Luke 3

— neither accuse any falsely; ] From the advice here given to the Roman soldiers and publicans, we learn what crimes of violence and extortion were usually committed by them: and it may be well for those who live in other times and countries, to compare their own condition with that of the Jews, who were exposed to all this injustice and wickedness, in order that they may fully know the value of an equal and just government, where the military power is subject to the law of the land, and is employed not for oppression, but for protection and security. Bp. Mann.

was the son of Heli, &c.] It is seen that the genealogy of our Saviour, here given by St. Luke, is entirely different, as far as David, from that given by St. Matthew, chap. i. Among the various methods of explaining this, which have been proposed, the most probable is, that whereas St. Matthew traced the genealogy through Joseph the husband of His mother, so St. Luke here traces it through Mary His mother. It is certain that Heli was not the natural father of Joseph, for St. Matthew expressly tells us, that “Jacob begat Joseph.” it is therefore inferred that Heli was the father of Mary, and only father in law of Joseph. But it was never usual with the Jews to mention the names of females in their genealogies; on this account, Mary is not mentioned here by St. Luke, but is only intimated or included, when the line is commenced from her father Heli. The true purport of this genealogy becomes more evident, if we consider, as seems to be intended, the word Jesus to be understood at every step. Thus it is to be supplied, Jesus, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, Jesus the son of Heli, Jesus the son of Matthat, &c.—Jesus the son of Seth, Jesus the son of Adam, Jesus the son of God. A style of genealogy precisely similar to this is used by Moses at Gen. xxxvi. 2, “Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon,” &c. where, as Anah is the name of a man, the meaning must

be “Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Aholibamah the daughter of Zibeon,” &c.

Thus it appears that St. Luke, composing his Gospel for the use of the Gentiles, and intending to prove that Christ was the seed of the woman, necessarily reckons by the line of His mother, Mary the daughter of Heli. St. Matthew, on the other hand, intending to deduce His legal descent from David and Abraham, reckons by the line of Joseph the espoused husband of Mary, through whom the legal descent was to be carried. Dr. Lightfoot.

— (as was supposed) For Jesus was not really the son of Joseph, as St. Luke had before explained in his account of the miraculous conception. Dr. Campbell.

Luke 3:11

11. — let him impart &c.] That is, be merciful, kind and charitable to the needy and distressed. Bp. Mann. The Baptist here calls the Jews from a dependence on outward ceremonies to the practice of real virtues, of which the chief is mutual benevolence and charity. Dr. Lightfoot.

In his answer, he enjoins not legal but evangelical sacrifices; exhorting his converts to shew the sincerity of their conversion by loving their neighbours, and relieving their necessities, as God had loved and relieved them. Bp. Horne.

Luke 3:13

13. — Exact no more &c.] Be not unjust or vexatious in the exercise of your office: take no more tribute or custom than is due by law. Bp. Mann.

A wise preacher, like St. John, should distinguish the abuses of any state or condition of life from the condition itself; he should be so far from disturbing either the peace of private consciences, or the publick repose, by condemning necessary employments, that he ought carefully to promote both, by contenting himself with only retrenching the disorders and injustice of those who exercise them. To be exact in not permitting any abuses in employments of this nature, is to serve the state; and those loose casuists, who allow and authorize them, are pernicious to governments, by rendering these employments odious to the people, and thereby giving occasion for discontents. Bp. Horne.

— Do violence to no man.] St. John, here regulating the conduct of military persons, shews that no condition is excluded from salvation. The business of war is not of itself unlawful, since there have been soldiers, who have not only been good Christians, but even great saints and generous martyrs. If all war had been contrary to the Gospel, St. John would not have allowed those who presented themselves before him to continue

Luke 3:19

19, 20. But Herod the tetrarch.] This imprisonment of St. John happened some time after his beginning to preach repentance and to baptize; but St. Luke introduces the subject here, because he was speaking about St. John. Thus these two verses occur in a parenthesis, and the sense of ver. 18 is to be connected with that of ver. 21. Bp. Pearce.

Luke 3:21

21. — Jesus also being baptized.] He who knew no sin, but was to take away the sins of all other men, presented Himself in the crowd of sinners, as one of them, and solicited the " baptism of repentance;" not that water might sanctify Him, but that He might " sanctify water to the mystical washing away of sin." Bp. Horne.

Luke 3:22

22. — in a bodily shape] With a bodily appearance. It is not meant that the shape was like that of a dove, but that the light or glory, by which the Holy Spirit manifested Himself, had a bodily appearance, and descended upon Jesus, in the same manner as a dove descends to the earth. Dr. Whitby, Bp. Pearce.

Luke 3:23

23. — began to be about &c.] This expression does not necessarily imply that He was entering on His thirtieth year, but that He was about thirty years old. Bp. Pearce, Dr. Hammond. The Jewish priests were required to be thirty years old, before they were allowed to officiate in their ministry. Bp. Pearce.

— being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which Anno DOMINI 26. A. D. 30. A. D. 27. The age, and genealogy of Christ from Joseph upwards. Anno DOMINI 27.

Luke 3:38

38.—which was the son of Adam,] St. Matthew had contented himself with shewing Jesus to be the son of Abraham, from whom the Scriptures had taught the Jews to expect that the Messiah would spring. St. Luke, on the contrary, traces this lineage up to Adam; and thus signifies, among other important truths, that He is the seed of the woman promised to our first parents, as the common Saviour of them and of all their posterity, without distinction of Greek or Jew, bond or free; and that, “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Dr. Townson.

Anno DOMINI 26.