Luke 3:8

Bring forth The verb implies instant effort. "Produce at once."

begin not to say He cuts off even all attemptat self-excuse.

We have Abraham to our father Rather, as our father. The Jews had so exalted a conception of this privilege (John 8:39) that they could scarcely believe it possible that any son of Abraham should ever be lost. This is seen in many passages of the Talmud, which maintain that a "single Israelite is of more worth in God's sight than all the nations of the world." "Thou madest the world for our sakes. As for the other people … Thou hast said … that they are nothing but be like unto spittle, and hast likened the abundance of them unto a drop that falleth from a vessel.… But we Thy people (whom Thou hast called Thy firstborn, Thy only begotten, and Thy fervent lover), &c." 2Es 6:56-58. The Prophets had long ago warned them that privileges without duties were no protection (Jeremiah 7:3-4; Micah 3:11; Isaiah 48:2, &c.). Christ taught them that Abraham's seed had no exclusiveoffer of salvation (Matthew 8:11-12), and it was a special part of the mission of St Paul to bring home to them that "they are not all Israel which are of Israel" Romans 9:6-7; Galatians 3:29; Galatians 6:15.

of these stones He pointed to the rocky boulders, or the flints on the strand of Jordan, around him. He who had made Adam from the clay could make sons of Abraham from those stones (Bengel). St John's imagery is that of the wilderness, the rock, the serpent, the barren tree.