Luke 3:2

3:2 during the high priesthood ¹  of Annas and Caiaphas, the word ²  of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ 

Luke 4:1

The Temptation of Jesus

4:1 Then ⁴  Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River ⁵  and was led by the Spirit ⁶  in ⁷  the wilderness, ⁸ 

¹ 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.

² tn The term translated “word” here is not λόγος (logos) but ῥῆμα (rJhma), and thus could refer to the call of the Lord to John to begin ministry.

³ tn Or “desert.”

⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate continuity with the previous topic.

⁵ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

⁶ sn The double mention of the Spirit in this verse makes it clear that the temptation was neither the fault of Jesus nor an accident.

⁷ tc Most mss (A Θ Ξ Ψ 0102 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) read εἰς τὴν ἔρημον (ei" thn erhmon, “into the wilderness”), apparently motivated by the parallel in Matt 4:1. However, the reading behind the translation (ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, en th ejrhmw) is found in overall better witnesses (Ì^4vid,7,75vid א B D L W 579 892 1241 pc it).

⁸ tn Or “desert.”