Luke 1:80

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

Isaiah 40:3

40:3 A voice cries out,

“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;

construct in the desert a road for our God.

Matthew 3:1

The Ministry of John the Baptist

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

Matthew 11:7

11:7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Mark 1:3

1:3 the voice of one shouting in the wilderness,

Prepare the way for the Lord,

make his paths straight.’”

John 1:23

1:23 John 10  said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight 11  the way for the Lord,’ 12  as Isaiah the prophet said.”


tn This verb is imperfect.

tn This verb is also imperfect.

tn Or “desert.”

tn Grk “until the day of his revealing.”

tn Or “desert.”

tn Or “desert.”

tn There is a debate as to whether one should read this figuratively (“to see someone who is easily blown over?”) or literally (Grk “to see the wilderness vegetation?… No, to see a prophet”). Either view makes good sense, but the following examples suggest the question should be read literally and understood to point to the fact that a prophet drew them to the desert.

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

sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

10 tn Grk “He”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

11 sn This call to “make straight” is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

12 sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.