Luke 3:8

8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and don't begin to say among yourselves, 'We have Avraham for our father;' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Avraham from these stones!

Luke 3:8 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 3:8

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance
Or "meet" for it, such as will show it to be true and genuine: "and begin not to say within yourselves": in one of Beza's copies, and in another of Stephens's, it was read, "think not", as in ( Matthew 3:9 ) . the sense is the same. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, leave out the phrase, "within yourselves": what they are forbid to say follows,

we have Abraham to our father, for I say unto you, God is able of
these stones to raise up children unto Abraham;
which need not be thought strange, when the creation of Adam out of the earth, and the production of such a numerous offspring, as the Israelites were, from Abraham and Sarah, when past all hope of children, and are signified by the rock and pit in ( Isaiah 51:1 Isaiah 51:2 ) are considered; (See Gill on Matthew 3:9).

Luke 3:8 In-Context

6 All flesh will see God's salvation.'"

7 He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be immersed by him, "You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and don't begin to say among yourselves, 'We have Avraham for our father;' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Avraham from these stones!

9 Even now the ax also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire."

10 The multitudes asked him, "What then must we do?"