“Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered.
John's baptism introducing a new dispensation, it was requisite that we should have a particular account of it. Glorious things were said of John, what a distinguished favourite of Heaven he should be, and what a great blessing to this earth (Luk 1:15, Luk 1:17); but we lost him in the deserts, and there he remains until the day of his showing unto Israel, Luk 1:80.
Commenting on Luke 3:1-14
And he said unto them,.... Not by advising them to quit their employments, as if it was a thing unlawful to impose pay, and collect taxes, but by directing them to perform their office aright: exact no more than that which is appointed you; by the government: there were two sorts of publicans; there were some that exacted more than what they were ordered, and...
Verse 13. Exact (k). Demand, or take, no more. Than that which is appointed. That is, by the government. John does not condemn the office, or say that the employment should be forsaken. Though it was hated by the people--though often abused and therefore unpopular --yet the office itself was not dishonourable.