1:17
Scholars have different opinions about the way the parts of this verse relate to each other. Here is one of the main views about how the parts of 1:17 function:
17a–bJohn will go on before the Lord…(main clause)
17c
⌊in order⌋ to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, (purpose)
17d
⌊and in order to turn⌋ the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous. (another purpose)
17e
⌊He will do all this in order⌋ to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (main purpose of all of John’s work)
1:17a
And he will go on before the Lord: In the clause he will go on before the Lord, the pronoun he refers to John. The Lord here refers to “the Lord their God” (1:16), who would come in the person of the Messiah, Jesus. This clause implies that:
(a) John will appear in public before the Lord Jesus appears.
(b) John will announce that the Lord is coming and prepare his way.
Some ways to translate this are:
He will go before him as forerunner… (Revised English Bible)
-or-
He will precede the coming of the Lord… (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. (New Living Translation (2004))
The phrase “before the Lord” was also used in 1:15a, but with a different meaning.
1:17b
in the spirit and power of Elijah: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in the spirit and power of Elijah means that John would have the same kind of character and power that Elijah the prophet had. It does not indicate that Elijah’s personal spirit had returned in John.
Some other ways to say this are:
in spirit and power like Elijah (New Century Version)
-or-
with the same kind of character and power that Elijah had
spirit: The word spirit here refers to Elijah’s character. John would be like Elijah in the way he thought and acted. He would be courageous and devoted to God, as Elijah was.
power: The word power refers to the powerful way Elijah acted. This power refers mainly to spiritual ability, effectiveness, and influence. It does not refer only to physical strength, and it does not imply a harsh way of acting. John preached with ability and authority from God. He was effective in helping the people to repent.
Elijah: Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament. The Jews expected Elijah to return before the Messiah came (Malachi 4:5).
1:17c
to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children: The clause to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children is an idiom. It means “to cause fathers to be reconciled to their children.” This was one of the purposes of John’s work.
This part of the verse quotes part of Malachi 4:6.
fathers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fathers is the plural form of “father,” which refers specifically to a person’s male parent. Another way to translate this is:
to reconcile fathers to their children (New Jerusalem Bible)
1:17d
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous: This part of the verse tells a second purpose of John’s work. The verb “to turn” in 1:17c is the implied verb for this part of the verse also. However, you may need to translate the verb in a different way here. It indicates that John would cause those who disobey God to turn/change and become wise, as righteous people are. Some other ways to say this are:
and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God’s approval. (God’s Word)
the disobedient: The phrase the disobedient refers to people who disobey God. It does not refer specifically to children who disobey their parents.
the wisdom of the righteous: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wisdom can be used in two different ways:
(a) It can refer to a way of thinking in general.
(b) It can refer more specifically to a wise or prudent way of thinking.
In this context it refers to “the way of the thinking of the righteous,” which is a right or wise way of thinking. It is the way of thinking that is in agreement with God and his Word. Some other ways to translate the wisdom of the righteous are:
the way of thinking of the righteous (Good News Translation)
-or-
the right/wise attitude of righteous people
In some languages it may be natural to translate this idea as a verbal expression. For example:
cause/help the disobedient to turn/change and begin to think like the righteous
the righteous: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as righteous refers to people who live according to God’s standards. They consistently do what is right. Some other ways to say this are:
those who obey God’s law
-or-
those who do what is right
In some languages, people use an idiom to express this meaning. For example:
those who follow a straight path
-or-
upright people
1:17e
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord: The clause to make ready a people prepared for the Lord is the final purpose for the preceding parts of 1:17. It expresses the overall purpose of John’s work. John would work in the ways mentioned in 1:17c–d in order to make a people ready for the Lord. These people were not ready for the Lord before, but through John’s preaching they would become ready.
Some ways to show that 1:17e is the overall purpose of John’s work are:
• Make it explicit that this clause is the purpose for all the other actions in the verse. For example:
⌊He will do all this in order⌋ to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
• Reorder this verse to put 1:17e before the other work that John would do (1:17c–d). For example:
17aHe will…precede the coming of the Lord, 17epreparing the people for his arrival. 17cHe will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, 17dand he will change disobedient minds to accept godly wisdom. (New Living Translation (1996))
to make ready a people prepared: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to make ready and prepared have similar meanings. In some languages, it may be more natural to use only one term to express this meaning. For example:
to prepare a people for the Lord
-or-
he will make a people fully ready for their Lord (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
a people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a people here refers to a large group or community of people such as a nation or ethnic group. John’s message was to people who would be part of a community of people who were faithful to God. Translate this in a way that can refer to a large group of people that is loyal to a leader (such as a king, chief, or religious leader). For example:
a people/nation
-or-
a community
-or-
subjects/citizens
prepared for the Lord: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as prepared for the Lord here refers to being ready for the Lord to come. They are ready because they choose to do the things that please God. The word prepared does not refer here to being alert. John prepared the people for the Lord by telling them to stop sinning and obey God. He told them to be reconciled to their families and to live wisely and righteously. In some languages it may be more natural to use an adjective in place of the passive verb prepared. Some other ways to translate this are:
fit for the Lord (Revised English Bible)
-or-
ready for the coming of the Lord (New Century Version)
-or-
prepared ⌊to receive/welcome⌋ the Lord
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