Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Luke 3:1

Luke 3:1. Luke's accuracy appears from his naming here no less than seven official person ages, from the Roman emperor to the Jewish high-priest, or high-priests.

In the fifteenth, year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar. The stepson and successor of Augustus. The usual (and incorrect) Christian era (A. D.) coincides with the year of Rome (U. C.) 754. Augustus died Aug. 19, U. C. 767 for A. D. 14, counting U. C. 754 as A. D. 1). The fifteenth year of the sole reign of Tiberius was from August 19, U. C. 781, to the same day 782. But he was associated with Augustus as ruler, from January, 765. The expression translated: ‘of the reign of' permits us to reckon from either point Reckoning from January, 765, ‘the fifteenth year' would give from January, 779, to January, 780, as the date of John's ministry. This date accords better with the fact that Christ was born before the death of Herod (Matthew 2:19), which occurred U. C. 75. For Jesus ‘was about thirty years of age' (Luke 3:23) at the time of His baptism, which took place some time after John began to preach. The other view would give no earlier year than 781 as the beginning of St John's ministry, and would lead to the conclusion that our Lord was thirty-two years old when He was baptized. This is possible, but not probable. We therefore hold that the year spoken of is U.C. 779 - 780 (A. D. 26 - 27). On the date of our Lord's birth, see Introd. § 7, 3 (1).

Pontius Pilate. Sixth governor (procurator) of Judea. He held the office from U.C. 779 - 789 (A.D. 26 - 36).

Hered. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, and Malthace, the full brother of Archelaus (Matthew 2:22), and the murderer of John the Baptist. He is frequently spoken of in the Gospels. He was tetrarch of Galilee from U. C. 750 to 792. Perea was also under his jurisdiction.

His brother Philip. Not the same as Philip, the first husband of Herodias, spoken of in Mark 6:17, and alluded to in Matthew 14:3 and Luke 3:19, who was disinherited by his father and remained a private citizen. Philip the tetrarch was the son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra, a woman of Jerusalem, the fifth and last wife of Herod. He reigned from 750 to 786, and was the best of Herod's sons.

The region of Iturea and Trachonitis. The northeastern part of Palestine, beyond the Sea of Galilee.

Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilene, the district about the town of Abila, which was eighteen miles north of Damascus. Another person of this name ruled over a larger district in the same region about sixty years before, and was killed by Antony. All the territory ruled by that Lysanias, was assigned by Augustus to others, except Abilene, which therefore seems to have had a separate ruler. He is named by Luke alone, but a good many years afterwards the district was called ‘Abila of Lysanias.'

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Luke 3:1

Old Testament

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