9:27, 29 10:16, 20 15:12; ἀνεγίνωςκεν τ. προφήτην Ἠ., Act.8:30; ἐν τ. Ἠ., Mrk.1:2.† (AS)

prophetπροφήτουprophētouG4396
prophet

προφήτης (prophētēs) προφήτης, -ου, ὁ [πρόφημι, to speak forth), [in LXX chiefly for נָבִיא ;] one who acts as an interpreter or forth-teller of the Divine will (see Lft., Notes, 83f.; Tr., Syn., §vi), a prophet; 1. in cl. (Æsch., Hdt., Plat., al.), of the interpreters of oracles. 2. In NT, (a) of the OT prophets: Mat.5:12, Mrk.6:15, Luk.4:27, Jhn.8:52, Rom.11:3, al.; (b) of prophets in general: Mat.10:41 13:57 21:46, Mrk.6:4, Luk.13:33, al.; (with) of John the Baptist: Mat.21:26, Mrk.6:15, Luk.1:76; (d) of Christ: Mat.21:11, Jhn.6:14, Act.3:22, 23 7:37" (LXX) ; …

saying:λέγοντος·legontosG3004G
to say

λέγω (legō) λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Gen.22:16, al. ;] 1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount. 2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Act.13:15, 24:10; before orat. dir., Mat.9:34, Mrk.3:11, Jhn.1:29, al.; before ὅτι recit., Mrk.3:21, Luk.1:24, Jhn.6:14, al.; accusative and inf., Luk.11:18, Jhn.12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mat.11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mat.25:9, Mrk.3:33, 7:28, Luk.24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mat.3:9, Luk.3:8, al.; of …

[The] voiceφωνὴphōnēG5456G
voice/sound: voice

φωνή (phōnē) φωνή, -ῆς, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly and very frequently for קוֹל ;] a voice; (a) prop., of persons, Mat.2:18 (LXX), al.; φ. αἴρειν (ἐπαίρειν), Luk.17:13, Act.2:14, al.; φ. μεγάλῃ εἰπεῖν (λέγειν, φωνεῖν, etc.), Luk.8:28, Act.7:57, Rev.5:12, al.; γίνεται (ἔρχεται) φ. ἐκ τ. οὐρανῶν (ἐξ οὐρανοῦ), Mrk.1:11, Luk.3:22, Jhn.12:28, al. (cf. DCG, ii, 810a; Dalman, Words, 204f.); ἀκούειν φωνήν (-ῆς; see: ἀκούω), Act.9:4, 7 al.; φ. βοῶντος, Mat.3:3, Mrk.1:3, Luk.3:4, Jhn.1:23" (LXX) ; τ. θεοῦ, Jhn.5:37, Heb.3:7, al. By meton., (α) of the speaker, βλέπειν τὴν φ., Rev.1:12; …

of one cryingβοῶντοςboōntosG0994
to cry out

βοάω (boaō) βοάω, -ῶ (βοή), [in LXX chiefly for זעק, צעק, קרא ;] 1. absol., to cry, call out: Mat.3:3, 27:46, Mrk.1:3 15:34, Luk.3:4 9:38 18:38, Jhn.1:23, Act.8:7 17:6 25:24, Gal.4:27. 2. C. dative, to call on for help (Heb. זעק על, Hos.7:14, al.), Luk.18:7.† SYN.: καλέω, to call, invite, summon; κράζω, to cry, harshly or inarticulately, as animals; κραυγάζω, intensive of κράζω. βοάω expresses emotion, whether joy, fear, etc. (AS)

inἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af …

wildernessἐρήμῳerēmōG2048
deserted

ἔρημος (erēmos) ἔρημος (in older Gk. ἔρῆμος), -ον [in LXX chiefly for מִדְבָּר ;] solitary, lonely, desolate, deserted: (a) of persons, γυνή, Gal.4:27 (LXX); (b) of places, Mat.14:13, 15 23:38 (WH, om.), Mrk.1:36 6:32, Luk.4:42 9:12, al.; as subst., ἡ ἔ. (sc. χώρα; as in Hdt., ii, 32, al.), the desert, Mat.3:1, 3, Mrk.1:3-4, Jhn.3:14, al.; pl., αἱ ἔ., desert places, Luk.1:80 5:16 8:29 (AS)

do prepareἑτοιμάσατεhetoimasateG2090
to make ready

ἑτοιμάζω (hetoimazō) ἑτοιμάζω (ἕτοιμος), [in LXX chiefly for כּוּן hi. (Hatch, Essays, 51 a.) ;] to prepare, make ready; (a) absol., of hospitable preparation: Mrk.14:15, Luk.9:52 12:47 22:9, 12; with inf., Mat.26:17; ἵνα, Mrk.14:12; …

wayὁδὸνhodonG3598
road

ὁδός (hodos) ὁδός, -οῦ, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly (very freq.) for דֶּרֶךְ ;] 1. a way, path, road: Mat.2:12, Mrk.10:46, Luk.3:5 al.; κατὰ τὴν ὁ., Luk.10:4, al.; παρὰ τὴν ὁ., Mat.13:4, al.; with genitive of person(s), (subj.), τὴν ὁ. ἑτοιμάζειν (fig.), Mat.3:3, Mrk.1:3, al.; with genitive term. (obj.), ἐθνῶν, Mat.10:5; τ. ἁγίων (figuratively), Heb.9:8; accusative, ὁδόν, with force of prep. (like Heb. דֶּרֶךְ; Bl., §34, 8; 35, 5), ὁ. θαλάσσης, Mat.4:15 (LXX). …

of [the] Lord,κυρίου,kuriouG2962G
lord: God

κύριος (kurios) κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον), [in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for בַּעַל ,אָדוֹן, etc. ;] having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master; 1. in general: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.9:38 20:8, Mrk.12:9 13:35, Luk.19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mat.12:8, Mrk.2:28, Luk.6:5; with genitive of person(s), δούλου, etc., Mat.10:24, Luk.14:21, Act.16:16, al.; absol, opposite to οἱ δοῦλοι, Eph.6:5, 9 al.; of the Emperor (Deiss., LAE, 161), Act.25:26; θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κ. πολλοί, 1Co.8:5; of a husband, 1Pe.3:6; in voc, as a title of respect to masters, teachers, magistrates, etc., Ma …

straightεὐθείαςeutheiasG2117
Straight

εὐθύς (euthus) εὐθύς, -εῖα, -ύ [in LXX chiefly for יָשַׁר ;] 1. straight, direct: τρίβοι, Mat.3:3, Mrk.1:3, Luk.3:4" (LXX) ; εἰς εὐθειας, (sc. ὁδούς), Luk.3:5; εὐ. ὐδός, figuratively, Act.13:10, 2Pe.2:15; as (Proper name) of a street, Act.9:11. 2. In moral sense, straightforward, right: καρδία, Act.8:21 (cf. Psa.7:11 32:11, al.).† εὐθύς, adv., [in LXX (more frequently than εὐθέως) chiefly for יָשַׁר ;] = εὐθέως, straightway, directly: Mat.3:16 13:20-21 14:27 21:2-3 26:74, Luk.6:49, Jhn.13:30, 32 19:34, Act.10:16, 42 times in Mk.† (AS)

do makeποιεῖτεpoieiteG4160G
to do/make: do

ποιέω (poieō) ποιέω, -ῶ, [in LXX for a great variety of words, but chiefly for עשׂה ;] 1. to make, produce, create, cause: with accusative of thing(s), Mat.17:4, Mrk.9:5, Jhn.9:11, Act.9:39, Rom.9:20, al.; of God as Creator (with accusative of person(s) also), Mat.19:4, Mrk.10:6, Luk.11:40, Act.4:24, Heb.1:2, al.; like Heb. עשׂה, absol. = ἐργάζομαι, to work, Mat.20:12 (cf. Rut.2:19; so AV, but see infr.), Rev.13:5, R, mg. (but see infr.); σκάνδαλα, Rom.16:17; εἰρεήνην, Eph.2:15, Jas.3:18; ἐπίστασιν, Act.24:12; συστροφήν, Act.23:12; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Luk.1:68, Act.15:3; w …

pathsτρίβουςtribousG5147
path

τρίβος (tribos) τρίβος, -ου, -ἡ (τρίβω), [in LXX for מְסִלָּה, נָתִיב, etc. ;] a beaten track, a path: Mat.3:3, Mrk.1:3, Luk.3:4" (LXX) .† (AS)

of Him.αὐτοῦ.autouG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.