2 Samuel 16:2

16:2 The king asked Ziba, “Why did you bring these things?” ¹  Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s family to ride on, the loaves of bread ²  and the summer fruit are for the attendants to eat, and the wine is for those who get exhausted in the desert.” ³ 

Matthew 3:1

The Ministry of John the Baptist

3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness ⁴  of Judea proclaiming,

Matthew 3:3

3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: ⁵ 

“The voice ⁶  of one shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make ⁷  his paths straight.’” ⁸ 

Luke 1:80

1:80 And the child kept growing ⁹  and becoming strong ¹⁰  in spirit, and he was in the wilderness ¹¹  until the day he was revealed ¹²  to Israel.

¹ tn Heb “What are these to you?”

² tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading וְהַלֶּחֶם (vÿhallekhem, “and the bread”) rather than וּלְהַלֶּחֶם (ulÿhallekhem, “and to the bread”) of the Kethib. The syntax of the MT is confused here by the needless repetition of the preposition, probably taken from the preceding word.

³ tn The Hebrew text adds “to drink.”

⁴ tn Or “desert.”

⁵ tn Grk “was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated. The passive construction has also been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.

⁶ tn Or “A voice.”

⁷ sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

⁸ sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

⁹ tn This verb is imperfect.

¹⁰ tn This verb is also imperfect.

¹¹ tn Or “desert.”

¹² tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”