Luke 3:2

Luke 3:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
• New International Version (NIV)during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Context of Luke 3:2

1This report is about John, the son of Zechariah. It happened when Tiberius Caesar had been the Roman ruler for 15 years. Pontius Pilate was the Roman ruler of Judea. Herod had authority over the region of Galilee. Herod's brother Philip had authority over Iturea and Trachonitis. Lysanias had authority over Abilene. At this time, the leaders of the priests were Annas and Caiaphas. John was living in the wilderness. While he was there, God spoke to him. 3John went to many places near the Jordan River and spoke a message from God. ‘You have done many wrong things,’ he taught everybody. ‘You must turn away from them and change how you live. Then God will forgive you and I will baptize you.’ 4The prophet Isaiah wrote this message from God in his book: ‘Somebody's voice is shouting in the wilderness, “The Lord will come soon, so prepare a way for him to follow. Make the paths straight for him.

Luke 3:2 word by word

ἐπὶ ἀρχιερέως Ἅννα καὶ Καϊάφα, ἐγένετο ῥῆμα θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν Ζαχαρίου υἱὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• AnnasἌνναςAnnas · AnnasG452
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• CaiaphasΚαϊάφαςKaiaphas · CaiaphasG2533
• beingἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the high priestsἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
• the wordῥῆμαrhēma · declarationG4487
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• cameγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
• the sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of ZachariasΖαχαρίαςZacharias · ZechariahG2197
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the wildernessἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048

Cross-references for Luke 3:2

• John 11:49One of the group was the leader of the priests that year. He was called Caiaphas. He said, ‘You do not understand the problem.
• John 18:13They led him first to Annas, who was the father of Caiaphas's wife. Caiaphas was the leader of the priests that year.
• Acts 4:6They met with Annas who was the most important priest. Caiaphas, John and Alexander were also there. Other men from the family of the most important priest were with them too.
• Luke 1:59When the child was eight days old, people met together to circumcise him. They wanted to call the child Zechariah. This was the same name that his father had.
• Jeremiah 1:2The Lord first spoke to him when Amon's son Josiah had been king of Judah for 13 years.
• Jeremiah 2:1The Lord spoke to me again.
• Ezekiel 1:3the Lord spoke to Ezekiel, the priest. He was the son of Buzi. He was standing beside the River Kebar in Babylon. While Ezekiel was there, the Lord came to him with power.
• Hosea 1:1This is the message that the Lord gave to Hosea, the son of Beeri. He gave this message during the time that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. It was during the time when Joash's son Jeroboam was the king of Israel.
• Jonah 1:1The Lord spoke a message to Jonah, Amittai's son.
• Micah 1:1These are the messages that the Lord gave to Micah. Then Micah told them to the people during the times that Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah ruled the country called Judah. Micah was born in a small town called Moresheth. God showed Micah about what would happen to the cities called Samaria and Jerusalem.
• Zephaniah 1:1This is the Lord's message, which he gave to Zephaniah, Cushi's son. Cushi's father was Gedaliah. Gedaliah's father was Amariah, and Amariah's father was Hezekiah. The Lord gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah was king. Josiah was the son of Amon, who was the king of Judah.
• Luke 1:80Zechariah's child grew. God made him strong in his mind. He went into the wilderness and he lived there for many years. Later, God sent him to Israel's people, to teach them.
• Isaiah 40:3Somebody's voice is shouting, ‘Prepare a way in the wilderness for the Lord. Make a straight road in the desert for our God.
• Matthew 3:1While Jesus still lived in Nazareth, a man called John the Baptist was speaking a message from God. He was doing this in the wilderness in Judea.
• Matthew 11:7John's disciples went away again. Jesus spoke to the crowd about John. He said to them, ‘You went out to the wilderness. What did you go there to see? Was it a tall piece of grass which the wind was blowing this way and that? No, you did not go to see that.
• Mark 1:3His voice will shout in the wilderness: “The Lord will come soon, so prepare a way for him. Make the paths straight for him.” ’

Commentaries on Luke 3:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests - Caiaphas was the son-in-law of Annas or Ananias, and it is supposed that they exercised the high priest's office by turns. It is likely that Annas only was considered as high priest; and that Caiaphas was what the Hebrews termed משנה כהן cohen mishneh, or כהנים סגן sagan cohanim, the high priest's deputy, or ruler of the temple. See the note on Matthew 2:4, and on John 18:13. The facts which St. Luke mentions…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Annas and Caiaphas being highpriests - There was, properly speaking, but one high priest of the Jews; yet the name of high priest continued to be given to those who had been in that office, and especially when they still possessed some civil office after they had left the high priesthood. In this case it appears that “Caiapas” was high priest, and Annas “had been,” but had been dismissed from the office. It is highly probable that he still held an office…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Annas and Caiaphas were Jewish high priests. Annas served from AD 6 to 15 until the Romans removed him. His son-in-law, Caiaphas, was the high priest from AD 18 to 36. Luke mentions both names because Annas was still very influential among the Jews (see John 18:13–14, 24; Acts 4:6). the word of God came to John son of Zechariah: John's role as a prophet was similar to that of the Old Testament prophets (see, for example, Isaiah 6; Jeremiah 1).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 3:2

• Annas
• Caiaphas
• John
• Priest
• Prophets
• Zacharias (Zechariah)

In the dictionaries

• Annas
• Caiaphas
• God
• Caiaphas, or Caiaphas
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Word of God
• Demand
• Elijah
• Mary
• Reprove

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