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◄ Luke 3:7►

New International Version
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

New Living Translation
When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?

English Standard Version
He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Berean Standard Bible
Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Berean Literal Bible
So he was saying to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers, who forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath?

King James Bible
Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

New King James Version
Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

New American Standard Bible
So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

NASB 1995
So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

NASB 1977
He thereforebegan saying to the multitudes who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Legacy Standard Bible
So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Amplified Bible
So hebegan saying to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [of God that is] to come?

Christian Standard Bible
He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

American Standard Version
He said therefore to the multitudes that went out to be baptized of him, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Contemporary English Version
Crowds of people came out to be baptized, but John said to them, "You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment?

English Revised Version
He said therefore to the multitudes that went out to be baptized of him, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Crowds of people were coming to be baptized by John. He would say to them, "You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God's coming anger?

Good News Translation
Crowds of people came out to John to be baptized by him. "You snakes!" he said to them. "Who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send?

International Standard Version
John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

NET Bible
So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

New Heart English Bible
He said therefore to the crowds who went out to be baptized by him, "You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized by him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Weymouth New Testament
Accordingly John used to say to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Majority Text Translations

Majority Standard Bible
Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

World English Bible
He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Then he said to the multitudes coming forth to be immersed by him, “Brood of vipers! Who prompted you to flee from the coming wrath?

Berean Literal Bible
So he was saying to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers, who forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Young's Literal Translation
Then said he to the multitudes coming forth to be baptised by him, 'Brood of vipers! who did prompt you to flee from the coming wrath?

Smith's Literal Translation
Then said he to the crowds coming out to be immersed by him, Generation of vipers, who indicated to you to flee from the anger about to come?

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
He said therefore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized by him: Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, he said to the crowd that went out in order to be baptized by him: “You progeny of vipers! Who told you to flee from the approaching wrath?

New American Bible
He said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

New Revised Standard Version
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And he said to the people, who were coming to him to be baptized, O offspring of scorpions, who has warned you to escape from the anger which is coming?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said to the crowds who were coming to him to be baptized, “Offspring of Vipers! Who has instructed you to flee from the wrath that is coming?”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
Therefore he said to the multitudes that came out to be immersed by him: Generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Godbey New Testament
Then he said unto the multitudes coming out to be baptized by him; O generations of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Haweis New Testament
He said, therefore, to the multitudes who came out to be baptised by him, Ye broods of vipers, who hath warned you to fly from the approaching wrath?

Mace New Testament
he said therefore to the people that crowded to be baptized by him, ye brood of vipers, who has prompted you to flee from approaching wrath?

Weymouth New Testament
Accordingly John used to say to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Worrell New Testament
He was saying, therefore, to the multitudes coming forth to be immersed by him, "Broods of vipers! who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Worsley New Testament
Therefore said he to the multitudes that came to be baptised by him,O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Mission of John the Baptist
…6And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’ ”7Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him,“You brood of vipers,who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?8Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.…

Berean Standard Bible ·Download

Cross References

Matthew 3:7
But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matthew 23:33
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Romans 2:5
But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 9:22
What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?

1 Thessalonians 1:10
and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.

Hebrews 10:27
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.

1 Peter 4:17
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?

Revelation 6:16-17
And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. / For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”

Isaiah 30:33
For Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its funeral pyre is deep and wide, with plenty of fire and wood. The breath of the LORD, like a torrent of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.

Isaiah 59:5
They hatch the eggs of vipers and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.

Jeremiah 5:14
Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.

Jeremiah 23:29
“Is not My word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that smashes a rock?”

Ezekiel 7:19
They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.

Treasury of Scripture

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

O generation.

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Psalm 58:4,5
Their poisonis like the poison of a serpent:they are like the deaf adderthat stoppeth her ear; …

Isaiah 59:5
They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

to flee.

1 Thessalonians 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead,even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Hebrews 6:18
That by two immutable things, in whichit was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

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Luke 3

1.The preaching and baptism of John;
15.his testimony of Jesus;
19.Herod imprisons John;
21.Jesus, baptized, receives testimony from heaven.
23.The age and genealogy of Jesus from Joseph upwards.

Study Bible

Book ◦ Chapter

Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him
John the Baptist was a prominent prophetic figure, calling people to repentance in preparation for the coming Messiah. His ministry took place in the wilderness of Judea, a region with significant historical and spiritual symbolism for the Israelites, reminiscent of their ancestors' journey through the desert. The crowds coming to John indicate a widespread recognition of his authority and the urgency of his message. Baptism, a ritual of purification, was not new to Jewish tradition, but John's baptism signified a deeper, spiritual cleansing and repentance.

“You brood of vipers
This phrase is a strong rebuke, using vivid imagery to describe the moral and spiritual corruption of the people. In the ancient Near East, vipers were seen as dangerous and deceitful creatures. By calling the crowds a "brood of vipers," John highlights their hypocrisy and the insidious nature of their sin. This language echoes the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament, where prophets often used harsh imagery to call out the people's unfaithfulness (e.g.,Isaiah 59:5).

who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
John's question implies that the people are seeking baptism as a way to escape divine judgment without true repentance. The "coming wrath" refers to God's impending judgment, a theme prevalent in both the Old and New Testaments. This warning aligns with prophetic messages found in books like Malachi, which speak of a day of reckoning. John's message serves as a precursor to Jesus' teachings on judgment and salvation, emphasizing the need for genuine repentance and transformation.

Persons / Places / Events

1.John the Baptist
A prophetic figure and the forerunner of Jesus Christ, known for his call to repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

2.The Crowds
Groups of people from various backgrounds coming to John for baptism, including Pharisees and Sadducees, as indicated in parallel accounts.

3.The Wilderness
The location where John conducted his ministry, symbolizing a place of spiritual renewal and preparation.

4.Baptism
A ritual of purification and repentance, signifying a turning away from sin and a commitment to a new way of life.

5.Wrath
Refers to God's impending judgment on sin, a theme prevalent in John's preaching.

Teaching Points

Call to Genuine Repentance
John's harsh words challenge us to examine the sincerity of our repentance. Are we truly turning away from sin, or merely going through the motions?

Awareness of God's Judgment
The mention of "wrath" serves as a reminder of the reality of God's judgment. It calls us to live in a way that reflects our awareness of accountability before God.

Fruit of Repentance
True repentance should result in a change of behavior. We are called to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, demonstrating our faith through our actions.

Spiritual Readiness
Just as John prepared the way for Jesus, we are called to prepare our hearts for Christ's return by living lives of holiness and devotion.

Discernment of Motives
John's question, "Who warned you?" prompts us to consider our motives for seeking God. Are we driven by fear, tradition, or a genuine desire for transformation?

Bible Study Questions and Answers

1.What is the meaning of Luke 3:7?

2.How does Luke 3:7 challenge us to produce genuine repentance in our lives?

3.What does "brood of vipers" reveal about John's view of the Pharisees?

4.How can we avoid complacency in our spiritual walk, as warned in Luke 3:7?

5.What Old Testament passages connect with John's warning in Luke 3:7?

6.How can we demonstrate fruits of repentance in our daily actions and decisions?

7.What does "brood of vipers" signify in Luke 3:7 within its historical context?

8.How does Luke 3:7 challenge the concept of inherited righteousness?

9.Why does John the Baptist use such harsh language in Luke 3:7?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Luke 3?

11.Why are you a brood of vipers?

12.What was Jesus' purpose on Earth?

13.What defines apocalypticism?

14.Why is there no independent, non-biblical documentation of John’s ministry or baptisms despite the large crowds he supposedly attracted? (Matthew 3:1-5)

What Does Luke 3:7 Mean

Then John said

• John’s words flow from a divine commission;Luke 3:2 notes, “the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness,” so what follows carries prophetic weight.

• Like Elijah confronting Ahab (1 Kings 18:17), John fearlessly addresses sin, showing that true love sometimes sounds stern (Proverbs 27:6).

• John’s speech inaugurates a call to repentance that prepares hearts “for the Lord” (Luke 3:4–6).

to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him

• These were not indifferent by-standers; they had trekked into the desert, echoing Israel’s exodus pattern of meeting God outside familiar comforts (Exodus 19:17).

• Baptism signified public confession and cleansing (Mark 1:4–5). Yet physical presence in the water was not enough; inner change must match the outward act (Acts 8:13, 21).

• The mix likely included religious leaders (Matthew 3:7) and ordinary people (Luke 3:10–14), reminding us that everyone needs repentance, not just the “notorious” sinner (Romans 3:23).

You brood of vipers

• “Vipers” evokes deadly, deceitful serpents (Genesis 3:1;Psalm 140:3). John unmasks hypocrisy that poisons others while pretending piety (Matthew 12:34; 23:33).

• The phrase shocks hearers into recognizing that lineage or ritual cannot shield a corrupt heart (Luke 3:8;John 8:39–44).

• Calling them a “brood” shows the problem is generational and systemic, yet each person still chooses whether to repent (Ezekiel 18:20).

who warned you

• The question presses motives: Are they responding to God’s conviction or seeking a quick escape?

• Jeremiah faced a similar crowd trusting in temple rituals instead of true repentance: “Do not trust in deceptive words” (Jeremiah 7:4).

• Genuine warning comes from God’s mercy (Amos 3:7), but ignoring it leads to judgment (Proverbs 1:24–27).

to flee from the coming wrath?

• Wrath is real and future as well as present: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness” (Romans 1:18), and a final day looms (Zephaniah 1:14–18).

• John’s imagery echoes refugees escaping a wildfire—urgent, desperate, decisive (Malachi 4:1).

• Only repentance and faith provide safety: “We wait for His Son from heaven…Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1:10; see alsoJohn 3:36;Romans 5:9).

• Thus the call is not merely to avoid punishment but to embrace the Messiah who stands ready to save (Luke 3:16).

summary

John’s piercing words inLuke 3:7 expose shallow religion and summon each listener to heartfelt repentance. External acts cannot substitute for an inward turning to God. The same loving warning remains today: flee the wrath to come—not by ritual or heritage, but by sincere repentance and faith in the Savior whom John proclaimed.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7)Then said he to the multitude.--Better,multitudes.In St. Matthew the words "Generation" (orbrood) "of vipers" are related, probably with greater accuracy, as having been addressed specifically to the Pharisees and Sadducees. On the question itself, see Note onMatthew 3:7.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. -Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him. The following grave cutting rebukes, the burning reminders, must not be read as an extract from any one particular sermon of the Baptist, or even as a report of any of his discourses, but rather as a general sketch of the line of argument the great prophet adopted in his teaching.O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? In St. Matthew's account of John's work such scathing words as these were addressed to members of the Pharisee and Sadducee sects, who evidently flocked in great numbers to his baptism. They were alarmed and disturbed at his preaching; they feared that that drear time of awful suffering, generally known as the "woes of Messiah," a period which their great rabbis had told them would precede Messiah's advent, was at hand; they would provide themselves with some talisman against this time of sore calamity. The inspired predictor of these "woes" - men evidently looked on John as such - bade them come to his baptism; this baptism would be surely a safeguard, an easy bit of ritual, thought they, and one that readily approved itself to men trained in the rabbis' schools of that age, so they came to him in numbers. But John read their hearts; hence his stern fiery rebukes. "Let it be horse in mind that only teachers of transcendent holiness, and immediately inspired by God with fervency and insight, may dare to use such language" (Farrar).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

Then
οὖν(oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767:Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

[John] said
Ἔλεγεν(Elegen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036:Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to the
τοῖς(tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

crowds
ὄχλοις(ochlois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3793:From a derivative of echo; a throng; by implication, the rabble; by extension, a class of people; figuratively, a riot.

coming out
ἐκπορευομένοις(ekporeuomenois)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1607:From ek and poreuomai; to depart, be discharged, proceed, project.

to be baptized
βαπτισθῆναι(baptisthēnai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive
Strong's 907:Lit: I dip, submerge, but specifically of ceremonial dipping; I baptize.

by
ὑπ’(hyp’)
Preposition
Strong's 5259:A primary preposition; under, i.e. of place, or with verbs; of place (underneath) or where (below) or time (when).

him,
αὐτοῦ(autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“You brood
Γεννήματα(Gennēmata)
Noun - Vocative Neuter Plural
Strong's 1081:Offspring, child, fruit. From gennao; offspring; by analogy, produce.

of vipers,
ἐχιδνῶν(echidnōn)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural
Strong's 2191:A serpent, snake, viper. Of uncertain origin; an adder or other poisonous snake.

who
τίς(tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

warned
ὑπέδειξεν(hypedeixen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5263:To indicate, intimate, suggest, show, prove. From hupo and deiknuo; to exhibit under the eyes, i.e. to exemplify.

you
ὑμῖν(hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

to flee
φυγεῖν(phygein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 5343:To flee, escape, shun. Apparently a primary verb; to run away; by implication, to shun; by analogy, to vanish.

from
ἀπὸ(apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575:From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

the
τῆς(tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

coming
μελλούσης(mellousēs)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3195:A strengthened form of melo; to intend, i.e. Be about to be, do, or suffer something.

wrath?
ὀργῆς(orgēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3709:From oregomai; properly, desire, i.e., violent passion (justifiable) abhorrence); by implication punishment.

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NT Gospels: Luke 3:7 He said therefore to the multitudes who (Luke Lu Lk)