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 

Luke 3:4

3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice ⁹  of one shouting in the wilderness: ¹⁰ 

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make ¹¹  his paths straight.

Luke 15:4

15:4 “Which one ¹²  of you, if he has a hundred ¹³  sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture ¹⁴  and go look for ¹⁵  the one that is lost until he finds it? ¹⁶ 

Luke 9:12

9:12 Now the day began to draw to a close, ¹⁷  so ¹⁸  the twelve came and said to Jesus, ¹⁹  “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging ²⁰  and food, because we are in an isolated place.” ²¹ 

[3:2]  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.

[3:2]  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.

[3:2]  ³ tn Or “desert.”

[4:1]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate continuity with the previous topic.

[4:1]  ⁵ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[4:1]  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.

[4:1]  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).

[4:1]  ⁸ tn Or “desert.”

[3:4]  ⁷ tn Or “A voice.”

[3:4]  ⁸ tn Or “desert.” The syntactic position of the phrase “in the wilderness” is unclear in both Luke and the LXX. The MT favors taking it with “Prepare a way,” while the LXX takes it with “a voice shouting.” If the former, the meaning would be that such preparation should be done “in the wilderness.” If the latter, the meaning would be that the place from where John’s ministry went forth was “in the wilderness.” There are Jewish materials that support both renderings: 1QS 8:14 and 9.19-20 support the MT while certain rabbinic texts favor the LXX (see D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:290-91). While it is not absolutely necessary that a call in the wilderness led to a response in the wilderness, it is not unlikely that such would be the case. Thus, in the final analysis, the net effect between the two choices may be minimal. In any case, a majority of commentators and translations take “in the wilderness” with “The voice of one shouting” (D. L. Bock; R. H. Stein, Luke [NAC], 129; I. H. Marshall, Luke [NIGTC], 136; NIV, NRSV, NKJV, NLT, NASB, REB).

[3:4]  ⁹ tn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance as the verb ποιέω (poiew) reappears in vv. 8, 10, 11, 12, 14.

[15:4]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “What man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a somewhat generic sense.

[15:4]  ¹¹ sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.

[15:4]  ¹² tn Or “desert,” but here such a translation might suggest neglect of the 99 sheep left behind.

[15:4]  ¹³ tn Grk “go after,” but in contemporary English the idiom “to look for” is used to express this.

[15:4]  ¹⁴ sn Until he finds it. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.

[9:12]  ¹³ tn Grk “the day began to decline,” looking to the approach of sunset.

[9:12]  ¹⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that the disciples’ request was related to the approach of sunset.

[9:12]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:12]  ¹⁶ tn That is, find someone to show them hospitality. L&N 34.61 has “find lodging,” using this verse as an example.

[9:12]  ¹⁷ tn Or “in a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation). Here ὧδε (Jwde) has not been translated.