Luke 3:5 (WEB)
Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.
Fathers and councils · 30
Augustine of Hippo
“…me, and how Thou didst make me low, bringing down the mountains and hills of my imaginations, and didst straighten my crookedness, and smooth my rough ways; and by what means Thou also didst subdue that brother of my heart, Alypius, unto the name of Thy only-begotten, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which he at…” — editor's note: Luke iii. 5.
Read the whole comment“…has told us how, in the days of John’s baptizing, and at the time when the Lord, being then a grown man, was also baptized, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee; whereas Matthew tells us that the boy Jesus returned from Egypt after the death of Herod.” — editor's note: Luke iii. 1–21.
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John Chrysostom
““For every valley,” saith he, “shall be filled; and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”” — editor's note: Luke iii. 5, 6.
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Tertullian
“John holds not his peace, saying, “Enter upon repentance, for now shall salvation approach the nations”—the Lord, that is, bringing salvation according to God’s promise.” — editor's note: Comp. Matt. iii. 1, 2; Mark i. 4; Luke iii. 4–6.
Read the whole comment“…ye the ways of the Lord,” that valleys and hills and mountains may be filled up and levelled, and the crooked and the rough ways be made straight and smooth—in other words, that the difficulties of the law might be changed into the facilities of the gospel.” — editor's note: Luke iii. 4, 5.
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Catena Aurea on Luke
- Ambrose of MilanCatena Aurea on Luke
The Word came, and the voice followed. For the Word first works inward, then follows the office of the voice, as it is said, And he went into all the country about Jordan.
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on Luke
Jordan is the same as descending, for there descends from God a river of healing water. But what parts would John be traversing but the country lying about Jordan, that the penitent sinner might soon arrive at the…
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Luke
It is plain to every reader that John not only preached the baptism of repentance, but to some also he gave it, yet his own baptism he could not give for the remission of sins.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Luke
For as the sacrifice had not yet been offered up, nor had the holy Spirit descended, how could remission of sins be given? What is it then that St. Luke means by the words, for the remission of sins? Seeing the Jews…
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Luke
Or John is said to preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, because the baptism which was to take away sin, as he could not give, he preached; just as the Incarnate Word of the Father preceded the…
Read the whole comment - Ambrose of MilanCatena Aurea on Luke
And therefore many say that St. John is a type of the Law, because the Law could denounce sin, but could not pardon it.
Read the whole comment - Gregory of NazianzusCatena Aurea on Luke
To speak now of the difference of baptisms. Moses indeed baptized, but in the water, the cloud, and the sea, but this was done figuratively. John also baptized, not indeed according to the Jewish rite, (for he…
Read the whole comment - Ambrose of MilanCatena Aurea on Luke
John the forerunner of the Word is rightly called the voice, because the voice being inferior precedes, the Word, which is more excellent, follows.
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Luke
John cries in the desert because he brings the glad tidings of redemption to deserted and forsaken Judæa, but what he cries is explained in the words, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. For they who preach true faith…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on Luke
Or, a way must be prepared in our heart for the Lord, for the heart of man is large and spacious if it has become clean. For imagine not that in the size of the body, but in the virtue of the understanding, consists…
Read the whole comment - Basil the GreatCatena Aurea on Luke
And because a path is a way trodden down by those that have gone before, and which former men have worn away, the word bids those who depart from the zeal of their predecessors repeatedly pursue it.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Luke
But to cry, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, was not the office of the king, but of the forerunner. And so they called John the voice, because he was the forerunner of the Word.
Read the whole comment - Cyril of AlexandriaCatena Aurea on Luke
But suppose some one should answer, saying, How shall we prepare the way of the Lord, or how shall we make His paths straight? since so many are the hindrances to those who wish to lead an honest life. To this the…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on Luke
For when Jesus had come and sent His Spirit, every valley was filled with good works, and the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which if thou hast, thou wilt not only cease to become a valley, but will begin also to be a…
Read the whole comment - Gregory of NyssaCatena Aurea on Luke
Or by the valleys he means a quiet habitual practice of virtue, as in the Psalms, The valleys shall be filled with corn. (Ps. 65:13.)
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Luke
He denounces the haughty and arrogant by the name of mountains, whom Christ has brought low. But by the hills He implies the wreckless, not only because of the pride of their hearts, but because of the barrenness of…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on Luke
Or you may understand the mountains and hills to be the hostile powers, which have been overthrown by the coming of Christ.
Read the whole comment - Basil the GreatCatena Aurea on Luke
But as the hills differ from mountains in respect of height, in other things are the same, so also the adverse powers agree indeed in purpose, but are distinguished from one another in the enormity of their offences.
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Luke
Or, the valley when filled increases, but the mountains and hills when brought low decrease, because the Gentiles by faith in Christ receive fulness of grace, but the Jews by their sin of treachery have lost that…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Luke
Or by these words he declares the difficulties of the law to be turned into the easiness of faith; as if he said, No more toils and labours await us, but grace and remission of sins make an easy way to salvation.
Read the whole comment - Gregory of NyssaCatena Aurea on Luke
Or, He orders the valleys to be filled, the mountains and hills to be cast down, to shew that the rule of virtue neither fails from want of good, nor transgresses from excess.
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Luke
But the crooked places are become straight, when the hearts of the wicked, perverted by a course of injustice, are directed to the rule of justice. But the rough ways are changed to smooth, when fierce and savage…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Luke
He then adds the cause of these things, saying, And all flesh shall see, &c. shewing that the virtue and knowledge of the Gospel shall be extended even to the end of the world, turning mankind from savage manners and…
Read the whole comment - Cyril of AlexandriaCatena Aurea on Luke
That is, of the Father, who sent His Son as our Saviour. But the flesh is here taken for the whole man.
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Luke
Or else, All flesh, i. e. Every man can not see the salvation of God in Christ in this life. The Prophet therefore stretches his eye beyond to the last day of judgment, when all men both the elect and the reprobate…
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Cross-references · 11
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.
Cited together in Gregory of Nyssa on Luke 3:3–6 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Gregory of Nazianzus on Luke 3:3–6 (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.
Cited together in On Repentance Chapter 2.