SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:17
Porque l ir delante de l con el Espíritu y virtud de Elías, para convertir los corazones de los padres a los hijos, y los rebeldes a la prudencia de los justos, para aparejar al Seor un pueblo preparado.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 1:17
Verse 17. He shall go before him] Jesus Christ, in the spirit and power of Elijah; he shall resemble Elijah in his retired and austere manner of life, and in his zeal for the truth, reproving even princes for their crimes; compare 1 Kings xxi. 17-24, with Matthew xiv. 4. It was on these accounts that the Prophet Malachi, Malachi iv. 6, had likened John to this prophet. See also Isa. xl. 3; and Mal. iv. 5, 6. To turn the hearts of the fathers] Gross ignorance had taken place in the hearts of the Jewish people; they needed a Divine instructer: John is announced as such; by this preaching and manner of life, all classes among the people should be taught the nature of their several places, and the duties respectively incumbent upon them, See chap. iii. 10, &c. In these things the greatness of John, mentioned ver. 15, is pointed out, Nothing is truly great but what is so in the sight of God. John's greatness arose: 1st. From the plenitude of God's Spirit which dwelt in him. 2. From his continual self-denial, and taking up his cross. 3. From his ardent zeal to make Christ known. 4. From his fidelity and courage in rebuking vice. 5.
From the reformation which he was the instrument of effecting among the people; reviving among them the spirit of the patriarchs, and preparing their hearts to receive the Lord Jesus. To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children. By a very expressive figure of speech, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the rest of the patriarchs, are represented here as having their hearts alienated from the Jews, their children, because of their unbelief and disobedience; but that the Baptist should so far succeed in converting them to the Lord their God, that these holy men should again look upon them with delight, and acknowledge them for their children. Some think that by the children, the Gentiles are meant, and by the fathers, the Jews.
The disobedient] Or unbelieving, apeiqeiv, the persons who would no longer credit the predictions of the prophets, relative to the manifestation of the Messiah. Unbelief and disobedience are so intimately connected, that the same word in the sacred writings often serves for both.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. And he shall go before him , etc.] The Lord his God, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose forerunner he was; the messenger of him, that according to the prophecies in ( Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1) was to go before him, and prepare his ways; as he did by his wonderful conception and birth, which made way for the more easy belief of the conception and birth of the Messiah, by a virgin; and by his preaching the doctrine of repentance, and administering the ordinance of baptism; which, were done to awaken the people's expectation of the Messiah, and that he might be made manifest in Israel, and by pointing him out to them in his preaching: in the spirit and power of Elias : or Elijah, the Syriac and Persic versions add, the prophet; John the Baptist, and Elijah, were men much of the same spirit and disposition, and of like power, life, and zeal in religion; and therefore the one goes by the name of the other: they both much conversed in the wilderness; agreed in the austerity of their lives; their habit and dress were much alike; they were both restorers of religion, when very low, and much decayed; were famous for their faithfulness in reproving the vices of kings, and for their warm zeal for true religion, and for the persecution they endured for the sake of it: to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children in ( Malachi 4:6) which is the prophecy referred to, it is added, and the heart of the children to their fathers ; which some understand, of his turning the degenerate offspring of the Jews, to the sentiments of their forefathers, and causing them to agree with them in their notions of the Messiah: others, of the turning of the Jews to Christ, and his apostles; and others, of his being a means, through his ministry and baptism, of reconciling Jews and Gentiles together, which is the great business of the Gospel dispensation, ushered in by John; and who preached that all men should believe in Christ, and baptized publicans and Roman soldiers, as well as Jews; and which sense pretty much agrees with the interpretation the Jews put upon the prophecy, as referring to Elijah the Tishbite, whom they expect in person, before the coming of the Messiah: say they, Elijah comes to defile and to cleanse (i.e. to pronounce what things are clean or unclean), and to remove afar off, and to bring near (i.e. to determine what families are legitimate or illegitimate).
R. Simeon says, to compose differences; and the wise men say, neither to remove, nor to bring near, but wl tw[l , to make peace in the world; as it is said, behold, I send unto you Elijah the prophet, etc. and he shall turn the heart of the fathers, etc.
But the true meaning is, that John the Baptist, who is meant by Elias, should be an instrument of turning fathers with their children, and children with their fathers, to the Lord; that he should be a means of converting both fathers and children, one as well as another; and to gather persons of every age and station; for the particle l[ which we render to, is the same as [ , with, as Kimchi on the text observes: and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. By the disobedient are meant, either Jews or Gentiles; some understand it of the Gentiles, who were children of disobedience, before the light of the Gospel came among them: but rather the former are meant, who were a disobedient, rebellious, and gainsaying people; who were gone off from the wisdom, knowledge, and religion, of the just, or righteous ones, their forefathers; who prophesied of Christ, rejoiced to see his day, longed for him, and believed in him: now John was to be an instrument of turning some of the unbelieving Jews, to the true knowledge of salvation by Christ; which their righteous progenitors waited for, had a right knowledge of, and an interest in: and of leading them either into the Gospel of Christ, that wisdom of God is a mystery; the manifold wisdom of God, in which he has abounded in all wisdom and prudence: and which the righteous men among the Jews, searched diligently into, attained some knowledge of, and which even the holy angels desire to look into; so the patriarchs were called just, or righteous; as righteous Abel, just Noah, etc. and so the Jewish fathers: hence in the Targum on ( Jeremiah 12:5,6 31:16,21) mention is made of thy fathers, ayqydx the just, who were of old: or to Christ himself, who is the wisdom of God, and in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, to know him, and believe in him; who in the same Targum on ( Jeremiah 23:5) is called ayqydxd jym , the Messiah of the just. To make ready a people prepared for the Lord. The Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read, a perfect people; and the Persic version, all the people: not all the people of the Jews, but God's elect among them who from all eternity were prepared, as a people in a covenant relation, as the portion of Christ, and as his spouse and bride, and as such, given to him; they were in electing grace, vessels of mercy, afore prepared for glory; and heaven, as a kingdom, was prepared for them from the foundation of the world: they were provided with all spiritual blessings, which were prepared for them, and bestowed on them in heavenly places, in Christ, before the foundation of the world; even all their grace, and all their glory; yea, even their good works are such, which God has foreordained, or foreprepared that they should walk in. Now, the work of John the Baptist, was to make ready this people, by pointing out to them, in a ministerial way, wherein their readiness lay, to meet the Lord, and be for ever with him in heaven; not in a civil, moral, or legal righteousness; or in outward humiliation for, and abstinence from sin; nor in a submission to Gospel ordinances, and in a mere profession of religion, and in an observance of a round of duties; but in justification by the righteousness of Christ, and in regeneration and sanctification, by his Spirit and grace; the one giving a right to, the other a meetness for the heavenly inheritance: and John; and so any other Gospel minister, may be said to make ready a people, in this sense; when they are the instruments of the regeneration and conversion of sinners, and of leading them to the righteousness of Christ, for their justification before God, and acceptance with him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-25 - The father and mother of John the Baptist were sinners as all are, an were justified and saved in the same way as others; but they wer eminent for piety and integrity. They had no children, and it could no be expected that Elisabeth should have any in her old age. Whil Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the people were praying without. All the prayers we offer up to God, ar acceptable and successful only by Christ's intercession in the templ of God above. We cannot expect an interest therein if we do not pray and pray with our spirits, and are not earnest in prayer. Nor can we expect that the best of our prayers should gain acceptance, and brin an answer of peace, but through the mediation of Christ, who eve lives, making intercession. The prayers Zacharias often made, receive an answer of peace. Prayers of faith are filed in heaven, and are no forgotten. Prayers made when we were young and entering into the world may be answered when we are old and going out of the world. Mercies ar doubly sweet that are given in answer to prayer. Zacharias shall have son in his old age, who shall be instrumental in the conversion of man souls to God, and preparing them to receive the gospel of Christ. He shall go before Him with courage, zeal, holiness, and a mind dead to earthly interests and pleasures. The disobedient and rebellious woul be brought back to the wisdom of their righteous forefathers, or rather, brought to attend to the wisdom of that Just One who was comin among them. Zacharias heard all that the angel said; but his unbelie spake. In striking him dumb, God dealt justly with him, because he ha objected against God's word. We may admire the patience of God toward us. God dealt kindly with him, for thus he prevented his speaking an more distrustful, unbelieving words. Thus also God confirmed his faith If by the rebukes we are under for our sin, we are brought to give the more credit to the word of God, we have no reason to complain. Eve real believers are apt to dishonour God by unbelief; and their mouth are stopped in silence and confusion, when otherwise they would have been praising God with joy and gratitude. In God's gracious dealing with us we ought to observe his gracious regards to us. He has looke on us with compassion and favour, and therefore has thus dealt with us.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ αυτος 846 P-NSM προελευσεται 4281 5695 V-FDI-3S ενωπιον 1799 ADV αυτου 846 P-GSM εν 1722 PREP πνευματι 4151 N-DSN και 2532 CONJ δυναμει 1411 N-DSF ηλιου 2243 N-GSM επιστρεψαι 1994 5658 V-AAN καρδιας 2588 N-APF πατερων 3962 N-GPM επι 1909 PREP τεκνα 5043 N-APN και 2532 CONJ απειθεις 545 A-APM εν 1722 PREP φρονησει 5428 N-DSF δικαιων 1342 A-GPM ετοιμασαι 2090 5658 V-AAN κυριω 2962 N-DSM λαον 2992 N-ASM κατεσκευασμενον 2680 5772 V-RPP-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. Wisdom (fronhsei). Wyc., prudence. This is a lower word than sofia, wisdom (see on Jas. iii. 13). It is an attribute or result of wisdom, and not necessarily in a good sense, though mostly so in the New Testament.. Compare, however, the use of the kindred word fronimov in Rom. xi. 25; xii. 16: wise in your own conceits; and the adverb fronimwv, wisely, of the unjust steward, Luke xvi. 8. It is practical intelligence, which may or may not be applied to good ends. Appropriate here as a practical term corresponding to disobedient. Prepared (kataskeuasmenon). Adjusted, disposed, placed in the right moral state.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:17 {Before his face} (enwpion autou). Not in the ancient Greek, but common in the papyri as in LXX and N.T. It is a vernacular _Koin_ word, adverb used as preposition from adjective enwpios, and that from ho en wpi wn (the one who is in sight). {autou} here seems to be "the Lord their God" in verse #16 since the Messiah has not yet been mentioned, though he was to be actually the Forerunner of the Messiah. {In the spirit and power of Elijah} (en pneumati kai dunamei eleia). See #Isa 40:1-11; Mal 3:1-5. John will deny that he is actually Elijah in person, as they expected (#Joh 1:21), but Jesus will call him Elijah in spirit (#Mr 9:12; Mt 17:12). {Hearts of fathers} (kardias paterwn). Paternal love had died out. this is one of the first results of conversion, the revival of love in the home. {Wisdom} (fronesei). Not sofia, but a word for practical intelligence. {Prepared} (kateskeuasmenon). Perfect passive participle, state of readiness for Christ. this John did. this is a marvellous forecast of the character and career of John the Baptist, one that should have caught the faith of Zacharias.
