Luke 3:4

Luke 3:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
• New King James Version (NKJV)as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.

Context of Luke 3:4

2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 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. 5Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth. 6And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”

Luke 3:4 word by word

ὡς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ λόγων Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• it is writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• bookβίβλοςbiblos · bookG976
• of the wordsλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• of IsaiahἩσαΐαςHēsaias · IsaiahG2268
• prophetπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• of one callingβοάωboaō · to cry outG994
• wildernessἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048
• Prepareἑτοιμάζωhetoimazō · to make readyG2090
• wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
• for the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• makeποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• straightεὐθύςeuthus · StraightG2117
• pathsτρίβοςtribos · pathG5147
• for Himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Luke 3:4

• Isaiah 40:3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
• Matthew 3:3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
• Mark 1:3“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
• John 1:23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
• Luke 1:16Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.
• Isaiah 57:14And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.”
• Isaiah 62:10Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones; raise a banner for the nations!
• Malachi 4:6And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
• John 1:7He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.
• John 3:28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’

Commentaries on Luke 3:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Prepare ye the way - It was customary for the Hindoo kings, when on journeys, to send a certain class of the people two or three days before them, to command the inhabitants to clear the ways. A very necessary precaution where there are no public roads. - Ward.Read the comment
• 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. 4-6The quotation is from the ancient Greek version of Isaiah 40:3–5. It describes God bringing the Jews back from exile in Babylon. After they returned (Ezra 1–2). John shouted in the wilderness to prepare God’s people for the Lord’s coming. God’s salvation is portrayed as a new exodus, bringing deliverance like the first exodus from Egypt. make straight paths for Him … the rough ways smooth: This image reflects the Middle Eastern custom of preparing a road…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 3:4

• Jesus Continued
• John
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Demand
• Isaiah, The Book of
• Mary
• Reprove
• Unquenchable
• Violence
• Wages
• Antediluvian Patriarchs
• Jesus Christ
• Luke, the Gospel of

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