God’s Word Translation
Luke 1:17
17He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents’ attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God’s approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord.”
Luke 1:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."
- New King James Version (NKJV)He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Context of Luke 1:17
15As far as the Lord is concerned, he will be a great man. He will never drink wine or any other liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God. He will go ahead of the Lord with the spirit and power that Elijah had. He will change parents’ attitudes toward their children. He will change disobedient people so that they will accept the wisdom of those who have God’s approval. In this way he will prepare the people for their Lord.” 18Zechariah said to the angel, “What proof is there for this? I’m an old man, and my wife is beyond her childbearing years.” 19The angel answered him, “I’m Gabriel! I stand in God’s presence. God sent me to tell you this good news.
Read all of Luke 1Luke 1:17 word by word
καὶ αὐτὸς προελεύσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου ἐπιστρέψαι καρδίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα καὶ ἀπειθεῖς ἐν φρονήσει δικαίων, ἑτοιμάσαι κυρίῳ λαὸν κατεσκευασμένον.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- shall goπροέρχομαιproerchomai · to go beforeG4281
- beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
- of EliasἩλίαςHēlias · ElijahG2243
- to turnἐπιστρέφωepistrephō · to turnG1994
- the heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- of the fathersπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- toἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- the childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
- the disobedientἀπειθήςapeithēs · disobedientG545
- the wisdomφρόνησιςphronēsis · understandingG5428
- of the justδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
- to make readyἑτοιμάζωhetoimazō · to make readyG2090
- a peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- preparedκατασκευάζωkataskeuazō · to prepareG2680
- for the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
Cross-references for Luke 1:17
- Luke 1:16He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord their God.
- John 1:13These people didn’t become God’s children in a physical way—from a human impulse or from a husband’s desire ⌞to have a child⌟. They were born from God.
- John 3:28You are witnesses that I said, ‘I’m not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’
- Malachi 4:5“I’m going to send you the prophet Elijah before that very terrifying day of the Lord comes.
- Matthew 11:14If you are willing to accept their message, John is the Elijah who was to come.
- Matthew 17:11Jesus answered, “Elijah is coming and will put everything in order again.
- Mark 9:11So they asked him, “Don’t the experts in Moses’ Teachings say that Elijah must come first?”
- John 1:21They asked him, “Well, are you Elijah?” John answered, “No, I’m not.” Then they asked, “Are you the prophet?” John replied, “No.”
- Revelation 20:4I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were allowed to judge. Then I saw the souls of those whose heads had been cut off because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God’s word. They had not worshiped the beast or its statue and were not branded on their foreheads or hands. They lived and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years.
- 1 Kings 17:1Elijah, who was from Tishbe but had settled in Gilead, said to Ahab, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord God of Israel whom I serve lives, there will be no dew or rain during the next few years unless I say so.”
- 1 Kings 18:18Elijah answered, “I haven’t troubled Israel. You and your father’s family have done it by disobeying the Lord’s commands and following the various Baal gods.
- 1 Kings 21:20Ahab asked Elijah, “So you’ve found me, my enemy?” Elijah answered, “I found you. Because you sold yourself to do what the Lord considers evil.
- 2 Kings 1:4This is what the Lord says: You will not get up from the bed you are lying on. Instead, you will die there.’ ” Then Elijah left.
- Matthew 3:4John wore clothes made from camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.
- Matthew 14:4John had been telling Herod, “It’s not right for you to be married to her.”
- Luke 3:7Crowds of people were coming to be baptized by John. He would say to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God’s coming anger?
Commentaries on Luke 1:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17He 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 21:17-24, with Matthew 14:4. It was on these accounts that the Prophet Malachi, Malachi 4:6, had likened John to this prophet. See also Isaiah 40:3; and Malachi 4:5, Malachi 4:6. To turn the hearts of the fathers - Gross…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Shall go before him - Before the Messiah. The connection here leads us to suppose that the word “him” refers to the “Lord their God” in the previous verse. If so, then it will follow that the Messiah was the Lord God of Israel - a character abundantly given him in other parts of the New Testament. In the spirit and power of Elias - See the notes at Matthew 11:14. To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children - In the time of John the Jews were divided…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-25Verses 5-25 The father and mother of John the Baptist were sinners as all are, and were justified and saved in the same way as others; but they were eminent for piety and integrity. They had no children, and it could not be expected that Elisabeth should have any in her old age. While Zacharias was burning incense in the temple, the whole multitude of the people were praying without. All the prayers we offer up to God, are acceptable and successful only…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah: The prophet Malachi prophesied that God would send Elijah before the time of God's salvation (see Malachi 3:1; 4:5–6). John the Baptist filled this role by preparing the way for the Lord's coming.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1716-17. A religious and moral reformer, Elijah-like, he should be (Mal 4:6, where the "turning of the people's heart to the Lord" is borrowed from 1Ki 18:37). In both cases their success, though great, was partial--the nation was not gained.Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 1:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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