New Living Translation
Luke 3:14
14“What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And 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.
- 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.”
- 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.”
Context of Luke 3:14
12Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.” “What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.” 15Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with 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 returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him,
- Acts 10:7As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.
- Romans 13:9For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Philippians 2:15so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
- Luke 19:8Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
- Exodus 20:16“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
- Exodus 23:1“You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.
- Leviticus 19:11“Do not steal. “Do not deceive or cheat one another.
- Revelation 12:10Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
- Philippians 4:11Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
- 1 Timothy 6:8So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
- Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon 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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