English Standard Version
Luke 3:14
14Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
Luke 3:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)“What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”
Context of Luke 3:14
12Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages." 15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Read all of Luke 3Luke 3:14 word by word
ἐπηρώτων δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ στρατευόμενοι λέγοντες· τί ποιήσωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς; καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· μηδένα διασείσητε μηδὲ συκοφαντήσητε καὶ ἀρκεῖσθε τοῖς ὀψωνίοις ὑμῶν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- the soldiersστρατεύωstrateuomai · to battleG4754
- likewiseκαίkai · andG2532
- demandedἐπερωτάωeperōtaō · to questionG1905
- of himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- shallποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- Do violence toδιασείωdiaseiō · to extortG1286
- no manμηδείςmēdeis mēdemia mēden · nothingG3367
- neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
- accuseσυκοφαντέωsukophanteō · to extortG4811
- be contentἀρκέωarkeō · be sufficientG714
- withὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- withὀψώνιονopsōnion · compensationG3800
- yourσύsu · youG4771
Cross-references for Luke 3:14
- Matthew 8:5When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,
- Acts 10:7When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him,
- Romans 13:9For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
- Philippians 2:15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
- Luke 19:8And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."
- Exodus 20:16"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- Exodus 23:1"You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.
- Leviticus 19:11"You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.
- Revelation 12:10And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
- Philippians 4:11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
- 1 Timothy 6:8But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
- Hebrews 13:5Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Commentaries on Luke 3:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14The soldiers likewise demanded of him - He, thirdly, instructs those among the military. They were either Roman soldiers, or the soldiers of Herod or Philip. Use no violence to any, , do not extort money or goods by force or violence from any. This is the import of the words neminein concutite, used here by the Vulgate, and points out a crime of which the Roman soldiers were notoriously guilty, their own writers being witnesses. Concussio has the above…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14The soldiers likewise - It seems that “they,” also came to his baptism. Whether these were Jews or Romans cannot be ascertained. It is not improbable that, as Judea was a Roman province, they were Jews or Jewish proselytes in the service of Herod Antipas or Philip, and so were really in the Roman service. Do violence - Do not take the property of any by unlawful force, or do not use unjust force against the person or property of any individual. it is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14These soldiers were probably not Roman, but local Jewish troops under the authority of Herod Antipas. They might have been assigned to protect the tax collectors. John does not condemn either tax collectors or soldiers but calls them to honesty and integrity.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-1410-14. What shall we do then?--to show the sincerity of our repentance. (Also see on Mt 3:10.)Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 3:14
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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Commentaries