Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 3:20

"added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison." — Luke 3:20 (ASV)

“Herod” is Herod Antipas, mentioned in v.1. His wife, Herodias, had left his brother Philip to marry Herod. That marriage was one of his many sins, and the climactic sin “added” to this sordid series was his imprisonment of John (cf. the story of his death in 9:7–9). Luke underscores both the boldness of John and the sickness of the society he called to account. Verse 20 also indicates that John’s ministry was completed before that of Jesus began.