3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 7 when Pontius Pilate 8 was governor of Judea, and Herod 9 was tetrarch 10 of Galilee, and his brother Philip 11 was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias 12 was tetrarch of Abilene,
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.
2 sn On Nazareth see Luke 1:26.
3 tn Or “town.” The translation “city” is used here because of its collocation with “of David,” suggesting its importance, though not its size.
4 sn The journey from Nazareth to the city of David called Bethlehem was a journey of about 90 mi (150 km). Bethlehem was a small village located about 7 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem.
5 sn Luke’s use of the term “house” probably alludes to the original promise made to David outlined in the Nathan oracle of 2 Sam 7:12-16, especially in light of earlier connections between Jesus and David made in Luke 1:32. Further, the mention of Bethlehem reminds one of the promise of Mic 5:2, namely, that a great king would emerge from Bethlehem to rule over God’s people.
6 tn Or “family,” “lineage.”
7 tn Or “Emperor Tiberius” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
8 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).
9 sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. He ruled from 4
10 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.
11 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
12 sn Nothing else is known about Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.