The soldiers had heard John answer the crowd and then the publicans, each with a word fitted to their lives (Luke 3:11, 13). Now they want their own answer. The Greek reads literally "what shall we, we too, do," with an added "we" (hemeis) that the ESV keeps as "And we." Men who carried weapons had their own temptations. Matthew Henry notes, "Men should be cautioned against the temptations of their employments." Their question shows a readiness to hear what repentance meant for soldiers.

John gave three plain commands: "Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages" (Luke 3:14). He did not tell them to leave the army. He named the abuses their position made easy. Barnes reads the first as using no "unlawful force" against anyone's person or property, and he thinks it probable that the second meant falsely charging people with crimes to get what force could not. On the third, Barnes writes, "Do not murmur or complain, or take unlawful means to increase your wages."

Who were these soldiers? The Greek word is a participle, strateuomenoi, "those serving as soldiers." Barnes says, "Whether these were Jews or Romans cannot be ascertained," though he thinks they may have been Jews or proselytes in the service of Herod Antipas or Philip. Gill also thinks it more probable that they were Jews in Roman pay who served Herod or Philip.

John's words are pointed. "Do violence" translates diaseio, which Thayer defines as to shake thoroughly, to terrify, and "to extort from one by intimidation money or other property." "Accuse falsely" is sykophanteo, to accuse wrongfully or to extort; the only other New Testament use is Zacchaeus' "taken any thing from any man by false accusation" (Luke 19:8). "Wages" is opsonion, which Thayer defines as "a soldier's pay, allowance."

John's answers move from the crowd to the publicans to the soldiers, and each answer goes to the place where that group was most tempted. Matthew Henry says these answers were a test of sincerity and that "the evidence and effects of this repentance are here marked out." Repentance is not only sorrow for sin; it shows up in how a person uses power.

The word John used for false accusation comes back in Luke's Gospel when Zacchaeus meets Jesus and promises to restore fourfold if he has taken anything "by false accusation" (Luke 19:8). Jesus answers, "This day is salvation come to this house" (Luke 19:9). What John called for at the Jordan, Jesus' grace produced in a sinner's house.