Luke 1:76

1:76 And you, child, ¹  will be called the prophet ²  of the Most High. ³ 

For you will go before ⁴  the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁵ 

Isaiah 40:3-5

40:3 A voice cries out,

“In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord;

construct in the desert a road for our God.

40:4 Every valley must be elevated,

and every mountain and hill leveled.

The rough terrain will become a level plain,

the rugged landscape a wide valley.

40:5 The splendor ⁶  of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people ⁷  will see it at the same time.

For ⁸  the Lord has decreed it.” ⁹ 

Isaiah 49:6

49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,

to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the remnant ¹⁰  of Israel? ¹¹ 

I will make you a light to the nations, ¹² 

so you can bring ¹³  my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

Daniel 12:3

12:3 But the wise will shine

like the brightness of the heavenly expanse.

And those bringing many to righteousness

will be like the stars forever and ever.

Malachi 3:1

3:1 “I am about to send my messenger, ¹⁴  who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord ¹⁵  you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger ¹⁶  of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Matthew 3:1-6

The Ministry of John the Baptist

3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness ¹⁷  of Judea proclaiming, 3:2 “Repent, ¹⁸  for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: ¹⁹ 

“The voice ²⁰  of one shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make ²¹  his paths straight.’” ²² 

3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. ²³  3:5 Then people from Jerusalem, ²⁴  as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him, 3:6 and he was baptizing them ²⁵  in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

Matthew 21:32

21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although ²⁶  you saw this, you did not later change your minds ²⁷  and believe him.

[1:76]  ¹ sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

[1:76]  ² tn Or “a prophet”; but since Greek nouns can be definite without the article, and since in context this is a reference to the eschatological forerunner of the Messiah (cf. John 1:17), the concept is better conveyed to the English reader by the use of the definite article “the.”

[1:76]  ³ sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22-23, 28.

[1:76]  ⁴ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D L Θ Ψ 0130 Ë^1,13 33 Ï sy), have πρὸ προσώπου κυρίου (pro proswpou kuriou, “before the face of the Lord”), but the translation follows the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enwpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), which has earlier and better ms support (Ì⁴ א B W 0177 pc) and is thus more likely to be authentic.

[1:76]  ⁵ tn This term is often translated in the singular, looking specifically to the forerunner role, but the plural suggests the many elements in that salvation.

[40:5]  ⁶ tn Or “glory.” The Lord’s “glory” is his theophanic radiance and royal splendor (see Isa 6:3; 24:23; 35:2; 60:1; 66:18-19).

[40:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NAB, NIV “mankind”; TEV “the whole human race.”

[40:5]  ⁸ tn Or “indeed.”

[40:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[49:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”

[49:6]  ¹¹ sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.

[49:6]  ¹² tn See the note at 42:6.

[49:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”

[3:1]  ¹⁴ tn In Hebrew the phrase “my messenger” is מַלְאָכִי (mal’akhi), the same form as the prophet’s name (see note on the name “Malachi” in 1:1). However, here the messenger appears to be an eschatological figure who is about to appear, as the following context suggests. According to 4:5, this messenger is “Elijah the prophet,” whom the NT identifies as John the Baptist (Matt 11:10; Mark 1:2) because he came in the “spirit and power” of Elijah (Matt 11:14; 17:11-12; Lk 1:17).

[3:1]  ¹⁵ tn Here the Hebrew term הָאָדוֹן (ha’adon) is used, not יְהוָה (yÿhvah, typically rendered Lord). Thus the focus is not on the Lord as the covenant God, but on his role as master.

[3:1]  ¹⁶ sn This messenger of the covenant may be equated with my messenger (that is, Elijah) mentioned earlier in the verse, or with the Lord himself. In either case the messenger functions as an enforcer of the covenant. Note the following verses, which depict purifying judgment on a people that has violated the Lord’s covenant.

[3:1]  ¹⁷ tn Or “desert.”

[3:2]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “and saying, ‘Repent.’” The participle λέγων (legwn) at the beginning of v. 2 is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[3:3]  ¹⁹ 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.

[3:3]  ²⁰ tn Or “A voice.”

[3:3]  ²¹ sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

[3:3]  ²² sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

[3:4]  ²³ sn John’s lifestyle was in stark contrast to many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem who lived in relative ease and luxury. While his clothing and diet were indicative of someone who lived in the desert, they also depicted him in his role as God’s prophet (cf. Zech 13:4); his appearance is similar to the Prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). Locusts and wild honey were a common diet in desert regions, and locusts (dried insects) are listed in Lev 11:22 among the “clean” foods.

[3:5]  ²⁴ tn Grk “Then Jerusalem.”

[3:6]  ²⁵ tn Grk “they were being baptized by him.” The passive construction has been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.

[21:32]  ²⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:32]  ²⁷ sn The word translated change your minds is the same verb used in v. 29 (there translated had a change of heart). Jesus is making an obvious comparison here, in which the religious leaders are viewed as the disobedient son.