the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Luke 3:1
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It was the 15th year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea; Herod, the ruler of Galilee; Philip, Herod's brother, the ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, the ruler of Abilene.
In the fiftenthe yeare of the raygne of Tiberius the Emperoure Pontius Pylate beinge leftenaut of Iurie and Herode beinge Tetrach of Galile and his brother Philip Tetrach in Iturea and in the region of Traconites and Lysanias the Tetrach of Abyline
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Yehudah, and Herod being tetrarch of the Galil, and his brother Pilipos tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanius the tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of [Emperor] Tiberius Caesar's reign—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod [Antipas] was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene—
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being Governor of Judaea, Herod Tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip Tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilene,
In the fiftenthe yeer of the empire of Tiberie, the emperoure, whanne Pilat of Pounce gouernede Judee, and Eroude was prince of Galilee, and Filip, his brothir, was prince of Iturye, and of the cuntre of Tracon, and Lisanye was prince of Abilyn,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
For fifteen years Emperor Tiberius had ruled that part of the world. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Herod's brother, Philip, was the ruler in the countries of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were the Jewish high priests. At that time God spoke to Zechariah's son John, who was living in the desert. So John went along the Jordan Valley, telling the people, "Turn back to God and be baptized! Then your sins will be forgiven." Isaiah the prophet wrote about John when he said, "In the desert someone is shouting, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord! Make a straight path for him. Fill up every valley and level every mountain and hill. Straighten the crooked paths and smooth out the rough roads. Then everyone will see the saving power of God.'" Crowds of people came out to be baptized, but John said to them, "You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? Do something to show that you really have given up your sins. Don't start saying that you belong to Abraham's family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire." The crowds asked John, "What should we do?" John told them, "If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food, share it with someone else." When tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked John, "Teacher, what should we do?" John told them, "Don't make people pay more than they owe." Some soldiers asked him, "And what about us? What do we have to do?" John told them, "Don't force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay." Everyone became excited and wondered, "Could John be the Messiah?" John said, "I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out." In many different ways John preached the good news to the people. But to Herod the ruler, he said, "It was wrong for you to take Herodias, your brother's wife." John also said that Herod had done many other bad things. Finally, Herod put John in jail, and this was the worst thing he had done. While everyone else was being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. Then as he prayed, the sky opened up, and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, "You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you." When Jesus began to preach, he was about thirty years old. Everyone thought he was the son of Joseph. But his family went back through Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Jannai, Joseph, Mattathias, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, Joda; Joanan, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmadam, Er, Joshua, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi; Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonam, Eliakim, Melea, Menna, Mattatha, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon; Amminadab, Admin, Arni, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah; Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalaleel, Kenan, Enosh, and Seth. The family of Jesus went all the way back to Adam and then to God.
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being ruler of Judaea, and Herod being king of Galilee, his brother Philip king of the country of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias king of Abilene,
In the fifteenth year of Emperor Tiberius' rule; when Pontius Pilate was governor of Y'hudah, Herod ruler of the Galil, his brother Philip ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Ituraea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
NOW in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberios Cesar, in the government of Pontios Pilatos in Jehud, Herodes being chief [fn] of the Fourth in Galila, and Philipos his brother chief of the Fourth in Ituria and in the region of Trakona, and Lusania chief of the Fourth of Abilini;
And in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, in the presidency of Pontius Pilate in Judaea, while Herod was Tetrarch in Galilee, and Philip his brother Tetrarch in Ituraea and in the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias Tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth yeere of the reigne of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being Gouernour of Iudea, & Herode being Tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea, and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene,
It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene.
Tiberius Caesar had been ruler for fifteen years. Pontius Pilate was ruler of the country of Judea. Herod was the ruler of the country of Galilee. His brother Philip was the ruler of the countries of Ituraea and Trachonitis. Lysanias was the ruler of the country of Abilene.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,
Nowe in the fifteenth yeere of the reigne of Tiberius C?sar, Pontius Pilate being gouernour of Iudea, and Herod being Tetrarch of Galile, and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea, and of the countrey of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene,
IN the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, during the governorship of Pontius Pilate in Judaea, when Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanius tetrarch of Abilene,
Now, in the fifteenth year of the supremacy of Tiberius Caesar, - Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and, Philip his brother, tetrarch of Ituraea and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanius, tetrarch of Abylene, -
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilina:
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiber'i-us Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae'a and Trachoni'tis, and Lysa'ni-as tetrarch of Abile'ne,
Nowe, in the fifteenth yere of ye raigne of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being lieftenaut of Iurie, and Herode being tetrarch of Galilee, & his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea, and of the region of ye Trachonites, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abiline,
It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was ruler of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias was ruler of Abilene,
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
And in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate governing Judea, and Herod ruling as tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruling as tetrarch of Itureaand the Trachonitis country, andLysanias ruling as tetrarch of Abilene,
And in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar -- Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother, tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene --
In the fiftenth yeare of the raigne of Tiberius the Emperoure, wha Pontius Pilate was leftenaut in Iewry and Herode one of the foure princes in Galile, and his brother Philippe one of the foure prynces in Iturea, & in the coastes of Traconites, and Lysanias one of the foure princes of Abilene,
In the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod tetrarch of Gallilee: Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis: and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene:
In the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius—it was while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod, ruler of Galilee; his brother Philip, ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias, ruler of Abilene; during the Chief-Priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—John, Zachariah's son, out in the desert at the time, received a message from God. He went all through the country around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of life-change leading to forgiveness of sins, as described in the words of Isaiah the prophet: Thunder in the desert! "Prepare God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight! Every ditch will be filled in, Every bump smoothed out, The detours straightened out, All the ruts paved over. Everyone will be there to see The parade of God's salvation."
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
Matthew 3:1-6; Mark 1:2-6; John 1:19-23">[xr] Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
Emperor Tiberius had ruled that part of the world for about fifteen years. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea, and Herod ruled around the Sea of Galilee. Herod's brother, Philip, ran things around Iturea and Traconitis. Abilene was run by a guy named, Lysanias.
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
am 4030, ad 26
Tiberius Caesar: Luke 2:1
Pontius Pilate: Luke 23:1-4, Luke 23:24, Genesis 49:10, Acts 4:27, Acts 23:26, Acts 24:27, Acts 26:30
Herod: Luke 3:19, Luke 9:7, Luke 23:6-11
his: Matthew 14:3, Mark 6:17
Ituraea: Ituraea was a province of Syria east of Jordan, now called Djedour, according to Burckhardt, and comprising all the flat country south of Djebel Kessoue as far as Nowa, east of Djebel el Sheikh, or mount Hermon, and west of the Hadj road. Trachonitis, according to Strabo and Ptolemy, comprehended all the uneven country on the east of Auranitis, now Haouran, from near Damascus to Bozra, now called El Ledja and Djebel Haouran. Abilene was a district in the valley of Lebanon, so called from Abila its chief town, eighteen miles n of Damascus, according to Antoninus.
Reciprocal: Matthew 3:1 - those Matthew 14:1 - Tetrarch Mark 6:14 - king Herod Mark 11:30 - General Luke 2:2 - governor Luke 20:24 - Caesar's Luke 23:7 - Herod's Acts 1:22 - Beginning Acts 11:28 - Claudius Acts 13:1 - Herod Acts 18:25 - knowing Acts 19:3 - Unto John's Acts 23:24 - the governor
Cross-References
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."
I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies. One of her descendants will crush your head, and you will bite his heel."
If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help.
At that time the Lord will punish Leviathan, the gliding snake. He will punish Leviathan, the coiled snake, with his great and hard and powerful sword. He will kill the monster in the sea.
The devil came to Jesus to tempt him, saying, "If you are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread."
The devil said, "If you are the Son of God, jump down, because it is written in the Scriptures: ‘He has put his angels in charge of you. They will catch you in their hands so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.'" Psalm 91:11–12
The devil said, "If you will bow down and worship me, I will give you all these things."
"Listen, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as clever as snakes and as innocent as doves.
This does not surprise us. Even Satan changes himself to look like an angel of light.
In the same way, you husbands should live with your wives in an understanding way, since they are weaker than you. But show them respect, because God gives them the same blessing he gives you—the grace that gives true life. Do this so that nothing will stop your prayers.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,.... Emperor of Rome, and the third of the Caesars; Julius was the first, and Augustus the second, in whose time Christ was born, and this Tiberius the third; he was the son of Livia, the wife of Augustus, but not by him; but was adopted by him, into the empire: his name was Claudius Tiberius Nero, and for his intemperance was called, Caldius Biberius Mero; the whole of his reign was upwards of twenty two years, for he died in the twenty third year of his reign g; and in the fifteenth of it, John began to preach, Christ was baptized, and began to preach also; so that this year may be truly called, "the acceptable year of the Lord".
Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea; under the Emperor Tiberius, in whose reign the Jewish chronologer h places him, and the historian i also, and make mention of him as sent by him to Jerusalem: he was not the first governor of Judea for the Romans; there were before him Coponius, Marcus Ambivius, Annins Rufus, and Valerius Gratus:
and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee; this was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the great, and brother of Archelaus; the above chronologer k calls him also a tetrarch, and places him under Tiberius Caesar: he is sometimes called a king, and so he is by the Ethiopic version here called "king of Galilee"; and in the Arabic version, "prince over the fourth part of Galilee"; besides Galilee, he had also Peraea, or the country beyond Jordan, as Josephus l says, and which seems here to be included in Galilee; :-.
And his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea, and of the region of Trachonitis: Pliny m makes mention of the nation of the Itureans, as belonging to Coele Syria; perhaps Iturea is the same with Batanea, or Auranitis, or both; since these with Trachon, the same with Trachonitis here, are allotted to Philip by Josephus n: it seems to take its name from Jetur, one of the sons of Ishmael, Genesis 25:15 Trachonitis is mentioned by Pliny o, as near to Decapolis, and as a region and tetrarchy, as here: Ptolemy p speaks of the Trachonite Arabians, on the east of Batanea, or Bashan: the region of Trachona, or Trachonitis, with the Targumists q, answers to the country of Argob. This Philip, who as before by Josephus, so by Egesippus r, is said, in agreement with Luke, to be tetrarch of Trachonitis, was brother to Herod Antipas, by the father's, but not by the mother's side. Philip was born of Cleopatra, of Jerusalem, and Herod of Malthace, a Samaritan s: he died in the twentieth year of Tiberius t, five years after this:
and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene: mention is made of Abila by Pliny u, as in Coele Syria, from whence this tetrarchy might have its name; and by Ptolemy w, it is called Abila of Lysanius, from this, or some other governor of it, of that name; and the phrase, "from Abilene to Jerusalem", is to be met with in the Talmud x, which doubtless designs this same place: who this Lysanias was, is not certain; he was not the son of Herod the great, as Eusebius suggests y, nor that Lysanias, the son of Ptolemy Minnaeus, whom Josephus z speaks of, though very probably he might be a descendant of his: however, when Tiberius Caesar reigned at Rome, and Pontius Pilate governed in Judea, and Herod Antipas in Galilee, and Philip his brother in Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias in Abilene, John the Baptist began to preach and baptize; to fix the area of whose ministry and baptism, all this is said.
g Suetou. Octav. Aug. c. 62, 63. & Tiberius Nero, c. 21, 49, 73. h R. David Ganz par. 2. fol. 15. 1. i Joseph. de Bello, Jud. l. 2. c. 9. sect. 2, 3. k Par. 1. fol. 25. 2. l De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 6. sect. 5. m Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 23. n Ib. ut supra. (de Bello, Jud. l. 2. c. 9. sect. 2, 3.) o Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 12. p Lib. 5. c. 15. q Targum Jon. in Deut. iii. 4. 14. 1 Kings iv. 13. & T. Hiefos. in Deut. iii. 14. & Numb. xxxiv. 15. r De Excid. l. 1. c. 46. & 3. 26. s Joseph de Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 28. t Ib. Antiqu. l. 18. c. 6. u Lib. 5. c. 18. w Lib. 5. c. 15. x T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 59. 2. y Hist. Eccl l. 1. c. 9. 10. z De Belle Jud. l. 1. c. 13. sect. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Now in the fifteenth year - This was the âthirteenthâ year of his being sole emperor. He was âtwoâ years joint emperor with Augustus, and Luke reckons from the time when he was admitted to share the empire with Augustus Caesar. See Lardnerâs âCredibility,â vol. i.
Tiberius Caesar - Tiberius succeeded Augustus in the empire, and began his âsoleâ reign Aug. 19th, 14 a.d. He was a most infamous character - a scourge to the Roman people. He reigned 23 years, and was succeeded by âCaius Caligula,â whom he appointed his successor on account of his notorious wickedness, and that he might be, as he expressed it, a âserpentâ to the Romans.
Pontius Pilate - Herod the Great left his kingdom to three sons. See the notes at Matthew 2:22. To âArchelausâ he left âJudea.â Archelaus reigned ânineâ years, when, on account of his crimes, he was banished into Vienne, and Judea was made a Roman province, and placed entirely under Roman governors or âprocurators,â and became completely tributary to Rome. âPontius Pilateâ was the âfifthâ governor that had been sent, and of course had been in Judea but a short time. (See the chronological table.)
Herod being tetrarch of Galilee - This was âHerod Antipasâ son of Herod the Great, to whom Galilee had been left as his part of his fatherâs kingdom. The word âtetrarchâ properly denotes one who presides over a âfourth partâ of a country or province; but it also came to be a general title, denoting one who reigned over any part - a third, a half, etc. In this case Herod had a âthirdâ of the dominions of his father, but he was called tetrarch. It, was this Herod who imprisoned John the Baptist, and to whom our Saviour, when arraigned, was sent by Pilate.
And his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea - âItureaâ was so called from âJetur,â one of the sons of Ishmael, Genesis 25:15; 1 Chronicles 1:31. It was situated on the east side of the Jordan, and was taken from the descendants of Jetur by the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, 1 Chronicles 5:19.
Region of Trachonitis - This region was also on the east of the Jordan, and extended northward to the district of Damascus and eastward to the deserts of Arabia. It was bounded on the west by Gaulonitis and south by the city of Bostra. Philip had obtained this region from the Romans on condition that he would extirpate the robbers.
Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene - Abilene was so called from âAbila,â its chief city. It was situated in Syria, northwest of Damascus and southeast of Mount Lebanon, and was adjacent to Galilee.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER III.
The time in which John the Baptist began to preach, 1-3.
The prophecies which were fulfilled in him, 4-6.
The matter and success of his preaching, 7-9;
among the people, 10, 11;
among the publicans, 12, 13;
among the soldiers, 14.
His testimony concerning Christ, 15-18.
The reason why Herod put him afterwards in prison, 19, 20.
He baptizes Christ, on whom the Spirit of God descends, 21, 22.
Our Lord's genealogy, 23-38.
NOTES ON CHAP. III.
Verse Luke 3:1. Fifteenth year — This was the fifteenth of his principality and thirteenth of his monarchy: for he was two years joint emperor, previously to the death of Augustus.
Tiberius Caesar — This emperor succeeded Augustus, in whose reign Christ was born. He began his reign August 19, A.D. 14, reigned twenty-three years, and died March 16, A.D. 37, aged seventy eight years. He was a most infamous character. During the latter part of his reign especially, he did all the mischief he possibly could; and that his tyranny might not end with his life, he chose Caius Caligula for his successor, merely on account of his bad qualities; and of whom he was accustomed to say, This young prince will be a SERPENT to the Roman people, and a PHAETHON to the rest of mankind.
Herod — This was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great who murdered the innocents. It was the same Herod who beheaded John Baptist, and to whom our Lord was sent by Pilate. See the account of the Herod family in the notes on Matthew 2:1.
Iturea and Trachonitis — Two provinces of Syria, on the confines of Judea.
Abilene — Another province of Syria, which had its name from Abila, its chief city.
These estates were left to Herod Antipas and his brother Philip by the will of their father, Herod the Great; and were confirmed to them by the decree of Augustus.
That Philip was tetrarch of Trachonitis, in the fifteenth year of Tiberius, we are assured by Josephus, who says that Philip the brother of Herod died in the twentieth year of Tiberius, after he had governed Trachonitis, Batanea, and Gaulonitis thirty-seven years. Antiq. b. xviii. c. 5, s. 6. And Herod continued tetrarch of Galilee till he was removed by Caligula, the successor of Tiberius. Antiq. b. xviii. c. 8, s. 2.
That Lysanius was tetrarch of Abilene is also evident from Josephus. He continued in this government till the Emperor Claudius took it from him, A.D. 42, and made a present of it to Agrippa. See Antiq. b. xix. c. 5, s. 1.
Tetrarch signifies the ruler of the fourth part of a country. Matthew 14:1; Matthew 14:1.
