Luke 1:76

sn Now Zechariah describes his son John (you, child) through v. 77.

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.”

sn In other words, John is a prophet of God; see 1:32 and 7:22–23, 28.

tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D L Θ Ψ 0130 f1, 13 33 𝔐 sy), have πρὸ προσώπου κυρίου (pro prosōpou kuriou, “before the face of the Lord”), but the translation follows the reading ἐνώπιον κυρίου (enōpion kuriou, “before the Lord”), which has earlier and better ms support (𝔓4 א B W 0177 pc) and is thus more likely to be authentic.

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.

sn On the phrase prepare his ways see Isa 40:3–5 and Luke 3:1–6.