Luke 3:1

King James Version (KJV)

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,

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

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; (note).

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. See the note on Matthew 14:1.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

Now in the fifteenth year - This was the “thirteenth” year of his being sole emperor. He was “two” years joint emperor with Augustus, and Luke reckons from the time when he was admitted to share the empire with Augustus Caesar. See Lardner‘s “Credibility,” vol. i.

Tiberius Caesar - Tiberius succeeded Augustus in the empire, and began his “sole” 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 “Caius Caligula,” whom he appointed his successor on account of his notorious wickedness, and that he might be, as he expressed it, a “serpent” to the Romans.

Pontius Pilate - Herod the Great left his kingdom to three sons. See the notes at Matthew 2:22. To “Archelaus” he left “Judea.” Archelaus reigned “nine” 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 “procurators,” and became completely tributary to Rome. “Pontius Pilate” was the “fifth” 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 “Herod Antipas” son of Herod the Great, to whom Galilee had been left as his part of his father‘s kingdom. The word “tetrarch” properly denotes one who presides over a “fourth part” 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 “third” 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 - “Iturea” was so called from “Jetur,” 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 “Abila,” its chief city. It was situated in Syria, northwest of Damascus and southeast of Mount Lebanon, and was adjacent to Galilee.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

The scope and design of John's ministry were, to bring the people from their sins, and to their Saviour. He came preaching, not a sect, or party, but a profession; the sign or ceremony was washing with water. By the words here used John preached the necessity of repentance, in order to the remission of sins, and that the baptism of water was an outward sign of that inward cleansing and renewal of heart, which attend, or are the effects of true repentance, as well as a profession of it. Here is the fulfilling of the Scriptures, Isa 40:3, in the ministry of John. When way is made for the gospel into the heart, by taking down high thoughts, and bringing them into obedience to Christ, by levelling the soul, and removing all that hinders us in the way of Christ and his grace, then preparation is made to welcome the salvation of God. Here are general warnings and exhortations which John gave. The guilty, corrupted race of mankind is become a generation of vipers; hateful to God, and hating one another. There is no way of fleeing from the wrath to come, but by repentance; and by the change of our way the change of our mind must be shown. If we are not really holy, both in heart and life, our profession of religion and relation to God and his church, will stand us in no stead at all; the sorer will our destruction be, if we do not bring forth fruits meet for repentance. John the Baptist gave instructions to several sorts of persons. Those that profess and promise repentance, must show it by reformation, according to their places and conditions. The gospel requires mercy, not sacrifice; and its design is, to engage us to do all the good we can, and to be just to all men. And the same principle which leads men to forego unjust gain, leads to restore that which is gained by wrong. John tells the soldiers their duty. Men should be cautioned against the temptations of their employments. These answers declared the present duty of the inquirers, and at once formed a test of their sincerity. As none can or will accept Christ's salvation without true repentance, so the evidence and effects of this repentance are here marked out.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

1. Fifteenth year. [Ministry of John the Baptist, Luke 3:1-18=Matt. 3:1-12=Mark 1:1-8. Major comment: Matthew and Luke. See The Chronology of Luke 3:1, 2] In ancient times it was the usual custom to date events by the regnal years of a reigning king or by the names of officials under whom the events occurred. There was no universal chronology in any way comparable to what we use today. Although in some respects the six points of historical note Luke gives here present Bible students with a chronological problem today, they unmistakably mark Luke as a historian who took great pains to be thorough and accurate (see on ch. 1:1-4), and so testify to the reliability of his gospel narrative. The chief chronological difficulty presented here lies in correlating the “fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” with other available chronological data on the life of Christ and with Christian Era dating. For a discussion of this problem see pp. 243-247.

Though Luke is generally considered to have been a Gentile, it seems he may here be using the form of chronological reckoning then current among the Jews. On the basis of a fall-to-fall year and the nonaccession-year system for figuring regnal years (see Vol. II, pp. 136-139), the first year of Tiberius would be considered to have closed in the autumn of a.d. 14. Accordingly, his “fifteenth year” would begin in the autumn of a.d. 27 and continue until the autumn of a.d. 28. According to DA 233 the baptism of Jesus occurred during the fall of a.d. 27, and thus very early during the “fifteenth year” of Tiberius.

Another process by which some have sought to determine the commencement of Christ’s ministry is based on John 2:13, 20, which places the first Passover of His public ministry in the 46th year of the Temple. For a discussion of this problem see pp. 242, 243. Concerning the expression, “about thirty years of age,” see on Luke 3:23.

Tiberius. See p. 246. Except for the mention of Augustus in ch. 2:1, references to “Caesar” throughout the Gospels always apply to Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius was noted for several successful military campaigns before his appointment as military governor of the provinces, being acclaimed “first soldier of the Empire.” He was known for strict discipline, leniency in taxation, and rigid economy in administration. He encouraged trade and communications. The Lake of Galilee was renamed the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1; etc.) in his honor. See The Chronology of Luke 3:1, 2, Palestine Under the Herodians, The Chronology of Luke 3:1, 2,The Reigns of the Herods, and Palestine Under the Herodians.

Pontius Pilate. Fifth in the series of procurators appointed by Rome following the deposition and banishment of Archelaus in a.d. 6 (see on Matt. 2:22). Pilate succeeded Valerius Gratus c. a.d. 26 and was recalled by Tiberius c. a.d. 36, for misconduct in office. See pp. 67, 68; see The Chronology of Luke 3:1, 2, The Chronology of Luke 3:1, 2, The Reigns of the Herods, Palestine Under the Herodians.

Governor. A “governor,” or procurator was an administrator of equestrian rank appointed by the emperor as “governor” of a subdivision of a province. At this time Judea was a subdivision of the Roman province of Syria. See p. 66; see on Matt. 27:2.

Herod. That is, Herod Antipas (see on Matt. 2:22), appointed by his father Herod the Great as tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea. The appointment was later confirmed by Augustus. His mother was a Samaritan. This was the Herod who married his niece Herodias, wife of his half brother (see The Hasmonaeans and the Herods), a union to which the Jews objected and for which Antipas was rebuked by John the Baptist (Luke 3:19, 20). Jesus aptly characterized him as “that fox” (ch. 13:31, 32) and referred to his evil influence as “the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8:15). It was to Herod Antipas that Jesus was sent by Pilate during the course of His trial (Luke 23:7-15). The name Antipas is the contracted form of Antipater, the name borne by his grandfather. Though only a tetrarch, he practically ruled as king from the death of his father, Herod the Great, until he was deposed about a.d. 39 (Josephus Antiquities xvii. 11, 4; War ii. 6. 3 [94, 95]). It seems that he was permitted the courtesy title of king (Mark 6:14). See pp. 64, 65; The Chronology of Luke 3:1, 2, Palestine Under the Herodians; Palestine During the Ministry of Jesus.

Tetrarch of Galilee. On his coins Antipas refers to himself by the title “tetrarch.” At first a “tetrarch” was strictly the governor of the fourth part of a province, later of a subdivision of a province. Finally the term was used of any ruler less than a king in rank.

Philip. Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great (see The Hasmonaeans and the Herods ), and probably the most fair and judicious of all of the sons of Herod the Great (Josephus Antiquities xvii. 4. 6). He married Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip I, not long after the incident recorded in Mark 6:22-25 (Josephus Antiquities xvii. 5. 4). Philip was the first of the Herods to have figures of Augustus and Tiberius impressed on his coins. This the Jews considered idolatry, but fortunately for Philip his subjects were almost exclusively heathen. He rebuilt Caesarea Philippi at the foot of Mt. Hermon, naming it in honor of Tiberius Caesar and himself (Josephus Antiquities xviii. 2. 1; War ii. 9. 1 [168]). He rebuilt the city of Bethsaida Julias, which he named in honor of the daughter of Augustus. The latter city, at the north end of the Lake of Galilee, was the home of Peter, Andrew, and Philip (see John 1:44; 12:21). Philip ruled for 37 years, from 4 b.c. to a.d. 34. See The Chronology of Luke 3:1, 2, Palestine Under the Herodians.

IturÃƒÂ¦a. A region northeast of the Lake of Galilee, and east of Caesarea Philippi. Some have thought that the name is derived from Jetur, a son of Ishmael (see Gen. 25:15). See Palestine During the Ministry of Jesus.

Trachonitis. A region lying generally to the east of Ituraea. The name is evidently derived from the Gr. trachus, meaning a “rough” or “stony” area, which describes this region. Its soldiers are reputed to have been skilled archers.

Lysanias. Bible critics have long pointed to Luke’s mention of “Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene” as a gross chronological blunder. They note that the only ruler by that name in the vicinity designated was a son of Ptolemy, a king (not a tetrarch), whose capital was Chalcis in Coele-Syria, not in Abilene, and who reigned from 40-36 b.c. Although it must be admitted that there is no specific historical confirmation of Luke’s statement, several indirect references to a Lysanias corresponding to the Lysanias of Luke rather than the son of Ptolemy are strongly in Luke’s favor. Josephus refers to “Abila of Lysanias” (Antiquities xix. 5. 1) and to a tetrarchy of Lysanias (Antiquities xx. 7. 1; War ii. 11. 5 [215]; 12. 8 [247]). A medal has been found designating a certain Lysanias as “tetrarch and high priest.” An inscription proves that the former Lysanias, son of Ptolemy, left children, one of whom might have been the Lysanias Luke mentions. Another inscription from the time of Tiberius speaks of a “tetrarch Lysanias.” Commenting on Luke’s supposed error, the International Critical Commentary observes that “such a mistake is very improbable; and the only difficulty about Luke’s statement is that we have no indisputable evidence of this tetrarch Lysanias.”

Abilene. A district between Damascus and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains.

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Ellen G. White
The Desire of Ages, 103-8

With awed yet exultant spirit he searched in the prophetic scrolls the revelations of the Messiah's coming,—the promised seed that should bruise the serpent's head; Shiloh, “the peace giver,” who was to appear before a king should cease to reign on David's throne. Now the time had come. A Roman ruler sat in the palace upon Mount Zion. By the sure word of the Lord, already the Christ was born. DA 103.1

Isaiah's rapt portrayals of the Messiah's glory were his study by day and by night,—the Branch from the root of Jesse; a King to reign in righteousness, judging “with equity for the meek of the earth;” “a covert from the tempest; ... the shadow of a great rock in a weary land;” Israel no longer to be termed “Forsaken,” nor her land “Desolate,” but to be called of the Lord, “My Delight,” and her land “Beulah.” Isaiah 11:4; 32:2; 62:4, margin. The heart of the lonely exile was filled with the glorious vision. DA 103.2

He looked upon the King in His beauty, and self was forgotten. He beheld the majesty of holiness, and felt himself to be inefficient and unworthy. He was ready to go forth as Heaven's messenger, unawed by the human, because he had looked upon the Divine. He could stand erect and fearless in the presence of earthly monarchs, because he had bowed low before the King of kings. DA 103.3

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Ellen G. White
The Desire of Ages, 132-3

This chapter is based on John 1:19-51.

John the Baptist was now preaching and baptizing at Bethabara, beyond Jordan. It was not far from this spot that God had stayed the river in its flow until Israel had passed over. A little distance from here the stronghold of Jericho had been overthrown by the armies of heaven. The memory of these events was at this time revived, and gave a thrilling interest to the Baptist's message. Would not He who had wrought so wonderfully in ages past again manifest His power for Israel's deliverance? Such was the thought stirring the hearts of the people who daily thronged the banks of the Jordan. DA 132.1

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Ellen G. White
Early Writings, 154

John informed his disciples that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world. As his work was closing, he taught his disciples to look to Jesus, and follow Him as the Great Teacher. John's life was sorrowful and self-denying. He heralded the first advent of Christ, but was not permitted to witness His miracles, and enjoy the power manifested by Him. When Jesus should establish Himself as a teacher, John knew that he himself must die. His voice was seldom heard, except in the wilderness. His life was lonely. He did not cling to his father's family, to enjoy their society, but left them in order to fulfill his mission. Multitudes left the busy cities and villages and flocked to the wilderness to hear the words of the wonderful prophet. John laid the ax to the root of the tree. He reproved sin, fearless of consequences, and prepared the way for the Lamb of God. EW 154.1

Herod was affected as he listened to the powerful, pointed testimonies of John, and with deep interest he inquired what he must do to become his disciple. John was acquainted with the fact that he was about to marry his brother's wife, while her husband was yet living, and faithfully told Herod that this was not lawful. Herod was unwilling to make any sacrifice. He married his brother's wife, and through her influence, seized John and put him in prison, intending however to release him. While there confined, John heard through his disciples of the mighty works of Jesus. He could not listen to His gracious words; but the disciples informed him and comforted him with what they had heard. Soon John was beheaded, through the influence of Herod's wife. I saw that the humblest disciples who followed Jesus, witnessed His miracles, and heard the comforting words which fell from His lips, were greater than John the Baptist; that is, they were more exalted and honored, and had more pleasure in their lives. EW 154.2

John came in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the first advent of Jesus. I was pointed down to the last days and saw that John represented those who should go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to herald the day of wrath and the second advent of Jesus. EW 155.1

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Ellen G. White
Gospel Workers 1915, 54-7

“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; ...for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” [Hebrews 11:5.] GW 54.1

To such communion God is calling us. As was Enoch's, so must be their holiness of character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord's second coming. GW 54.2

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Cross References

Tiberius Cesar

Pontius Pilate