Luke 3:1–2

The Ministry of John the Baptist

3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,1 when Pontius Pilate2 was governor of Judea, and Herod3 was tetrarch4 of Galilee, and his brother Philip5 was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias6 was tetrarch of Abilene, 3:2 during the high priesthood7 of Annas and Caiaphas, the word8 of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.9

1	tn Or “Emperor Tiberius” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor). sn Tiberius Caesar was the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus, who ruled from a.d. 14–37.
2	sn The rule of Pontius Pilate is also described by Josephus, J. W. 2.9.2–4 (2.169–177) and Ant. 18.3.1 (18.55–59).
3	sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. He ruled from 4 b.c.–a.d. 39, sharing the rule of his father’s realm with his two brothers. One brother, Archelaus (Matt 2:22) was banished in a.d. 6 and died in a.d. 18; the other brother, Herod Philip (mentioned next) died in a.d. 34.
4	sn A tetrarch was a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, who ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod tetrarch of Galilee is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14–29), reflecting popular usage.
5	sn Philip refers to Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great and brother of Herod Antipas. Philip ruled as tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis from 4 b.c.–a.d. 34.
6	sn Nothing else is known about Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.
7	sn Use of the singular high priesthood to mention two figures is unusual but accurate, since Annas was the key priest from a.d. 6–15 and then his relatives were chosen for many of the next several years. After two brief tenures by others, his son-in-law Caiaphas came to power and stayed there until a.d. 36.
8	tn The term translated “word” here is not λόγος (logos) but ῥῆμα (rhēma), and thus could refer to the call of the Lord to John to begin ministry.
9	tn Or “desert.”