Luke 3:20
in Luke 3Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.
KJV
Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
⋯
This verse in Luke 3
Commentary
12 notes on this verseNotice that even while in prison he is teaching. For he also had his disciples in that place. Why did they stay there, unless John exercised the office of teacher even in prison and taught them with divine words? In the course of these words, a question about Jesus arose. John sends some of his disciples and asks, "Are you he who is to come, or do we wait for another?" The disciples return and announce to the teacher what the Savior had bidden them to say. With Jesus' words, John was armed for battle.
This site's exposition
many other things in his exhortation
on Luke 3:18-20
And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people signals that Luke has been giving a representative sample rather than a complete transcript of John's preaching. But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison closes John's public ministry with the reason for his arrest, Herod Antipas's unlawful marriage to his brother's wife openly rebuked by the preacher. The commentators note Luke places this notice of imprisonment here for narrative closure on John's whole story before returning to Jesus, even though the baptism described in the very next verse must have happened before Herod's arrest of John, an ordinary feature of ancient historical writing that groups a character's story together rather than insisting on strict chronological sequence throughout.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Luke too, before beginning the acts of Jesus, makes a similar observation, saying that Herod added one more offense to his other crimes by shutting up John in jail.
(non occ.) He is called the tetrarch, to distinguish him from the other Herod, in whose reign Christ was born, and who was king, but this Herod was tetrarch. Now his wife was the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia, but he had sacrilegiously married his brother Philip's wife, though she had offspring by his brother. For those only were allowed to do this whose brothers died without issue. For this the Baptist had censured Herod. First indeed he heard him attentively, for he knew that his words were weighty and full of consolation, but the desire of Herodias compelled him to despise the words of John, and he then thrust him into prison. And so it follows, And he added this above all, that he shut up John in prison.
The Medieval Church3 voices
The Evangelist aptly inserted here the account concerning Herod. He speaks as if to say: although the people thought very highly of John, Herod, "being reproved by him," to all his evil deeds "added this also, that he shut him up in prison." He narrates …
(ordin.) For before that Luke relates any of the acts of Jesus, he says that John was taken by Herod, to show that he alone was in an especial manner going to describe those of our Lord's acts, which were performed since the year in which John was taken or put to death.
As regards the endurance of the persecuting adversary, it is added concerning Herod: He added this also above all and shut John up in prison. And so that word of Sirach three was verified: "The wicked heart shall be laden with sorrows, and the sinner …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Added yet this above all,.... This sin to all other sins, and which was of a more flagitious nature; and attended with more aggravating circumstances, especially in the issue of it: that he shut up John in prison; in the castle of Machaerus, by the instigation of Herodias; See Gill on Mat 14:3.
The evangelist mentioned John's imprisonment before Christ's being baptized, though it was nearly a year after it, because he would finish the story of John's ministry, and then introduce that of Christ. A short account of Christ's baptism, which had been more fully related by St. Matthew. Jesus came, to be baptized of John, and he was so,
He shut up John - This circumstance, though it happened after, is here mentioned before our Lord's baptism, that his history (that of John being concluded) may then follow without any interruption.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We learn, firstly, from these verses — that one effect of a faithful ministry, is to set men thinking. We read concerning John the Baptist's hearers, that "the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts about John — whether he might be the Christ." The cause of true religion has gained a giant step in a parish, or congregation, or family — when people begin to think . Thoughtlessness about spiritual things is one great feature of unconverted men. It cannot be said, in many cases, that they either like the Gospel, or dislike it.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We learn, firstly, from these verses — that one effect of a faithful ministry, is to set men thinking. We read concerning John the Baptist's hearers, that "the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts about John — whether he might be the Christ." The cause of true religion has gained a giant step in a parish, or congregation, or family — when people begin to think . Thoughtlessness about spiritual things is one great feature of unconverted men. It cannot be said, in many cases, that they either like the Gospel, or dislike it. But they do not give it a place in their thoughts. They never "consider." (Isaiah 1:3.) Let us always thank God when we see a spirit of reflection on religious subjects, coming over the mind of an unconverted man. Thinking and deliberation are the high road to conversion. The truth of Christ has nothing to fear from sober examination . We invite inquiry . We desire to have its claims fully investigated. We know that its fitness to supply every need of man's heart and conscience, is not appreciated in many cases — simply because it is not known. Thinking, no doubt, is not faith and repentance. But it is always a hopeful symptom. When hearers of the Gospel begin to "muse in their hearts" — then we ought to bless God and take courage. We learn, secondly, from these verses — that a faithful minister will always exalt Christ. We read that when John saw the state of mind in which his hearers were, he told them of a coming One, far mightier than himself. He refused the honor which he saw the people ready to give him, and referred them to Him who had the "winnowing fork in his hand" — the Lamb of God, the Messiah. Conduct like this will always be the characteristic of a true "man of God." He will never allow anything to be credited to him, or his office — which belongs to his divine Master.
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| προσέθηκεν | prosetheken | added | G4369 → | 18 times |
| καὶ | kai | yet | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοῦτο | touto | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | to | G1909 → | 883 times |
| πᾶσιν· | pasin | all: | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| καὶ | kai | Also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κατέκλεισεν | katekleisen | he locked up | G2623 → | |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰωάννην | ioannen | John | G2491 → | 134 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| φυλακῇ.¶ | phulakea | prison. | G5438 → | 47 times |
προσέθηκενadded
prosethekenG4369 →18 times
καὶyet
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοῦτοthis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
ἐπὶto
epiG1909 →883 times
πᾶσιν·all:
pasinG3956 →1235 times
καὶAlso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κατέκλεισενhe locked up
katekleisenG2623 →
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἸωάννηνJohn
ioannenG2491 →134 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
φυλακῇ.¶prison.
phulakeaG5438 →47 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 16:6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 49:26
I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your…
- Revelation 11:18
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your…
- Revelation 6:10–11
And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”
- Luke 11:49–50
Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’
- Isaiah 49:26
Through
Nehemiah 9:26But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 14:9
You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back.
- Judges 2:11–12
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
- 1 Kings 14:9
Through
2 Chronicles 36:16But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 5:12–13
They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.
- Jeremiah 5:12–13
Through
Jeremiah 2:30“I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.”
it leads to
- Nehemiah 9:26
But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
- Nehemiah 9:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Luke
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 3; Eusebius of Caesarea, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 3.24; Eusebius of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Glossa Ordinaria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 27.4 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.