Luk 3:1 | NETfull | STEP | In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

Luke 3:1

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, ^{▼▼ Or “Emperor Tiberius” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).} ^{▼▼ Tiberius Caesar was the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus, who ruled from a.d. 14–37.} when Pontius Pilate ^{▼▼ 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).} was governor of Judea, and Herod ^{▼▼ Herod refers here to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. He ruled from 4 b.c.-a.d. 39, sharing the rule of his father’s realm with his two brothers. One brother, Archelaus (Matt 2:22) was banished in a.d. 6 and died in a.d. 18; the other brother, Herod Philip (mentioned next) died in a.d. 34.} was tetrarch ^{▼▼ 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.} of Galilee, and his brother Philip ^{▼▼ 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 b.c.-a.d. 34.} was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ^{▼▼ Nothing else is known about Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.} was tetrarch of Abilene,