Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Luke 3

Luk 3:1 Now 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,

Herod

Also Luke 3:19; Scofield Matthew 14:1, ref.

Luk 3:2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Annas and Caiaphas

Jhn 11:49; 18:13; Act 4:6.

Luk 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

preaching the baptism

Mat 3:1; Mar 1:4.

repentance

Repentance. Luk 3, 8. (Mat 3:2; Act 17:30.)

sins

Sin. Scofield Romans 3:23, note.

Luk 3:4 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.

Esaias the prophet

Isa 40:3-5.

Lord

Jehovah. Luk 3:4-6. See Isa 40:3-5.

Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

all flesh shall see

Luk 2:30; Psa 98:2; Isa 52:10; Rom 10:12, 18.

salvation of God

Luk 3:4-6. See Isa 40:3-5.

Luk 3:7 Then 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?

O generation of vipers

Mat 12:34.

Luk 3:8 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.

repentance

Repentance. Luk 3:3, 8; Luk 5:32. (Mat 3:2; Act 17:30.)

Abraham to our father

Rom 9:6, 8; Gal 3:29; 6:15.

Luk 3:9 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.

hewn down, and cast into the fire

Luk 13:5-9; Rev 21:8.

Luk 3:10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

What shall we do then?

Act 2:37-38; Act 16:30.

Luk 3:11 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.

He that hath two coats

1Jo 3:17.

to him that hath none

Jas 2:15, 17.

Luk 3:12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

publicans to be baptized

Luk 7:29; Mat 21:32.

Luk 3:14 And 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.

be content

Phl 4:11; 1Ti 6:8.

wages

Or, allowance.

Luk 3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

expectation

Or, suspense.

Luk 3:16 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:

I indeed baptize you with water

1Pe 3:21.

Holy Ghost

Holy Spirit (N.T.). Luk 3:16, 22; Luk 4:1. (Mat 1:18; Act 2:4.)

Luk 3:17 Whose 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.

gather the wheat

Mat 13:30.

Luk 3:20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

John in prison

Mat 11:2.

Luk 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

Jesus also being baptized

Mat 3:13-15.

Luk 3:22 And 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.

Holy Ghost

Holy Spirit (N.T.). Luk 4:1, 14, 18. (Mat 1:18; Act 2:4.)

Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Literally This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I delighted. Cf. Jhn 1:1-2; 8:29; Mat 17:5.

Luk 3:23 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,

the son of Heli

In Matthew, where unquestionably we have the genealogy of Joseph, we are told (Mat 1:16), that Joseph was the son of Jacob. In what sense, then, could he be called in Luke "the son of Heli"? He could not be by natural generation the son both of Jacob and of Heli. But in Luke it is not said that Heli begat Joseph, so that the natural explanation is that Joseph was the son-in-law of Heli, who was, like himself, a descendant of David. That he should in that case be called "son of Heli" ("son" is not in the Greek, but rightly supplied by the translators) would be in accord with Jewish usage. (Cf. 1Sa 24:16). The conclusion is therefore inevitable that in Luke we have Mary's genealogy; and Joseph was "son of Heli" because espoused to Heli's daughter. The genealogy in Luke is Mary's, whose father, Heli, was descended from David.

Luk 3:36 Which 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,

Arphaxad

Arphaxad. Genesis 10:22.