What does Luke 3:19 mean?
Herod, the local ruler mentioned earlier in this chapter (Luke 3:1), had divorced his first wife so he could steal his brother Philip's wife, Herodias (Mark 6:17–18). John the Baptist was not shy about speaking truth (Luke 3:10–14). He boldly stated that Herod's relationship with his sister-in-law was illegitimate and against the Law of Moses (Leviticus 18:16; 20:21). Herod might have been offended by this, but it seems Herodias was even more spiteful (Mark 6:19–20). Eventually, she would use her own daughter to manipulate Herod into having John executed (Mark 6:27).Luke points out that Herod had a long track record of sin, even without his interactions with John the Baptist. This verse continues unbroken into the next, as Luke indicates that "for all the evil" done by Herod, he managed to add even more by the unfair imprisonment of John (Luke 3:20).