New International Version
Luke 3:14
14Then 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.”
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- 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
12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 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.” 15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps 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 Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
- Acts 10:7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
- Romans 13:9The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Philippians 2:15so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
- Luke 19:8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
- Exodus 20:16“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
- Exodus 23:1“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.
- Leviticus 19:11“ ‘Do not steal. “ ‘Do not lie. “ ‘Do not deceive one another.
- Revelation 12:10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
- Philippians 4:11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
- 1 Timothy 6:8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
- Hebrews 13:5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I 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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries