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Λυσανίου τῆς ᾽Αβιληνῆς τετραρχοῦντος, 2. ἐπ᾽ ἀρχιερέων 1 Αννα καὶ
Καϊάφα, ἐγένετο ῥῆμα Θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ιωάννην τὸν τοῦ 2 Ζαχαρίου υἱὸν ἐν
τῇ ἐρήμῳ: 3. καὶ ἦλθεν eis πᾶσαν τὴν ἕ περίχωρον τοῦ Ιορδάνου,
κηρύσσων βάπτισμα µετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ' 4. ὡς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλω λόγων Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου, λέγοντος,' ΄Φωνὴ βοῶντος
ἐν τῇ ἐρήμω, Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου: εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς
1 αρχιερεως in most uncials ; pl. in minusc. only.
2 Omit του most uncials.
3 την is in ΝΔ al. (Tisch.) ; wanting in ABL (W.H.). 4 SSBDLA 1, 118, it. vulg. omit λεγοντος.
Paneas. On the other hand, according to Josephus, his territories embraced more than the regions named by Lk.: Batanaea, Auranitis, Gaulonitis, and some parts about Jamnia (various places in Ant. and B. J.).—Avoaviov, etc. This last item in Lk.’s dating apparatus is the most perplexing, whether regard be had to relevancy or to accuracy. To what end this reference to a non-Jewish prince, and this outlying territory between the Lebanon ranges? What concern has it with the evangelic his- tory, or of what use is it for indicating the place of the latter in the world’s his- tory? By way of answer to this ques- tion, Farrar (C. G. T.) suggests that the district of Abilene (Abila the capital) is probably mentioned here ‘‘ because it subsequently formed part of the Jewish territory, having been assigned by Cali- gula to his favourite, Herod Agrippa I., in A.D. 36”. As to the accuracy: it so happens that there was a Lysanias, who ruled over Chalchis and Abilene sixty years before the time of which Lk. writes, who probably bore the title tetrarch. Does Lk., misled by the title, think of that Lysanias as a contemporary of Herod Antipas and Herod Philip, or was there another of the name really their contemporary, whom the evangelist has in his view? Certain inscriptions cited by historical experts make the latter hypothesis probable. Schirer (The F$ewish People, Div. I., vol. ii., appendix 1, on the History of Chalchis, Ituraea, and Abilene, p. 338) has no doubt on the point, and says: ‘the evangelist, Lk., is thoroughly correct when he assumes that in the fifteenth year of Tiberias there was a Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene ”.
Ver. 2. ἐπὶ ἀρχιερέω Αννα καὶ Καιάφα, under the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas. The use of the singular ἀρχιερέως in connection with two names is peculiar, whence doubtless
ία]
3
the correction into the easier ἀρχιερέων (T. R.); and the combination of two men as holding the office at the same time, is likewise somewhat puzzling. As Caiaphas was the actual high priest at the time, one would have expected his name to have stood, if not alone, at least first = under Caiaphas, the actual high priest, and the ex-high priest, Annas, still an influential senior. One can only suppose that among the caste of high priests past and present (there had been three between Annas and Caiaphas) Annas was so outstanding that it came natural to name him first. Annas had been deposed arbitrarily by the Roman governor, and this may have increased his influence among his own people. His period of office was A.D. 7-14, that of Caiaphas Α.Ρ. 17-35.—éyévero ῥῆμα,
_etc., came the word of God to John;
this the great spiritual event, so care- fully dated, after the manner of the O. T. in narrating the beginning of the career of a Hebrew prophet (vide, e.g., Jer. i. 1). But the date is common to the ministry of John and that of Jesus, who is supposed to have begun His work shortly after the Baptist.—év τῇ ἐρήμῳ. From next verse it may be gathered that the desert here means the whole valley of the Jordan, El-Ghor.
Vv. 3-6. Fohn’s ministry.—Ver. 3. ἠλθεν. In Mt. and Mk. the people come from all quarters to John. Here John goes to the people in an itinerant ministry. The latter may apply to the early stage of his ministry. He might move about till he had attracted attention, then settle at a place con- venient for baptism, and trust to the impression produced to draw the people to him.—xnpioowv, etc.: here Lk. follows Mk. verbatim, and like him, as distinct from Mt., connects John’s bap- tism with the forgiveness of sins, so making it in effect Christian.—Ver. 4. βίβλῳ λόγων: Lk. has his own wav of