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

1It was the fifteenth year in the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod ruled Galilee, and his brother Philip ruled Iturea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. It was at the time when Annas and Caiaphas were chief priests that God spoke to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. 3John traveled throughout the region around the Jordan River. He told people about a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As the prophet Isaiah wrote in his book, “A voice cries out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!

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 them, Caiaphas, who was chief priest that year, told them, “You people don’t know anything.
• John 18:13and took him first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas, the chief priest that year,
• Acts 4:6The chief priest Annas, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the rest of the chief priest’s family were present.
• Luke 1:59When the child was eight days old, they went ⌞to the temple⌟ to circumcise him. They were going to name him Zechariah after his father.
• Jeremiah 1:2The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah when King Josiah, son of Amon, was in his thirteenth year as king of Judah.
• Jeremiah 2:1The Lord spoke his word to me,
• Ezekiel 1:3the Lord spoke his word to the priest Ezekiel, son of Buzi, in Babylon by the Chebar River. The power of the Lord came over Ezekiel.
• Hosea 1:1The Lord spoke his word to Hosea, son of Beeri, when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah and when Jeroboam, son of Joash, was king of Israel.
• Jonah 1:1The Lord spoke his word to Jonah, son of Amittai. He said,
• Micah 1:1The Lord spoke his word to Micah, who was from Moresheth, when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. This is the vision that Micah saw about Samaria and Jerusalem.
• Zephaniah 1:1This is the word that the Lord spoke to Zephaniah, who was the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. The Lord spoke his word in the days of Judah’s King Josiah, son of Amon.
• Luke 1:80The child John grew and became spiritually strong. He lived in the desert until the day he appeared to the people of Israel.
• Isaiah 40:3A voice cries out in the desert: “Clear a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway in the wilderness for our God.
• Matthew 3:1Later, John the Baptizer appeared in the desert of Judea. His message was,
• Matthew 11:7As they were leaving, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John. “What did you go into the desert to see? Tall grass swaying in the wind?
• Mark 1:3“A voice cries out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!’ ”

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