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16 He[a] will turn[b] many of the people[c] of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord[d] in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,[e] to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

18 Zechariah[f] said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this?[g] For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.”[h]

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 1:16 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  2. Luke 1:16 sn The word translated will turn is a good summary term for repentance and denotes John’s call to a change of direction (Luke 3:1-14).
  3. Luke 1:16 tn Grk “sons,” but clearly this is a generic reference to people of both genders.
  4. Luke 1:17 tn Grk “before him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Luke 1:17 sn These two lines cover all relationships: Turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children points to horizontal relationships, while (turn) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just shows what God gives from above in a vertical manner.
  6. Luke 1:18 tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  7. Luke 1:18 tn Grk “How will I know this?”
  8. Luke 1:18 tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).