Amplified Bible
Luke 3:8
8Therefore produce fruit that is worthy of [and consistent with your] repentance [that is, live changed lives, turn from sin and seek God and His righteousness]. And do not even begin to say to yourselves [as a defense], ‘We have Abraham for our father [and so our heritage assures us of salvation]’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham [for God can replace the unrepentant, regardless of their heritage, with those who are obedient].
Luke 3:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Context of Luke 3:8
6and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.’ ” 7So he began saying to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [of God that is] to come? Therefore produce fruit that is worthy of [and consistent with your] repentance [that is, live changed lives, turn from sin and seek God and His righteousness]. And do not even begin to say to yourselves [as a defense], ‘We have Abraham for our father [and so our heritage assures us of salvation]’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham [for God can replace the unrepentant, regardless of their heritage, with those who are obedient]. 9Even now the axe [of God’s judgment] is swinging toward the root of the trees; so every tree that does not produce good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10The crowds asked him, “Then what are we to do?”
Read all of Luke 3Luke 3:8 word by word
ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας· καὶ μὴ ἄρξησθε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ. λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Bring forthποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- fruitsκαρπόςkarpos · fruitG2590
- worthyἄξιοςaxios · worthyG514
- of repentanceμετάνοιαmetanoia · repentanceG3341
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- beginἄρχομαιarchomai · to rule/beginG756
- notμήmē · notG3361
- to sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- withinἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- yourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- We haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
- toπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- unto youσύsu · youG4771
- Thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- is ableδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- stonesλίθοςlithos · stoneG3037
- to raise upἐγείρωegeirō · to ariseG1453
- childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
Cross-references for Luke 3:8
- Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Get your evil deeds out of My sight. Stop doing evil,
- Ezekiel 18:27Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life.
- Acts 26:20but I openly proclaimed first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent [change their inner self—their old way of thinking] and turn to God, doing deeds and living lives which are consistent with repentance.
- 2 Corinthians 7:10For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death.
- Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- Philippians 1:11filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God [so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized].
- Hebrews 6:7For soil that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces crops useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God;
- Luke 13:28In that place there will be weeping [in sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [in distress and anger] when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out and driven away.
- Luke 16:23In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise).
- Isaiah 48:1“Hear this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel And who come from the seed of Judah, You who swear [allegiance] by the name of the Lord And invoke the God of Israel, But not in truth (sincerity) nor in righteousness [with moral and spiritual integrity].
- Jeremiah 7:4Do not trust in the deceptive and lying words [of the false prophets who claim that Jerusalem will be protected by God because of the temple], saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’
- John 8:33They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone. What do You mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?”
- Romans 4:16Therefore, [inheriting] the promise depends entirely on faith [that is, confident trust in the unseen God], in order that it may be given as an act of grace [His unmerited favor and mercy], so that the promise will be [legally] guaranteed to all the descendants [of Abraham]—not only for those [Jewish believers] who keep the Law, but also for those [Gentile believers] who share the faith of Abraham, who is the [spiritual] father of us all—
- Romans 9:7and they are not all the children of Abraham because they are his descendants [by blood], but [the promise was]: “Your descendants will be named through Isaac” [though Abraham had other sons].
- Luke 19:40Jesus replied, “I tell you, if these [people] keep silent, the stones will cry out [in praise]!”
- Joshua 4:3and command them, ‘Pick up for yourselves twelve stones [one each] from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet are standing firm; carry them over with you and lay them down at the place where you will spend the night tonight.’ ”
Commentaries on Luke 3:8
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-9Verses 3-9 On the baptism of John - see the notes at Matthew 3.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8We have Abraham as our father: Some Jews believed that being part of Abraham's family line guaranteed their salvation (see John 8:33–39; Acts 7:2; Romans 4:1). And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.': God chose the Israelites as his people, but he could reject them. If he wanted, he could create children of Abraham from these very stones (compare Hosea 1:3–9; Romans 9:6–8, 27–28; 11:17–21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-20(See on Mt 3:1-12; Mr 6:17, &c.). 1-2. Here the curtain of the New Testament is, as it were, drawn up, and the greatest of all epochs of the Church commences. Even our Lord's own age (Lu 3:23) is determined by it [Bengel]. No such elaborate chronological precision is to be found elsewhere in the New Testament, and it comes fitly from him who claims it as the peculiar recommendation of his Gospel, that he had "accurately traced down all things from the…Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 3:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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